Genesis 1-2: Did God Create Plants or Man First?

From 6/23/2009

Question:
Chapter 1 says God created plants before man, but chapter 2 says God created man before plants... Isn't this a contradiction?

Answers:
Chapter 1 is not to be taken literally. Its purpose is to say that God is creater than the gods of the time (God created the sun, animals, etc., debunking the notion that the sun is a god, etc.). Chapter 1 is not literally saying how existence came into being but just that God is greater. We must remember who the audience is. On the other hand, chapter 2 is to be taken more literally (so yes, God created man before plants).

Another answer is that neither the first creation account nor the second are supposed to be chronological accounts. They were each written to illustrate different big picture purposes (i.e. the first shows man as the pinnacle of God's creation, and the second illustrates how man was given authority and a woman). Since neither is chronological, they cannot contradict in chronology.

Another answer is that in the second creation account, the plants that are referred to are crops rather than plants in general. Gen 2:3 does specifically mention plants "of the field" and herbs "of the field" not existing before man. So plants in general existed, then man, then later, crops in the field.

Role Play

From NL Retreat 2008

Eph 4:3 -- Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace
Eph 4:13 -- until we all reach unity in the faith & knowledge of the Son of God

A Gift Especially For You

From Women's Retreat 2/2008

SHAPE
S = spiritual gifts
H = heart
A = abilities
P = personality
E = experience

My ministry is determined by my SHAPE.

I HAVE BEEN / AM / WILL BE _______________ FOR MINISTRY!
- created (Eph. 2:10)
- saved (2 Tim 1:9)
- called (Gal 1:15, Eph 4:1)
- gifted (1 Peter 4:10)
- authorized (Matt 28:18-19, 2 Cor 5:20)
- commanded (Matt 20:28)
- equipped (Eph 4:11-13)
- needed (1 Cor 12:27, Matt 9:36-37)
- accountable (Rom 14:12, Matt 25:14-30)
- rewarded (Col 3:23-24, Matt 25:23)

SPIRITUAL GIFT
for the benefit of others, for maturity & harmony in church family
(1 Cor 12:7, Eph 4:11,13-14, 1 Pet 4:10, 1 Cor 12)

LISTS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
(1 Cor 12:8-10, 1 Cor 12:28, Rom 12:6-8, Eph 4:11, 1 Pet 4:9-10, Exodus 31:3, 1 Tim 2:1-2, Psalm 150:3-5)

TRUTHS ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS
(1) Only believers have them (1 Cor 2:14)
(2) Every Christian has at least one (1 Cor 7:7)
(3) No one has all (1 Cor 12:27-30)
(4) No single gift is given to everyone (1 Cor 12:29-30)
(5) Can't earn a gift (Eph 4:7)
(6) Holy Spirit decides what gifts I get (1 Cor 12:11)
(7) Gifts I'm given are permanent (Rom 11:29)
(8) I'm to develop the gifts given me (1 Tim 4:14)
(9) It's a sin to waste the gifts given me (1 Cor 4:1-2, Matt 25:14-30)
(10) Using my gifts honors God and expands me (John 15:8)

CAUTIONS ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS
(1) Don't confuse them w/ natural talents
(2) Don't confuse them w/ fruit of Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)
     Fruits show MATURITY  
     Gifts show MINISTRY  
(3) Don't confuse w/ Christian responsibilities
(4) Don't expect others to serve the way I do and have similar results (1 Cor 12:21)
(5) Gifts w/o love is worthless! (1 Cor 13:1-3)

PRIMARY MINISTRY - serving where I'm gifted
SECONDARY MINISTRY - serving where I'm needed (in the body)

Amazing Freedom

From Women of Faith Conference 2007

Sheila Walsh - like in Oz, 4 friends came together b/c they were open w/ each other; God doesn't want PR agents but for us to follow yellow brick road together; if being open, people walk away, let them walk

Anita Renfroe - don't be afraid to clap off beat, sing off key

Marilyn Meberg - to heal it, you have to feel it (pain); to fully experience God, have to fully experience life, including pain; don't close yourself off or get busy

Nicole Johnson - forgiveness never sets the betrayer right but allows the one who is betrayed free

Consolation and Desolation

Both consolation and desolation could be gifts form God, not necessarily correlated to our maturity:

CONSOLATION: the felt presence of God; it reinforces our behaviors / spiritual disciplines

DESOLATION: the felt absence of God; God shows you where pieces of your heart really are; God wants to make my heart His home, but my vices etc. hinder this. So must purge-- bring it up and deal w/ it. God is NOT withdrawing, but taking you into new weaknesses. POWER IS PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS 

Dark nights of the soul: How to know if I'm in dark times?
(1) can't stay focused in spiritual disciplines
(2) don't want to do spiritual disciplines
(3) the truth about #1 and #2 worries me

Temptation in dark nights:
(1) I'm doing something wrong i.e. I used to experience God back when I did it right
(2) I need to work harder to get back that feeling (it's really just a gift)
(3) I just end up doing spiritual disciplines less and less

What to do in dark nights:
(1) be open to the fact that maybe God wants to get your attention
(2) REMEBER THAT SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES HAVE CHANGED IN PURPOSE (not reinforcement/encouragement, but a mirror) 
(3) resist temptation to fix ourselves to make prayer etc. work; not like we were doing it worse than before; we can't do it on our own
(4) resist temptation to generate spiritual experience; He's already there. Discern by faith, not feeling. Worship movement is romance. People hope to gain loving feelings. If it's there, cool. But if not, it's not ours to generate.
(5) avoid temptation to generate experiences for others (as a leader)
(6) be willing to go with the spirit for heart surgery

THE GIFT OF CONSOLATION:
to encourage us, to give us a taste of the presence of God even ahead of our character development in order to direct our heart to Him (prayer, word, fellowship, service), to reinforce these behaviors with zest 

THE GIFT OF DESOLATION:
to mirror what is in the heart, to show what is going on inside (the hidden heart), to see ourselves as we are, so see parts of the heart that do not love Him, that do not enjoy prayer, etc