Rick Joyner Rick Joyner has authored more than fifty books, including The Final Quest Trilogy, There Were Two Trees in the Garden, The Path, and Army of the Dawn. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of MorningStar Ministries, a multi-faceted mission organization which includes Heritage International Ministries, MorningStar University, MorningStar Fellowship of Churches and Ministries. Click here to take a look at Rick's latest Rant #ricksrants

Taking the Land, Part 9

In our last study, we ended with the prophecy in Isaiah 60 that declares how at the very time deep darkness is coming upon the people, the glory of the Lord will be appearing on His people. Before we leave the situation concerning Achan, we need to make one more observation that highlights just how...
1-15-06

Authority

       "and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth,  and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth" (see Genesis 1:26).

The Crown

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis 1:26).

 
What greater honor could there possibly be than to be created in the image of God? Man is the crown of God's creation. Man is the one to most reflect His nature; this is the ultimate purpose of man. If there is any way for us to measure the success of our lives, it would be by how well we have reflected Him in our lives. For this reason we read in Romans 8:28-30:

Diversity

       Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind:
       cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind;" and it was so.

Fruitfulness

       And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
       And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day (Genesis 1:22-23).

Life

       Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures,
       and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."
 
       And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves,

The Lights

       Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night,
       and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;
       and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.

The Seed

      Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed,
      and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with seed in them, on the earth"; and it was so.

      And the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind,
      and trees bearing fruit, with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
      And there was evening and there was morning, a third day (Genesis 1:11-13).

Taking the Land, Part 8

Before the New Year’s message and in the last part of our study, we examined the ban that Achan violated which led to his and his family’s destruction. This may have seemed harsh, but it was intended to deal with the greed within the people that could have nullified the entire purpose of the nation...
1-8-06

The Nations

       Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
 
       And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:9-10).
 
In Scripture, seas often represent nations, as we see in Isaiah 17:12: "Alas, the uproar of many peoples who roar like the roaring of the seas, and the r