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Creation in Genesis

The Book of Genesis literally means the ‘book of the generation’. The word ‘generation’ means that which has proceeded from, or been brought into existence, or been born. To ‘generate’ something is to cause it to exist. The Book of Genesis gives the account of how the universe, including all life, came to exist. It also contains the history of the creation of different languages and people groups, and the beginning of the nation of Israel.

The details contained in the first several chapters of Genesis are very specific, and use very specific language to describe what God created, by what mechanism, and in what order...

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Creation Beyond Genesis or What the Rest of the Bible Says About the Origin of the Universe and Life on Earth

While Genesis gives the first account of God’s creation of the universe out of nothing by the power of His Word, the entire Bible speaks of the origin of the universe and the creation of life on earth in many places. Many Biblical doctrines are based in some way or to some extent upon the fact of God having miraculously created all material reality directly and in its current and constant form. Hundreds of passages refer to God having formed the earth by His word, of placing the heavenly bodies in their proper places, of setting the bounds of land and seas, of creating various life forms in and for their proper environments, and having created plants and animals according to their specific kinds.

The following are important points of teaching or consideration regarding the essential truth ...

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Noah’s Flood

The Bible teaches clearly that the flood God sent in Noah’s day was a world-wide flood that covered then entire planet completely with water, destroying all living creatures not housed on the ark, or capable of living in turbulent waters for long periods of time. Many people, including professing Christians, want to argue that a global flood did not, and even could not, have occurred, that it is a misunderstanding of the Scripture to suggest that God destroyed the entire world with a flood that submerged the surface of the whole globe.

The two issues to consider are what the Bible says about that flood, and what physical evidence exists to support or refute the event...

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Sympathetic Nervous System

Sympathetic Nervous System – the division of the nervous system responsible for non-voluntary functions, such as circulation, respiration, digestion. 

There is no “neural connection” between different areas of the body. Messages to any part of the body are not fed through other body parts, but receive their information directly from the central nervous system, which transmits from the brain. 

The holistic health movement claims for itself to minister to “the whole person; body, mind and spirit”. In fact, their own literature makes it clear that the “health” of the mind and spirit are of the greatest importance, since they are believed to “create” and control the material. This is based on their philosophy of life, and understanding of “spirit”...

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Summary of the New Age Movement

From New Age Almanac, by J. Gordon Melton:

“The New Age Movement can best be dated from circa 1971. By that year, Eastern religion and transpersonal psychology (the key elements needed to create the distinctive New Age synthesis) had achieved a level of popularity, and metaphysical leaders could begin to articulate the New Age vision…Baba Ram Dass, a transformed refugee from the psychedelic age, emerged as the first national prophet…Despite its relatively recent appearance, the movement should not be viewed as a startlingly new phenomenon in Western culture...

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New Age Movement

Eph 5:11 “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

The New Age Movement is the western presentation of eastern mysticism. While individual practitioners emphasize different practices or traditions, the main religious contributors are Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and traditional Chinese mysticism.

PURPOSE: to bring about a New World Order through a world-wide change in thinking about ultimate reality and global needs. One government, one global community, one spiritual reality.

In the New Age Movement, the system (universe, cosmos) is divine, therefore preservation of the system must occur at any cost. Elements within the system are also divine = > “Earth” rather than “earth”...

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Studies in Romans

Paul’s letter to the Romans is a wonderful dissertation on the tremendous grace of God towards men. Paul introduces himself as one having authority to speak, by virtue of being an ‘apostle’ or one sent out, an ambassador of Jesus Christ. In the course of his  letter to the Romans, Paul identifies the Lord Jesus as the Christ, or the Messiah the Jews awaited, in fulfilment of the prophecies given by God so they would know the Messiah when He came. Paul also asserts unequivocally that Jesus is also the Son of God.

Paul’s purpose in writing to his letter to the Romans becomes clear as the letter develops; there were misunderstandings among the people about how Christ’s Gospel affected each of the people of the Jews and the Gentiles, those who were not part of the nation of Israel...

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Easy Rules for Reading and Understanding the Bible

1. Read what it says.

Language is a system with inherent order and meaning. The purpose of language is communication. Communication happens only when meaning is clear between participants.
 
In order to achieve meaning in the message, the meaning of its individual elements, and the prescribed order, must be observed. (In other words, we can’t redefine the terms!)
 
Individual words, as well as ideas, have inherent meaning. When words or ideas are unrecognizable because of a failure to apply proper meaning, communication does not happen; language fails in its purpose.
 
This principle applies to all languages. The Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek, in adherence to the inherent structure and meaning of each language.

Remember: effective output requires adherence to structure and m...

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Bible Study Principles or How to Effectively Study the Bible

General

The Bible is God’s word to man. It has specific meaning for all men at all times. If the meaning of Scripture is fluid (changeable), or subjective (someone’s interpretation or opinion), God has said nothing to us, and we have nothing to say to the world. Our hope is based upon His word being Truth, as Jesus declared it to be.

The Bible was written by ordinary men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is not restricted to those with special training or higher learning, but is open to any who read or hear. Its message is not complex or difficult, except to the extent that men may choose to rebel against its author, and therefore its content.

Study of Scripture is a two-fold exercise:

Intellectual – engaging the mind in discovering what is said.

Spiritual – as the Holy Spir...

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Bible Studies: Introduction

In keeping with the purpose of Grace and Truth website to help Christians grow in their knowledge of God through the careful consideration of God’s Word, the Holy Bible, I will begin to post the notes to different Bible Studies. In these Bible Studies I will address individual Books of the Bible to expand the reader’s knowledge and understanding of the Person and Nature of God, the nature and purpose of the material world, the nature and role of humans in God’s creation, and Man’s Relationship with God.

The Bible declares itself throughout to be the Word of God.  Whenever you read the phrase, “Thus saith the LORD…”, you have the words God spoke to the man who recorded the words...

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