01_Gen 1:1 In the beginning God Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The Bible begins with these simple but majestic words: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). This opening line is foundational to our understanding of the world and our place in it. It does not attempt to prove God’s existence. Instead, it declares it as self-evident. God is, and everything begins with Him. His existence and creative power are revealed through His works. Psalm 19:1 reminds us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” The story is told of a man whose car broke down on the road. He tried everything he could think of to get it running again but in vain. Finally, another man stopped to help. He made a quick but thorough inspection, adjusted something in the car’s innards, and said, “Try it now.” To the owner’s surprise, the car started immediately. Bewildered, he asked, “How did you fix it so fast?” The man replied, “ I built the car. I know how it works.” The creator knows his creation best. The manufacturer's deep understanding of the car he designed mirrors the far greater knowledge God has of all creation. He is also the ultimate authority over all for this very reason. Everything around us and within us begins with God. He is the source of everything. Just as a car owner turns to the manufacturer to understand or repair his car, we too must turn to our Creator for answers, direction, help, and purpose in life. Creation reveals the fingerprints of the Creator. The intricate design of a leaf, the vastness of the stars, the complexity of the human body—all point to a wise and purposeful Designer. True science teaches humility, and leads us to marvel at God’s wisdom in his beautiful and intentional design. Yet, this creation is only a partial revelation of God. Knowing that we need to know him in order to receive his grace and peace, God has lovingly revealed himself to us in the scriptures, the words recorded by holy men led by the Spirit of God. The Bible tells us not just that God is, but also reveals who He is. Through stories, parables, and teaching, God shows us His character, His purposes, and His desire for a relationship with us. The Scriptures are God’s service manual for life, guiding us into right alignment with our Creator. In these last days, God’s revelation has been made complete in his Son Jesus the Anointed. Hebrews 1:1-2 declares, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world.” In Him, we see God as he truly is. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Christ reveals God’s incredible love for mankind. In him we understand the great destiny God has for us. He forgives and puts away sin

Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness… Gen 1:26 Imagine seeing a crumpled bit of paper on the ground. It would probably be dismissed as trash. But if that piece of paper was a high-value currency note, it would be quickly salvaged, regardless of its dirty appearance. Why? Both are paper, yet the currency note bears the guarantee of the government. This transforms it from a coloured bit of paper to very valuable, whatever its setting. Just so, every human being, regardless of outward circumstances, bears the image of God. This bestows inherent worth, the human dignity and value that no amount of degradation can erase. Genesis 1:27 tells us, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." These words establish a profound truth: every man and woman is equally created in the likeness of God. This equality of origin and of worth transcends gender, race, status, or ability. It is rooted not in what we do but in the image we bear. Genesis 9:6 emphasizes this by declaring the taking of human life to be punishable by death, because man was made in the image of God. What does it mean to be created in the image of God? The writer of Hebrews reflects on this mystery in Hebrews 2:6-7: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor and placed everything under his feet.” Humans are unique from all other creatures. We were created just a little lower than angels. We were crowned with glory and honor, and given dominion over creation. This divine image is evident in our ability to reason, our moral sense of right and wrong, our creativity, and our capacity for relationships—with each other and with God. Yet, sin has alienated us from God and caused us to lose the reflection of His glory in us. Our moral compass is corrupted, our relationships fractured, and our purpose clouded. The image remains, but it is corrupted, like a tarnished mirror that no longer functions as it was intended to. However, the story doesn’t end there. Through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, God has reconciled us to Himself and given us his Spirit. He is restoring His image in us who have come to Christ. Colossians 3:10 tells us that, in Christ, we have “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Ephesians 4:22-24 urges us to “put off the old self, which is corrupted by deceitful desires, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” This renewal is a process, a daily transformation occurring as we submit to God’s work in our lives. While humanity has not yet been given dominion over all things that they were created for, yet Jesus has received the crown. Verse 9 declares, “We

03_Strive to enter into His rest Gen 2:1 And so the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their heavenly lights. 2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and on the sixth day, He made humanity, forming man and woman in His image. Then, on the seventh day, God rested. This wasn’t because God was weary. The Almighty doesn’t tire. God’s rest was not inactivity. The Father is always at work. Rather, his rest was one of contentment. His work was complete, perfect, and beautiful. In creating humanity on the sixth day, God gave man the unique privilege of entering into His rest without any labour. From the very start, humanity was not created for endless toil. Our destiny is to find fulfillment and peace in God’s completed work. Adam stepped into a world where nothing needed improvement. He didn’t wake up to a list of tasks. There was no garden in need of planting. There was no chaos. He opened his eyes on a world already blessed, sanctified, and whole. Everything was finished; all was "very good." Adam and Eve were invited into this rest—a deep satisfaction and contentment, rooted not in what they had done, but in God’s perfect work. Today, our ideas of rest often fall short. For most of us, rest is escaping work. We go to sleep, take a vacation, or seek entertainment. None of these are inherently wrong. Yet they do not give us real peace. The mind, like a roaring sea, remains restless. The prophet Isaiah described the wicked as being like the restless sea, tossing up refuse and rest. They cannot find calm because they are consumed with striving and self-reliance. Unrest is due to unbelief and rebellion against God’s ways. The Israelites who left Egypt with Moses illustrate this truth. They thought leaving Egypt would bring them rest. Instead, their doubt and disobedience forced them to wander in the wilderness for forty years. After the next generation entered Canaan at last, they assumed this would finally bring peace. Yet, even Canaan couldn’t provide true rest. They constantly longed for things that they did not have. They did not have faith to be content with God’s provision and leading. As someone said, “It was easier for God to take Israel out of Egypt than to take Egypt out of Israel.” Rest is not a matter of circumstances. It’s not about our location. Rest is a condition of the heart. It is born of simple faith and obedience. Remember when the Israelites first stood on the border of Canaan, just a year after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. They sent out twelve spies to survey the land. Ten returned to discourage the people. They saw only the giants. The challenges looked insurmountable to them. Their words caused

04_The two trees Gen 2:9 Out of the ground the Lord God caused every tree to grow that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Gen 2: 15-17 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. 16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.” There is a story of a young boy who was sailing with his father, the captain of a sailing ship. While he was exploring the ship, he came to the huge sails flapping above his head. Intent on getting closer, he began to climb the mast, unseen by anybody. The higher he climbed, the more exhilarated he felt. He felt like a creature of the air rather than the ground. At the very top, he made the mistake of looking down. Instantly he froze in terror. Then he began screaming for help. The crew crowded around below. They shouted instructions and urged him to climb down. The hubbub only frightened him still more. Then his father arrived on the scene. Calmly, he called up to his son, “Look up and tell me what you see!” The boy obeyed, and through his tear-filled eyes, saw the marvelously blue sky. As he described it, his father continued, “Keep looking up. Now, climb down a step and tell me what you see.” The boy obeyed, looking up and following his father’s steady voice. He descended step by step, until he was standing on the deck again. His father knew that his voice would comfort and encourage his son as nothing else could do. He also knew that by looking above, his son would no longer be fearful of falling. The boy could concentrate on directing his feet as he climbed down. For the son was assured that his father’s voice would never lead him into harm. It would guide him safely through fear and danger. This story mirrors the choice presented to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God had created them fearfully and wonderfully. He had given them a paradise filled with every good and beautiful tree. Especially significant were two trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They were free to eat from any tree, including the Tree of Life, but forbidden access to the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The reason was also made clear. The day they ate that fruit, they would die. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn’t inherently evil. God declared that all He created was good. The tree symbolized the desire for autonomy, freedom from dependence on God. It offered the ability to know good and

 05_The two offerings Gen 4:3-5 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering; 5 but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. "And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord." – Genesis 4:16 "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And why slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." – I John 3:12 "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core."– Jude 11 The story of Cain and Abel is one of the earliest in the Bible. It forces us to grapple with the unsettling question: why did God accept Abel's offering but reject Cain's?It explores the heart of the most profound issues that we face as human beings. It uncovers the meaning of worship and faith, and the devastating consequences of sin. The writer of Hebrews reveals, “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts.” (Hebrews 11:4). The question is, why did the brothers offer different sacrifices? Both Abel and Cain knew and acknowledged God’s being and his right to be worshipped. But Abel’s faith went beyond this. He apparently had something that Cain lacked. This deficit was fundamental to Cain’s rejection. The essence of Abel's offering seems to be twofold. He understood, from his parents’ sad history, the central role of a sacrifice in his relationship with God. He coupled this with faith, and offered an acceptable sacrifice. The essential need for sacrifice is hinted at in the story of how God clothed our first parents with animal skins after they sinned and realized that they were naked. Since death had not yet entered the world, animals must have been sacrificed to provide these skins for Adam and Eve. It is true that these sacrifices were inadequate to allow them to re-enter paradise. Yet they allowed their outer nakedness to be covered. The place of animal sacrifice as a cover for sin was thus established. Abel offered a sacrifice of the firstlings from his flock of sheep. But Cain offered the fruit of his labor from his vegetable garden. Without blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Secondly, Cain did not do what was good (Gen. 4:6,7; I John 3:12). This implies that he did not have the faith of Abel, for without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). As James writes, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe—and tremble.” (James 2:19). Cain’s belief was devoid of the obedience and reverence that characterize true faith. Cain's heart was far from God, and his actions reflected that distance. From God’s fatherly words