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Genesis 22:1-19 Tests of Faith Are for Passing not Failing

6/29/2016

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Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;     I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10 On photo Bibles saved from the Fire by Keri Walker
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10 On photo Bibles saved from the Fire by Keri Walker
Genesis 22:1-19
Whether you think so or not God does send us tests. The tests are not so that He will know how we will do, they are so that we will know ourselves better. He doesn’t send us tests in order for us to fail, He sends them to build our faith and make us into the perfect image of Christ. James 1:2-4 says it like this,
 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
God tested Abraham’s faith as well. Verses 1-3 read,
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
He had waited years to have his son Isaac. He had to give up Ishmael, the son provided by his own effort and not God’s promise. He had waited and grown old and finally the promise he waited on for so many years was fulfilled. He probably loved Isaac more than he could imagine loving a child. He envisioned his son’s future as he birthed nations and kings. God needed Abraham to know where his heart was and where it could be so that he would raise Isaac as a father of faith.
His response was immediate, “Here I am.” He didn’t ask God what he wanted before he responded, he was there, ready, and waiting for God’s word. And Abraham didn’t hesitate in doing as God had told him to do. He rose up early and took two men, Isaac, and the wood and left for the mountain in Moriah. Abraham knew that God had promised him that Isaac would become many nations. So though God told him to sacrifice his son, Abraham knew that he could obey and God would still somehow keep His promise. In the past, Abraham had doubted God’s word from time to time. Perhaps he might doubt it again in the future. The Lord wanted to show Abraham that he could trust Him enough to obey Him and never doubt or worry. With that knowledge Abraham probably wouldn’t doubt much in the future.
I try to imagine what that journey was like for Abraham. It had to have been difficult. He couldn’t scare his son by telling him. He couldn’t lighten his burden by sharing it with his servants. He had to walk toward a mountain knowing that when they reached the destination, he would have to kill Isaac, his only son. Did he savor every moment with his son? Did he pray throughout the journey for God to change His mind and give them something else to sacrifice? Or was he more stoic, accepting the terrible situation as it was? All we know is, Abraham trusted God to keep His word and he was willing to give His only son to God because he loved God so very much. Verses 4-10 read,
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
 
I love the similarity in conversations between Isaac and Abraham and Abraham and God. Clearly Abraham loved his son deeply. His answer to Isaac is so similar to his answer to God, “Here I am, my son.” When Isaac asked where the sacrifice was, Abraham’s faith was exhibited beautifully when he answered, Isaac, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” He wasn’t telling his son a lie in order to keep him from being afraid, Abraham knew that he could trust God.
Abraham’s agony reminds me of Jesus praying in the garden before his arrest and crucifixion. He begged the Father to spare Him, but He knew that He couldn’t be spared. He knew that He was the salvation of the world and had to lay His life down (Matthew 26:39-42). Unlike Jesus, Abraham knew that somehow God would spare Isaac. The moment had come and God had not provided a way out of yet. Abraham’s hand held the knife and he was about to plunge it into his son. Verses 11-12 read,
 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
 
The angel of the Lord is God the Savior Jesus. He called to Abraham and Abraham answered again, “Here I am.” I would guess he was overwhelmed with joy to hear his Lord’s words this time, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”  God spared Isaac and provided another sacrifice in his place. Verses 13-14 read,
 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
 
Then God blessed Abraham by reiterating His promise. God knew long before Abraham was Abraham, that he would “pass the test.” He knew that He could make His promise and that Abraham would be faithful to it. He made the promise then and He repeated it after the sacrifice. Verses 15-19 read,
And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.
 
God promised Abraham a son and descendants like the stars and the sand. Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). What Abraham went through is also a reminder of faith for us. God promised you salvation and eternal life and when we believed it was counted to us as righteousness. Ephesians 1:11-14 reads,
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Abraham showed his love for God by sacrificing his only son. God showed His love to Abraham by sparing Isaac. God showed His love for us by sacrificing His only Son, by providing the lamb necessary to pay the price for our sin (Romans 5:8). He didn’t spare His own Son because His love for us is so deep. We can trust in the promise of salvation, in our perfect transformation in eternity because we know God loves perfectly and keeps His word.
Whatever test you may go through remember this, God is sending it to you so you can pass it and be strengthened and become more like Him. He wants good for you, not bad. Tests are not punishment, they are not made for you to fail. Tests are gifts, opportunities for blessings, and reasons to rejoice. Romans 8:32 reads,
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
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Genesis 21 Don’t Lose Hope; God Doesn’t Change

6/28/2016

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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever Hebrews 13:8 On photo of Amber Sky by Lani Campbell
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever Hebrews 13:8 On photo of Amber Sky by Lani Campbell
​In Genesis Chapter 21 God keeps His promise to Sarah and Abraham and Isaac is born. Each person involved reacted, Abraham kept the covenant with God and circumcised his son on the eighth day. Verses 6-7 record Sarah’s joyful reaction,
And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.
Both Abraham and Sarah were grateful to The LORD and expressed their thankfulness appropriately. But Hagar whose son Ishmael was now 14 years old wasn’t so happy. She laughed but it wasn’t a laughter of joy or happiness it was the bitter laugh of derision. When Isaac was weaned Abraham had a feast to celebrate his young son. And Hagar didn’t hide her disdain any longer. Sarah had had enough of it. She told Abraham to send the slave woman and her son away. But Abraham wasn’t overly keen on sending his eldest son away. The LORD spoke to Abraham in verses 12-13,
But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.
So Abraham gave them a skin of water and some bread and sent the woman and young man away. Hagar and Ishmael wandered in the wilderness. I have to wonder why they didn’t go to a town. Why didn’t Hagar find a place and ask to live there? I think she had given up. She didn’t remember what God had said to her all those years ago when He told her about who her son would be and she called Him God Who Sees Me. She had lost all hope. When the water ran out. She set her son (about 16 years old now) under a tree and went to a place a few hundred feet away so that she wouldn’t have to watch him die. She was in utter despair.
But God hadn’t changed. He was still the God Who Sees, and He heard the prayers of Ishmael. He spoke to Hagar. Verses 17-21 read,
And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
God doesn’t change. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). In fact, verse 33 of this chapter reads,
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
If he told you something last week, last year, or last decade, it has not changed. He doesn’t change. He is sovereign. He is Almighty. He is The LORD. He is Our Healer, Our Peace, Our Rock, Our Salvation, Our King, and Our Provider. He is Sufficient. He is our All in All. He loves you. He knows you. He sees you. He cares.
If you feel hopeless, if you have forgotten what He has said and done for you, call out to Him. Let Him be who He is. Let Him be your God.
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Genesis 20 God’s Promises and Your Salvation Depend on God Not You 

6/27/2016

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So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. Romans 9:16
So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. Romans 9:16
Genesis 20
Isn’t awesome how God takes our chief weakness, our biggest flaw, or our greatest struggle and turns it into our chief strength, biggest gift, or greatest blessing? Although Abraham is remembered as a man of great faith, he was far from perfect and one of his reoccurring issues was a lack of faith, a tendency to depend on himself instead of God when he feared something. That was the case when he moved to live for a little while in Gerar. He was faced with a familiar problem, protecting himself and his beautiful wife in a foreign country. And as he had done in Egypt, he did now; he lied and told the people she was his sister. Abraham’s lack of faith was affecting other people. Verses 1-7
From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
 
Abimelech did what was customary for his people, he saw a beautiful woman that he wanted and took her. Whether customary or not, in ignorance or not taking someone against their will is a sin. The king took Sarah but the Lord protected her, her offspring, and Abimelech by warning him what he was about to do and what the consequences of that act would be. The king responded quickly. Verses 8-13 read,
So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
 
Abraham may have felt like the excuse that the brother sister thing wasn’t totally a lie made it okay. But the truth is their relationship was husband and wife not brother and sister. It was the hiding of their marital relationship which was the lie and the sin. It was Abraham’s reliance on people and his assessment of their condition which was the sin. Abimelech had a right to know the truth. If he had, he might not have taken Sarah. Abraham should have trusted God enough to protect them regardless of what he thought of the people, especially in the light that God had promised that within the year she would give birth to a son. Imagine if Abimelech had slept with Sarah, Isaac’s paternity might forever be questioned by Abraham and by us. God was not going to allow that to happen. Abraham’s lack of faith put Abimelech and all of Gerar in grave danger. But God chose to show His awesome power to the king, not through his prophet Abraham as it should have been but by speaking to the king. Abimelech was angry as he had every right to be but he heeded the Lord who still protected Abraham regardless of his faith. Verses 14-18 reads,
Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
 
God’s steadfast love doesn’t depend on our faith, our effort, or our righteousness. We don’t have our own righteousness (Philippians 3:9), so why would we expect our effort to be good are enough? He promised that He is our God and He would always be with us (Deuteronomy 31:8). Even when Abraham sinned, God still loved him and protected him and the promise He had made. That is not an excuse to keep sinning, it is the reason to want to be more righteous. It’s not a defense to forget faith and run around depending on yourself, it is the motivation to be more faithful and depend on God.
Abimelech could have kept blaming Abraham and Sarah but his encounter with the Lord allowed him to take responsibility and make amends for his own sin as well as forgive Abraham. When he did that, Abraham was moved to pray for the king and his household. And in his prayers, Abraham had to see that God had protected Sarah all along and that the entire house had been made barren and impotent over the situation. He also got to demonstrate God’s mercy to Abimelech and restore his health as his sign of forgiveness.
Believer, God promised you salvation. He isn’t going to abandon you because you aren’t doing well enough or making mistakes. He is going to keep working on you and in you as you submit to Him. He is going to turn your greatest struggles into your greatest assets. He is preparing you for the Day of the Lord and the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. He is protecting you. Your salvation is promised. 1 Peter 1:3-7 reads,
 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 
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Genesis 18 Intimate Friendship With God

6/20/2016

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Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me Revelation 3:20
​Genesis 18
When we are in a relationship with God, it can become as intimate as we choose it to be. God is close and He will be as close to us as we are willing to let Him be.  That closeness, that deep familiarity and mutual affection we call fellowship or friendship is not always easy. It is fueled by faith and strong faith is not attained by an easy life.
Abraham had that kind of intimacy with God. His faith likely began when his father Terah raised him to follow the Lord. I am struck by the fact that Terah was seventy years old when he became a father to Abraham (Genesis 11:26). He had waited a long time for his sons and he had three. I think it is clear from who both Abraham and Lot became, that Terah raised his sons to follow God. His faith had grown from the time he first obeyed God and traveled from his home in Ur to Canaan. It grew more as he obeyed the Lord time and again over the years and it grew as He believed God’s covenant, God’s word to him about his future. Abraham’s road was not easy, his faith was massive, and his relationship with God was as close as any relationship could be. They were friends. The Lord enjoyed spending time with His friend so one day, He came by for a visit. (Remember He did not yet dwell in His people). Verses 1-5 read,
And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”
The relationship is initiated by God but it is not forced. God showed up and let Abraham decide if he would spend some time with Him. There were three men, The Lord didn’t need Abraham’s company, He has Himself for community. He wasn’t lonely. He wanted Abraham’s company so He offered the chance for a little time together. Abraham took the chance and asked the Lord to stay and rest and take a little food. So, they, The Lord said, “Do as you have said.” Did God need a rest? Was He hungry? No. He chose to relate to Abraham on a level Abraham could understand.
What would your reaction be to having the Lord God come and agree to have a bite with you? I think that depends on where you are on your walk with Jesus. Would you cower in fear, would you be all formal and speak to Him in flowery words to keep distance between you? Would you fall at His feet, hug him, or give Him a high five? I doubt any of us can answer that question with complete objectivity. We tend to answer how we hope it would go down. One day, we will see Him face to face and since we will have been made into the perfect image of Christ, our response will be perfect love and worship. But for now, believers know Him just a bit, partially and even that is bigger than most of us can grasp (1 Corinthians 13:12). By the way, God has offered you the chance to fellowship. In Revelation 3:20-21 Jesus says,
 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Abraham’s reaction showed his friendship with God as the LORD. He worshipped and invited Him to spend time with him. Then he rushed off to prepare the water and the morsel of bread. Verses 6-8 read,
And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
Abraham didn’t bring back a bowl of water and a morsel of bread. He had a feast prepared. He wasn’t doing this for the neighbor down the road, he was doing this for The LORD God Almighty. What difference does it make to you, when you are doing something for me and something for God? Do you do your best for God, do you give Him you best? Keep in mind that we are to do everything from washing a dish to serving a king as if we were doing it for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Remember that whatever we do for even the seemingly most seemingly insignificant of people, we are doing for the Lord. (Mathew 25:40).
A seah of flower was a little under seven and half liters of flour, more than enough for three little cakes of bread, but Abraham had Sarah use a seah each for the three. Then he went and had a calf killed and prepared with curds and milk. (Had this happened in the days of Levitical law, he would have prepared the Lord a non-kosher dish). How long do you imagine that takes? Does it take a few minutes or is it many hours? He was giving the Lord more than a morsel of bread, He was giving him a feast and as long as it took to prepare it, he got to spend that time with God. As long as it took God to enjoy it, he got to spend that time with Him too.
Don’t imagine that the only time you can spend with your Lord is while you are at church or in service or in a carved out quiet time. What about the time you are preparing for those times? What about the times when you are working, concentrating on a task, or relating to the people in your life? If you allow the Lord to be in those times as well as the others, you can enjoy all that time with Him as well.
Abraham was not the only person present. Sarah was there too. She knew the Lord was right outside her door. She had made Him cakes and she could hear the conversation. She chose to remain outside of that fellowship. She chose to stay by the tent door listening. The Lord knew she was there and He invited her into the conversation. He wanted her to enjoy the same closeness that Abraham was enjoying. Verses 9-12 read,
They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”
Although the Lord spoke to Abraham, He addressed Sarah. His words were for her benefit and for her faith. She laughed, scoffed at the idea of having a child when she had not had her menses for such a long time. She wasn’t in menopause, she was long past it.  She had desired a child for so long and had accepted the fact that she would not have one, even in the face of God’s promise to her and her husband. She had been through many of the same things her husband had been through, yet her faith was not as strong as his. What was the difference? Abraham chose to have a relationship right up close with God and spoke to and listened to Him directly. Sarah chose to listen from afar and let Abraham speak to and for God for her.
I’ve been where she was. I have laughed at the idea of God fulfilling my desires because science and logic say it can’t happen. How did God respond to His precious daughter’s derision? Verses 13-15 read,
The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
Once again the Lord spoke to Abraham but addressed Sarah and this time Sarah answered the Lord and let Him speak to her directly. This passage doesn’t say what Sarah’s response was. But we know that the Lord didn’t change His mind about the child. A year later Isaac was born. And God didn’t choose to remember Sarah for her doubt or her sins. He chose to remember her faith and her righteousness. Hebrews 11:11 is a testimonial memorial to Sarah.
By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised
Intimacy with God, friendship with Him also lets us in on His plans. How many of us go through life wondering what God’s will is for us? How many times have you asked your friend what her prayer is and she has said, “I just want to know what God’s will is.” When you are friends with Him, He lets’ you in on it. Verses 16-22 read,
Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
 
The Lord wanted to share His will with Abraham. He wanted Abraham to be included in His work. God doesn’t work in mysterious ways. He is open with us about His will and His plan and He lets us participate. His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), but His work, acts, and plans are not mysterious. Jesus said it this way in John 15:14-15,
You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
 
Letting us into His plans gives us to join in His work. Amos 3:7-8 reads,
“For the Lord God does nothing
    without revealing his secret
    to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion has roared;
    who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;
    who can but prophesy?”

 
God’s Word tells us His will and if we are in an intimate relationship with Him we’ll act. (BTW, God’s will is for the whole world to be saved, for your sanctification, a relationship with you and His glory 1 Timothy 3:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Hosea 6:6, Isaiah 43:7).
Abraham responded to the news that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed for their wickedness by intervening to try and save them. The evil of these two cities was more than simple homosexuality as some would make us believe. It was ramped depravity, debauchery, and sexual immorality. It was hedonism to such a degree that the residents only care was their own pleasure. But Abraham had hope for them, because he had faith. He also knew his nephew Lot and was a righteous man living in Sodom with his family. Abraham stood his ground and spoke to the Lord as only a loving friend can. Verses 22-26 read,
So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
 
Can you imagine? He stood in the way of the Lord without letting Him continue onto His plan until He knew more and could convince God to save the wicked cities for the sake of the righteous men within their gates. He knew that the Lord was on His way, the two men went on to the cities but Abraham also knew God is sovereign and powerful. He wouldn’t have any trouble communicating with them.
He then had the boldness to go further. Verses 27-33 in The Message read,
Abraham came back, “Do I, a mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master? What if the fifty fall short by five—would you destroy the city because of those missing five?”
He said, “I won’t destroy it if there are forty-five.”
29 Abraham spoke up again, “What if you only find forty?”
“Neither will I destroy it if for forty.”
30 He said, “Master, don’t be irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?”
“No, I won’t do it if I find thirty.”
31 He pushed on, “I know I’m trying your patience, Master, but how about for twenty?”
“I won’t destroy it for twenty.”
32 He wouldn’t quit, “Don’t get angry, Master—this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?”
“For the sake of only ten, I won’t destroy the city.”
33 When God finished talking with Abraham, he left. And Abraham went home.
 
God already knew exactly how many righteous men dwelled in those two cities, one man, Lot and tomorrow we’ll read about what happened.
How close are you to the Lord? Do you visit with Him, talk with Him, and give Him your best? Are you His friend who He can share His plans with? Are you still waiting at the tent door afraid that God will see your doubt? God knows your heart completely whether you choose to be aloof or not. Let Him make you into who you are meant to be, the sanctified righteous image of Jesus Christ. Go ahead join Him for supper, hang out with Him and walk with Him.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
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Genesis 17 God’s Covenant has Real Effect

6/19/2016

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And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:6
And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:6
​Genesis 17
Have you ever made an agreement with someone and nothing seems to come from it? You agree with a friend to go on a diet together and a week later you are eating cheesecake with her. You make a promises to your significant other, to your friends, and your family more often than you should but how many have you actually kept? How many commitments do you still honor? What became of your promise?
A covenant from the Lord comes with genuine results. A commitment to God comes with a promise of a relationship and that relationship changes us. A promise from God isn’t like the empty promises we give each other which work as a temporary balm and appease us for a moment. The Lord’s promise is a covenant, a binding and eternal contract. It doesn’t always look the way we think it will. We don’t always manage to keep up our end, but it will always be God’s plan and He will always hold up His part and help us uphold ours.
For the most part, people of Abram’s day were having babies in their thirties (Genesis 11:12-26). Abram was 99 years old, Sarai was 90. They were long past child bearing age. God had promised them an heir, more than that He had promised them so many descendants they would be uncountable. But Abram had one son, Ishmael, mothered by Hagar not Sarai. Over time he probably had given up hope a few times. He had probably thought Ishmael was the answer to God’s promise. But God didn’t forget. Verses 1-5 read,
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.”
 
The first result of God’s covenant sounds like a command for our part, it is a call to walk before God and be blameless. This sounds like something He is telling us to do, but it is part of His promise. We cannot be righteous on our own, it is impossible. Philippians 3:9 says it this way,
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--
God makes us righteous. He covers our sin with His blood and we are blameless, even when we mess up and sin we are blameless.
God’s covenant doesn’t stay just between us and Him, He multiples us. He was promising Abram that He would multiply Him in two ways, one with blood descendants and the other would be descendants of faith. He would bless him physically and spiritually. He does the same for us. When we enter the faith covenant with Him, we are blessed in many ways. We become part of the multitude of nations in Abram’s promise. The change in us should result in more and more people coming to Jesus.
God’s covenant changes our identity. God changed Abram to Abraham, from “exalted father’ to “father of the nations”. When we enter the covenant of Christ, we are given new identities. He gives us His nature His Spirit (2 Peter 1:3-4). He gives us a new name (Revelation 2:17). He calls us by new names; friend, good and faithful servant, bride, child, chosen, treasured, forgiven, and more. God loves to call us by our new names. He changed Jacob, “supplanter” into Israel, “may God prevail”. He changed Saul, ”inquired of” to Paul, “small and humble”. He changed Simon, “he has heard” to Peter, “rock”. The new names God gives mean something important about His promise. For Paul, his new name meant he would be a humbled servant of the Lord. To Israel, it meant he would let God have His way. For Peter it meant he would no longer be the impetuous temperamental disciple but the steady and strong apostle. For Abraham it meant he would be the father of many nations. Verses 6-8 read,
I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
 
But God’s covenant didn’t stop there. Abraham was involved in it. God doesn’t make covenants with us against our will. He required a sign from Abraham, a signature for the contract, so to speak. Verses 9-14 read,
And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
 
Under the covenant of Christ the circumcision was no longer physical, it became spiritual. We do not cut our bodies, we cut our heart. Romans 2:28-29 describes it this way,
For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
 
That means that we show our commitment, our relationship with God not by things like circumcision, t-shirts, and necklaces but by attitude, submission to God, and tangible love. God is love (1 John 4:8). We are recognized as disciples of Christ by our love (John 13:35). The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Who does that for us? Do we do it ourselves? No, God does it when we allow Him to, when we submit Him. Deuteronomy 30:6 says it like this,
And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
 
Then the Lord told Abraham that the promise was bigger and better than he could wrap his mind around. Sarai would no longer be Sarai, “like a princess” she would be Sarah, “princess.” Ishmael was not the son Abram had been promised. God promised Abraham his son Isaac. Verses 15-21 record the promises.
And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.
The promise was made and the covenant presented. How did Abraham respond after he got off the floor? Verses 22-26 read,
When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
 
Have you entered into the covenant of faith with the Lord through Jesus Christ? Are the results of that covenant apparent?
 
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Genesis 13 Faith is not Blind; It is Seeing Through God’s Eyes.

6/14/2016

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Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
​Genesis 13
In the previous devotional we read about how Abram’s lapse in faith led to a lie that had the potential to destroy the promise God had made to him. But Faithful God protected His promise and He protected Abram and Sarai’s future. He also continued to bless Abram, Sarai, and Lot. We will see those blessings in today’s chapter. Verses 1-7 read,
So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.
2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
 
God is so loving and faithful. He brought Abram back to the beginning of his journey. When Abram looked at the familiar area and the altar he had built, I’m certain he reminisced about his entire journey to that point. He remembered what the Lord had done for him and what the Lord had promised him. God was restoring and strengthening his faith.
Abram was not just wealthy, he was very wealthy. Lot too had prospered in that time and as we will read in later chapters, Lot was a righteous man who cared deeply for the way of the Lord. Together, they had so much that the land couldn’t support them both together. They would have to separate. It was time for Lot to leave this man who had raised him since his father’s death and strike out on his own.
Lot was not the promised descendant of Abram. God wanted it to be very clear that this promise would be fulfilled supernaturally by Him, not by manmade laws that would twist what was to fit his promise. So it was time for them to separate. Verses 8-13 read,
Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before theLord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.
 
The separation was probably not easy, there were no addresses to be exchanged or phone numbers to keep. They might never see one another again. But Abram let Lot choose the direction he wanted to go and when Lot saw the lushness of the Jordan Valley, he chose that way. Lot looked at the choice from a self-focused perspective. He saw it through his eyes, not faith. The passage implies he had some fond memories of Egypt and Jordan Valley reminded him of that. Maybe that is where he first began to get rich or married his wife. He also saw the potential in the Jordan Valley to grow his wealth. He didn’t consider the people. He didn’t look at it from God’s perspective he could have chosen any of 360 paths from where he stood, he chose the path that looked good to him and moved to Sodom. Sodom was a wicked city and Lot would find himself terribly grieved by the unadulterated evil of that place. He would try and raise two daughters there and would not be able to protect them from the corruption, though we know he tried. But he didn’t pray and ask God for direction, he chose based on what his eyes told him and not on the faith of where God would lead.
By giving Lot his freedom to choose any direction, was Abram giving anything up? He sacrificed the lushest land for his nephew. But he had faith that God would take care of him. He didn’t need to worry. Verses 14-18 read,
The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.
 
Abram may have thought he sacrificed the best to Lot but he wasn’t concerned. Although Abram was very rich, it wasn’t his money he served, it was the Lord God. And God showed him every direction north, south, west, and the direction Lot had chosen, east and said all the land he could see would one day belong to his offspring. He didn’t just refer to their number as many or even too many to count, He said there would be so many counting would be as impossible as counting dust. Have you looked at dust? Have you picked up a handful of dirt and tried to count it?
Abram trusted it to God and not only for children but he understood the promise to be eternal. He understood he would never see the Promised Land filled with his progeny while he lived. He had faith that the promise was eternal and that one day he would stand in the true and eternal Promised Land with his true children, the believers. The author of Hebrews wrote,
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10).
 
Lot chose based on his instincts, hopes, and desires, he chose based on what he could see with his human eyes. Abram left the choice to Lot because he had faith, he trusted God no matter where He led him. God not only reiterated His promise to Abram but He restated in a way that had to blow his mind with the extent of it.
Man was created out of the dust of the earth. Abram’s offspring would be so plentiful that like the dust they would not be counted. His offspring includes Israel. But every person on the face of this earth has the opportunity to be included as a descendant of Abram, because every person has the opportunity to be adopted by faith into God’s people. We are Abraham’s spiritual children through faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord’s promise is multilayered. He promised Abram would have many natural offspring. He promised him what would one day become the nation of Israel, and He promised him countless offspring which is you and me, believer.
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Galatians 3 Saved by Faith in Jesus not Faith in the Law

4/15/2016

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And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6
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1 Kings 15:1-15 Generational Curses or Generational Blessings

10/6/2015

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​1 Kings 15:1-15
What you do, how you live affects not only you, but your children, grandchildren, and further descendants. In Judah, the kingship passed from father to son. David had been the second King of Israel and had followed the Lord. He was called a man after God’s own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). But when his grandson Rehoboam did not follow The Lord most of Israel was ripped out of his hands and he became the king of Judah, with Benjamin also choosing to give their loyalty to the king. After Rehoboam died Abijam became king of Judah. He was king for only three years. Like his father, he did not follow the Lord. Verses 3-5 read,
“And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless, for David's sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, 5 because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”
David’s relationship with the Lord wasn’t perfect, because David was not perfect. But he did love God, and he had sought God’s will and loved Him. The Lord blessed David. God had given David a great promise. Abijam did evil but The Lord still allowed him to be king and protected his line because of David. 2 Samuel 7:9-16 reads,
“And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
That promise was kept, even though Abijam was just as evil as Rehoboam, The Lord upheld the throne for David’s name sake. That promise was for David’s son Solomon and for all the kings who would be born after him. That promise is for also for us, the sons of God and coheirs with King Jesus. (Romans 8:17). Part of God’s wonderful promise to David was that the Messiah would be his descendant. (Isaiah 9:6-7).
God promised David’ son, inheritors, and us that He would be our Father and we would be His sons, that He would discipline us, that his steadfast love would never leave us, and that David’s royal kingdom would always be certain before the LORD. He didn’t bless Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijam or us, because of anything we did. It is because of what He did. He promised, He established David, He came to us, lived, died, and rose from the dead. He blessed David with that awesome legacy because David was a man after His own heart.
But David’s legacy had other effects and benefits too. His great great grandson followed in his footsteps. After Abijam died, Asa became king. He followed David’s way and sought the Lord. He had passion for Judah’s purity. Verses 9-15 read,
“In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah, 10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. 12 He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days. 15 And he brought into the house of the Lord the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.”
Even his mother was not permitted to worship idols. He got rid of the idolatry and he added to the Temple. He cared about God’s Kingdom. His relationship with the Lord affected his family and his nation.
God promises us that our deeds will go on to affect the generations that come after us. Exodus 34:6-7 describes it like this,
“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
What we do, affects our children, their children, and their children’s children. The consequences of the alcoholic’s drinking don’t just destroy him, they hurt his children. The consequences of sin affect his grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Of course those costs will keep moving down the line unless something changes. But there is good news! Those curses can be broken! God’s love is more powerful and longer reaching than the effects of sin. God’s awesome love is what does that. Deuteronomy 7:8-9 reads,
“but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,”
The Oath God made was to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. That promise was the promise of faith. We are asked to have faith, but it is really a trust in God’s faithfulness. He is perfectly and steadfastly faithful. It is His faith which calls us. (1 Corinthians 1:9). It is His faith which completes us. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). It is His faith which gives us faith. (Romans 10:17).
In order to receive the blessings of the Abrahamic and Davidic promises, we need like Abraham and David, to be in a relationship with The Lord. A relationship with God is not based on Mosaic Law but on faith. Jesus forgives our sins when we put our faith in Him. Luke 7:47-50 reads,
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Once we’re saved, we just do not want to sin anymore. We want the will of God, we want to please Him. We’re new! We’re dead to sin, why would we keep on sinning the way our fathers did? Romans 6:1-4 says,
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
So we can choose to live for Christ and pass the blessings on for a thousand generations, or we can choose to live in sin and perpetuate the curses of our sin from generation to generation.
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1 Peter 3:1-7 True and Appealing Beauty is about More than Pretty

4/1/2015

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1 Peter Chapter 3 Verses 1-7

It is not only unpopular but right out disgusting to the world that Christian wives are exhorted to submit to their husbands. But we know that the husband wife relationship is not the man unilaterally making choices for the wife, beating her, and demanding his every need be met. It is a relationship of mutual honor, in which the wife honors her husband by making trusting his choices and the husband honors the wife by meeting her needs, knowing and understanding her, and caring for her as precious and beautiful.

Verses 1-2 tell us,

“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.”

In the world wives are afraid to submit to their husbands. Perhaps it is because they don’t trust their husbands to really love them enough not to hurt them. Maybe it is because they do not want to give up power or control to anyone. Regardless of the reason it is only through our Lord that we can emulate Him with the godly marriage He subscribes. When the world sees it lived out in a Christian marriage they notice.

They notice when we as believers submit, or give our authority to another person. It is a courageous strong thing to do. It takes great strength, only the strength of the Holy Spirit makes it possible. We imitate our relationship with Christ in our relationship with others. We give Christ authority over our lives. We give our spouses authority over our lives. But in our union with Jesus, He gives our authority back to us and even shares His authority over the earth with us. In our Christian marriages we reflect our Godly union and our spouse also gives us back our authority and shares power with us. That is something the world doesn’t understand. But they do see something special about the woman who submits in a godly manner. They do note that submission in a world that treats life like a game in which winning is all that matters is unique. That deference, respect and willingness to trust another so deeply is a testimony to the love of the Father, the grace of Jesus, and the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Your faith in Christ, your relationship with the Father, and your manifestation of the Holy Spirit make you beautiful. People perceive there is something extraordinary about you when you emulate the Lord. Verses 3-4 read,

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”

God sees you as beautiful when you exhibit the traits of Jesus we call the Fruit of the Spirit. The world sees that difference too when your embellishments are inward rather than outward. Love, kindness, gentleness, and humility are much more attractive than heavy make-up, short skirts, tight tops, and high heels. The woman with a heart after her God is precious and rare herself, she doesn’t need jewels to entice others toward her. True beauty doesn’t fade with wrinkles and stooped backs, it grows with maturity in Christ.

Sarah was one of the most beautiful women in history. Her legendary beauty is the basis for Abram’s deception of Pharaoh and God sending plagues upon Pharaoh’s house in order to rescue her. But the source for her beauty was not how she dressed herself, it was not in the jewels she put on, but her faith in God and submission to her husband. Verses 5-6 say,

“For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.”

Sarah is the “mother of nations” She set out on the same long trek Abraham did. She believed the Lord with him. She spoke her mind, she guided her husband, but she acquiesced to him because she trusted him and she knew he loved her. Sarah didn’t have to guess whether her husband loved her. He showed her, even to the point of sending his son Ishmael away because his presence hurt her.

Wives do not just blindly submit to husbands. They are able to do so because the husband so blatantly loves them first. Verse 7 reads,

“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

My pastor once described it like this. Imagine your dinner plates. Compare your everyday dishes to your fine China. Where to you keep the Corningware? It’s tough, it is in the cupboard, it gets washed the same as the rest of the dishes, the kids use it, and you use it nearly every day. But what about the fine China, the Waterford or the Royal Albert? That is kept in a special cabinet, on display but out of reach of little hands. It is used for special occasions. It is handled carefully so as not to break it or even chip it. Its worth is proven by the honor it is shown. Treating the Waterford as if it were Corningware would be reprehensible.

In the world, husbands do not treat their wives with such honor, compassion, and love. It is a running joke that men can’t ever understand women, but here Peter exhorts husbands to be understanding of their wives. If the husband loves her, won’t he know her enough to get where she is coming from? Jesus loves us enough to understand us.

A godly marriage is based on the union of Christ and the church. The world looks at submission to anyone especially one’s spouse as appalling. But the faith it takes to live in such an unworldly manner makes us beautiful and therefore appealing. Do not be like the world. Remember we are exiles, we are strangers in a strange land. Let them see the splendor of Christ in us.


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    Donna Campbell

    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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