Genesis: Intelligence Allowed

Hope you have time this weekend to catch Ben Stein's Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. With all this "intelligent" debate I thought maybe it's time to take a look at some scripture. Ah, yes! Remember our manual?!

This from the Bible Nut blog, starting with the Word:

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:28

“This is the place in which God has set man to be the servant of his providence in the government of the inferior creatures, and, as it were, the intelligence of this orb; to be the receiver of God’s bounty, which other creatures live upon, but do not know it . . .” - Matthew Henry

...Another way that Adam was to ‘subdue’ the Earth was to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ – thus filling the planet with people. Today, we are to ‘subdue’ the world we are in. We are not supposed to let the world 'subdue' us. As Christians we are to be loving and kind to others. We are not supposed to gossip or slander or use hateful speech against others. We are to fight and ‘subdue’ the world with ‘spiritual fruit.’ (See Galatians 5:22-25) By staying in God’s Word and by being submissive to the Spirit’s leading, a Christian will produce ‘spiritual fruit’ and ‘subdue’ the flesh-feeding values and false teachings of this world...

Read full commentary at the Bible Nut.

Strobel: Why 'Expelled' is a Big Deal

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. - Genesis 1:20,21

Here's a reason or two, or three, to see Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. This from Lee Strobel:

Prayer is Not Rubbing Bottle For a Genie

I want a home on the Big Island of Hawaii, a beach home in Southern California, and a mountain home in Colorado. Oh, and also an RV loaded to the max. Please, Lord, I pray these things for you to bless me with...Amen!

Isn't that how we often pray? "Rubbing" on God as if He was a genie, instead of praying for His will.

Praying is an important part of our life with Christ. Let's pray in earnest, knowing we truly are connected to Him. Let's pray with a desire to get closer to Him.

This from Greg Laurie's daily devotion:

THE PERIL OF PRAYERLESSNESS

If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. - James 1:5

The Bible's first recorded prayer of Jacob's is found in Genesis 32:9–16. Up to this point, seven chapters of Genesis have been devoted to Jacob's life, with no mention of prayer on his part.

It makes me wonder if Jacob had ever prayed up to this point. It is possible, but the Bible doesn't specifically mention it. It may have been Jacob's very lack of prayer and lack of dependence on God that made him feel as though he had to manipulate his circumstances.

It was commendable that Jacob was reaching out to God, and there are even some good things about his prayer. He acknowledged the God of Abraham and Isaac as the true God. He confessed his own unworthiness. He brought his petition to the Lord.

But it would have been better if he had said, "Lord, what should I do now?" Instead, he prayed and made his plans. In other words, he decided what he was going to do and then asked God to bless it.

Is that not like us? We make our plan and then ask God to bless it. But that is not really praying about a matter. Instead, we should pray along the lines of, "Lord, give me wisdom from your Word and from godly people who will guide me scripturally. Help me do the right thing."

But Jacob did not do that. He wanted what was right, but he went about it in the wrong way.

God helps those who can't help themselves. This is what Jacob needed to realize. Let's learn to seek out God's will rather than bypass it.

_______________

Books by Greg Laurie can be found at Amazon.com.

The Power of Family

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. - Genesis 1:27

This from Dennis and Barbara Rainey's Moments With You:

I believe there is nothing more powerful on Earth than family. It is the single most influential force for good (or for evil) in all human existence.

From birth, it marks you. Your family crafts your conscience and shapes your soul. At home you learn life’s lessons and begin the art of practicing them. At home you learn to love and to do what’s right. More than merely giving you a street address, your home and family imprint you with a spiritual and sexual identity shaped by the two people who gave you life. Truly, nothing
compares to the strength of being tightly wrapped in the protective fiber of family. It’s who you are. It’s where you belong.

And if all goes well—as it should—it is your family that surrounds you when you start life’s journey, when you face life’s hardest trials, when you go through the valleys and when you die. More than anyone else, the members of your family are the ones who are there for you, caring for you and mourning the loss of you when you’re gone.

This should come as no surprise, because God created the family. At the very dawn of time, “God created man in His own image, . . . male and female He created them.” Of all the ways He could have chosen to inaugurate His creation, He chose to start with family. In fact, the Bible begins with a marriage in Genesis and ends with a marriage in Revelation. Marriage and family have always been central to what God is doing on planet Earth.

I believe family is still of utmost importance to our heavenly Father. It holds the key to our health, our success as a society, and our future. And I believe it is worth whatever effort is required to nurture, encourage and support it.

Why not celebrate the family God has given you today?

Book Description (Amazon.com)
What is the true secret to spiritual growth for couples? Dennis and Barbara Rainey know from experience that the secret is more moments together. When you are lifting up your relationship and the rest of your life together to God, you won t be able to keep the spiritual growth from happening. In the pages of Moments With You: 365-Day Devotional, the Raineys offer just what couples need to get started or to continue growing in their quiet times together. These short but poignant biblical devotions are enjoyable and easy to use, providing a daily discussion point, prayer and Scripture reference. Married couples desiring a deeper spiritual connection with God and their spouse will come to treasure their time spent over Moments With You. For married couples of all ages and at all stages of life.

About the Author
Dennis Rainey is the executive director and cofounder of FamilyLife, a division of Campus Crusade for Christ. Dennis and his wife, Barbara, have spoken at FamilyLife conferences across the United States and around the world. Dennis serves as the daily host of the radio program FamilyLife Today, where Barbara is a frequent guest. Dennis and Barbara have written several books. Both agree that their proudest achievement is their six children (with three more woven in through marriage) and two grandchildren.