Making A Difference

Today’s Passage – Exodus 22 – 24

(Second Milers also read – Luke 8 – 9; Proverbs 27; Psalms 126 – 130)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11

“I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.” – (Exodus 23:27)

In Exodus 23, we see the nation of Israel travelling in the wilderness on their way out of Egypt and into Canaan, the land of promise. The verse cited above is one of those promises that were associated with the land. A careful reading of the chapter will reveal that God promised his people prosperity, which included abundant provision, and divine protection if they were to obey Him. God promised that the inhabitants of the land would be driven out, and all of the enemies of Israel would flee from them. Again, these promises were contigent upon the nation’s obedience in wholly following the Lord.

In this passage we see a picture of the Christian life today. God has also delivered us out of Egypt when He saved us. He wants to bring us into the spiritual land of Canaan, which is the Spirit-filled, Christ-centered life. Canaan of the Old Testament is not a picture of Heaven. You will remember the people still had battles to fight there,and there will be no more battles to fight once we get to Heaven; but Canaan is a picture of spiritual victory. Entering Canaan today for the believer is also contigent upon our submission to the will of God. Too many believers today are content to wander in the wilderness of their own reasoning and understanding. They are doing their thing instead of God’s thing. What’s worse is that there are also many genuine believers who live with their backs turned from Canaan and their focus still on Egypt (the world).

It is my desire to live in Canaan. I want to have the victories that God promises those who are surrendered to Him. I am tired of wandering in the spiritual barreness of the wilderness. How about you? God has an abundant life prepared for you which also includes provision, protection, power, and a wonderful purpose; but you cannot do it your way. You must surrender your will to the perfect will of God. Let the Holy Spirit of God control you and guide you, and you will experience the wonderful blessing and abundant life that God desires for you in your spiritual Canaan.

Today’s Passages – Exodus 19 – 21

(Second Milers also read – Luke 6 – 7; Proverbs 26; Psalms 120 – 125)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121

“And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.” – (Exodus 19:14-17)

Notice in chapter 19 the reverence the people had when they were entering into the presence of God. They washed their clothes; they abstained from physical intimacy; and they trembled. I bet that there was not one person from the congregation that was not present. I bet the children were silent; being kept under very close watch of their parents. The people understood that they meeting with the omnipotent Creator of the universe. He is holy and He was not to be approached by the people of Israel in a flippant and carefree manner. They came with a reverent attitude of worship.

Fast forward now to today. Many of God’s people show up late, if they show up at all. They arrive wearing shorts and ripped tee shirts. The children are running all over the sanctuary while their parent are obliviously engaging in their own conversations about anything and everything except the worship of God. We have certainly come a long way down as far as our  reverence to God is concerned. We sing half heartedly; talk during prayer and special music; and then sleep when the Word of God is being preached: all the while wondering how long is this going to take. We’ve got more important things like football to worry about today. Do I exaggerate, or is this an accurate description of the attitudes of many in our churches today? God help us!

Now, I wish to be very clear about this: I do not consider myself to be a legalist at all. I understand completely that salvation comes solely through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, beginning with faith in His shed blood at the cross of Calvary. I know that God is not impressed when we show up at the church with our white shirts and ties, or our long, modest dresses.  I get that. I know that God dwelleth not in temples made with men’s hands; and that the believer’s heart is the temple of God. And I realize that God looks upon the heart; and if a man shows up at church in shorts and a ripped tee shirt because that is all he has, or perhaps because he doesn’t know better, I think God is pleased. I know that I am. Believe me, I am thrilled that people just show up, and I am not the least bit concerned about the way they are dressed. I am, however, very concerned about the heart attitude of God’s people today when they come to worship the infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and all-powerful God. It’s not a ball game. We are not gathering together simply to meet with friends, or to hear a man speak. We are corporately entering into the presence of God. We have become way to casual and careless. People give more thought when they are meeting with earthly dignitaries. God help us to remember that worship is a holy undertaking. Let’s give God our very best attention.  I want people to come as they are, but I want them also to realize Who it is they are coming to worship, and I also want to see them leave a little more conformed to His image. I think this “seeker sensitive” thing has gotten way out of hand. Should we not be a little more “Saviour sensitive”.

Today’s Passage – Exodus 16 – 18

(Second Milers also read – Luke 4 – 5; Proverbs 25; Psalm 119)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105

“See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.” – (Exodus 16:29-30)

I am 47 years old, and I remember that when I was a boy everything shut down on Sunday. The supermarkets were closed; the department stores were closed; the home improvement stores were closed: it seemed like everything was closed. I remember when the first supermarket in our area opened up on Sunday. It was big news. Soon, all of the other supermarkets started opening. At first, Sunday was the worst sales day of the week for the retailers. I remember the managers telling me that it was a waste of time to even open, because they didn’t do enough business to justify it. Now, it is the best sales day of the week. How did we ever get away from Sunday being a day when just about everyone  had the day off, and most people went to church. I bet those businessmen that started it all thought that it would be a way for them to get a little ahead of their competitors. I wonder if they did? I wonder if they would look back on their decision and consider it a good thing? Come to think of it, the particular company that started it in our area is bankrupt today. What a shame.

In our passage today, God says that He would supply the Israelites with enough manna on the sixth day so that they would not have to gather it on the seventh. Now, before you fuss at me: I am well aware that the Sabbath for the nation Israel was Saturday, not Sunday. However, for Christians, the day that we set apart for worship and rest has traditionally been Sunday, the day of the resurrection. I think America was a much better place when she observed a day of rest on Sunday. Just about everybody went to church, with very few people who had to work.

The devil and the world have made it very difficult for Christians to be faithful to the Lord in setting aside Sunday as the Lord’s day. It has always been my conviction to keep Sunday as the day that our family worships the Lord. We have always made it a practice to attend both the morning and the evening services at our church. It is the Lord’s day, not just the Lord’s morning; and we are supposed to gather together “so much the more as we see the day approaching.” God has always been faithful. He has always met all of my family’s needs. We haven’t lost a thing by keeping Sunday as a day set apart from the rest of the week for the purpose of rest and worship. However, if you are like me, you may not be getting much rest on Sunday because you spend much of the day in the work of the ministry. I actually kept track of my hours last Sunday. My day started at 4 AM and I finished just after 9:30 PM, with only about a half an hour lunch break. Therefore, if I am going to be in obedience to Lord’s principle of resting one day out of seven, I must choose another day. Recently, I have started taking the day off on Monday to rest, and it has been very refreshing.

Christian, if I can offer you one piece of advice from this passage it would be this: set aside Sunday as the Lord’s day. Do everything in your power to get the day off from work. It may take a while to arrange your affairs so that this can be done, but work toward it. Go to church and then spend time together as a family. Eat a meal together on Sunday afternoon. Take a nap, or maybe have a little fellowship with some family and friends.  Make Sunday a special day; a day that you look forward to all the week long. Don’t worry about how you will be able to meet all of your obligations due to the fact that you have eliminated a day of earning income. Remember God is able to give you enough in six days to cover the seventh. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God” and He will take care of everything else.

I hope to see you this Sunday at church!

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” – (Hebrews 10:23-25)

Today’s Passages – Exodus 13 – 15

(Second Milers also read – Luke 2 – 3; Proverbs 24; Psalms 116 – 118)

Scripture Memory for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4

Watch “Growth Points 006″ Religion, Grace, and the Local Church” by Paul Chappell

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” – (Exodus 15:1)

“And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” – (Exodus 15:24)

Exodus 15 is an amazing chapter of Scripture, which demonstrates the fickle nature of God’s children. The first 21 verses, which comprises more that three-fourths of the chapter is the record of God’s people singing, dancing, and praising Him for the great miracle that He had done in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. Specifically, they are praising God and thanking Him for parting the Red Sea so that they could pass through on dry ground. You will remember, the Egyptians tried to follow them and that same sea closed up upon them and drowned them. The people of God were thrilled that God took away the water so that they could travel to other side. Now, at the end of the chapter, they are complaining that there is no water. First they want the water to go away, and then they want it back again. You just can’t make these Israelites happy, can you? I am kidding, of course; but I do want to point out the tendency that Israel had (and we have today) to forget about all of God’s past blessings by griping about some apparent injustice that seemed to be taking place in the present. Here, they begin to think that God delivered them from Egypt only to kill them with dehydration in the wilderness. Obsurd! That big God that they were worshipping in the beginning of the chapter all of sudden got smaller when the people got a little thirsty.

I find that we are no different today. We sometimes see God do wonderful things in our lives, and from that mountaintop we offer up to Him praise and worship. But then when God allows a little testing to come our way, our attitude changes completely. Our view of God seems to be based solely upon what He does for us. When we are getting popcorn, bubble gum, and ice cream, God is good; but when God says that we should eat a little brocholi because it’s what we need at the time, God becomes some mean ogre. We act like little children in the nursery, don’t we? Let’s grow up! Let’s mature in our faith to the point where we trust God completely. God is good when the circumstances in life are great; but God is also good when things are not going as we would like them to. God is always good. He loves us. He says He will never leave us; never forsake us. He has our very best interests at heart. Trust Him even when you don’t understand; and whatever you do, don’t gripe. Griping is perhaps the most predominant cause of death in the Old Testament. I am not saying that you should not bring your concerns and burdens to Him. There is a big difference between a prayer request and a complaint. Let’s get to the point in our Christian walk where we can praise Him even in the dark days. Remember, there are others out there that have it worse than you. God is not just good, He is awesome. Learn to wait on Him. He will deliver you if you will simply trust Him, obey, and be patient.

Look, we are all really good at spotting problems, but instead of murmering, why don’t we try becoming part of a solution. We can pray, and we can work to make the situation better. Anybody can complain, and they often do; but it takes a person of true character to actually make a difference.

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings:” – (Philippians 2:14)

Today’s Passage – Exodus 10 – 12

(Second Milers also read – Luke 1; Proverbs 23; Psalms 111 – 115)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Read – “I Don’t Wanna” by Melissa Dilley

Read last year’s post from this passage – “What Can Wash Away My Sin?”

“And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.” – (Exodus 12:30-33)

Flies, frogs, locusts, darkness, hail. All of these and more sent by the hand of God in order that the Egyptians, as well as the Israelites, would know that there is an awesome and powerful God in Heaven. God’s command to the king of Egypt was simple: “let my people go”. However, Pharaoh was not too willing to heed the request of God. He seemed to be more willing to endure all of the plagues that God was sending his way. That is, all until his first born son was taken from him at the hand of God. God finally got his attention. He was finally ready to yield his stubborn will to the will of God.

There was a lot to think about in the passages of Scripture that we read this morning and I understand that there are deeper theological truths behind the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart, but I couldn’t get past the thought that sometimes God has to allow some especially painful things in our lives in order to get our attention. We are sometimes like that hard clay that the potter must soften before he can use it. I’m just wondering this morning, is there something that the Lord has been trying to do in your life that you have been resisting. Have you hardened yourself to the point where, in order for God to accomplish His will, He will have to break you. What will God have to do to get your attention?  I suppose this thought applies just as much to the Christian that is fighting against God’s perfect will as it does to the lost person that is resisting salvation. Whichever your case is, the remedy is the same. Soften your heart, and yield to God’s will. Is there some sin that you are holding on to? God will do what He has to do in order to get you to repent of it and forsake it. Whatever it takes, God will accomplish His will for your life. You cannot win in a battle with God.

Today’s Passage – Exodus 7 – 9

(Second Milers also read – Mark 15 – 16; Proverbs 22; Psalms 106 – 110)

Scripture memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to “Heaven’s Sounding Sweeter” by Monica McCoyMark 15 – 16

“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” – (Matthew 26:39)

My name is Melissa Dilley and I am 36 years old. I am laying in a hospital bed in my parents’ living room and I will never get out of it. I have rheumatoid arthritis and cervical cancer. I am going to die. Soon.

His name is Jesus and He was 33 years old. He was on His knees in a garden and the soldiers were coming to arrest Him. He had never done anything wrong but His people hated Him. He was going to die. Soon.

Jesus is the Son of God. He spent His entire life helping and loving people; teaching them how to live more abundantly, and how to know they will get to Heaven after life was over. But He was about to face a bad situation. He was going to die. He was a “good man”. He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t do anything wrong. It wasn’t fair. “Let this cup pass. [I DON'T WANNA].”

As humans we experience this emotion. God knows this. He knows everything that’s in our hearts. If Jesus could feel this way, why can’t we? The responsibility we have that comes with this emotion is to remember – “not as I will, but as THOU wilt” (emphasis mine). We can take a few moments to feel sorry for ourselves, but then proceed in doing what it is that God wants us to do.

In Matthew 21:28 – 31, Jesus tells a story about a man who had two sons he asked to work fo him. The one son said he didn’t wanna, but then did. The second said he would work, but then didn’t. Then Jesus asked which son did the father’s will. Even the Pharisees knew it was the first son.

So the next time something bad comes your way, get in your prayer closet and cry for a while. Tell God: “I don’t understand, I don’t like it, I don’t wanna, but I will”.

Today’s Passage – Exodus 4 – 6

(Second Milers also read – Mark 13 – 14; Proverbs 21; Psalms 101 – 105)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1

Read “How To Prepare For Revival” by Pastor Paul Chappell

“And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.” (Exodus 4:9).

Good morning. I saw something disturbing on the news yesterday. In Philadelphia – the city of brotherly love – there have been 20 killings since January first. When I watched the news at 10:00 pm, that number had jumped to 25. And there was still two hours to go. A Vietnam War veteran had his jaw broken and his skull fractured by a youth gang. What happened? America has gone dry: it’s a dry land. And it’s because people’s hearts have gotten harder.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2Timothy 3:1-7)

Many of us are to blame. We are afraid to stand on what the Word of God says. We are afraid to speak out and say that any Jew, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Atheist, Agnostic, Unbeliever, Charismatic, Evolutionist, Secular Humanist, self-proclaimed Christian, or anybody else not mentioned in these groups are going to Hell if they have not received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This is not being hateful to any group. This is not a hate crime. This is what God’s Word says in 1John chapter 5:11-12:

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Do you know what a real hate crime is? Allowing souls to slip into hell without giving them the Gospel: telling them about Jesus. Even if you are shy, you can still leave a Gospel tract. Leave one with a tip when you dine out. Give one to the gas station attendant when you get gas in your car or truck. You could even mail some out to addresses in the phone book. Can you afford 45 cents a week? That’s 52 people you could reach with God’s plan for salvation in one year.

Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission [of sins]. We need to pour out the water of God’s Word on this dry land, and let the people know that the blood of Jesus cleanses you from all sin.

“And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.” (Exodus 4:9).

Peace. (Colossians 1:19-20).

Today’s Passage – Exodus 1 – 3

(Second Milers also read – Mark 11 – 12; Proverbs 20; Psalms 96 – 100)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Read last year’s post from this passage – “The Call of God”

“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.” – (Exodus 1:12)

In our passage of Scripture this morning we read about the nation of Israel after they had been in Egypt for 400 years. When we last left the family of Jacob at the close of the Book of Genesis, the people of God were prospering, but after many generations have passed in this foreign land, they are now being persecuted. It seems that the Egyptians had recognized the hand and blessing of God upon His people, and became afraid that the Hebrews would take them over. So, they enslaved them, and made their lives bitter. However, the more the people of God were persecuted, the more they were grew. On a natural level, this doesn’t make any sense, but then again, the principles of God often go against human reasoning. These Egyptians simply couldn’t keep God’s people down, no matter how hard they tried.

There are two observations that I would like to make from this passage:

1  Throughout the history of the Christian churches, there have been periods of intense persecution. Persecution is a tool of the devil to defeat the people of God. However, again we have observed through history that some of the greatest times of growth in Christian history have come about as a result of persecution. Notice what happened to the church at Jerusalem after the death of Stephen:

“And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. … Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” – (Acts 8:1, 4)

The devil attacked the church at Jerusalem, and it resulted in the spreading of the gospel throughout the rest of the world. Persecution actually caused the church to grow. In America today, we are experiencing the greatest prosperity and freedom that we have possibly ever had in Christian history. However, are the churches growing? Are we seeing more people converted to Christ? Most Christians today are not even aware of what our true mission is in this life. Don’t misunderstand me. I am not asking for persecution, and I certainly don’t look forward to it, but I am convinced that a revival of true church growth will only take place if God allows things to heat up a bit.

2  The second observation that I would like to make has to do with the personal walk of the individual believer. We also tend to grow more during times of trial and testing than we do during those mountaintop times. Consider these passages:

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” – (1 Peter 1:6-7)

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” – (1 Peter 4:12-13)

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” – (James 1:2-4)

I know that when I look back in my own life I can clearly see that more growth came  during those difficult days rather than the days that I was “at ease in Zion”. Again, I do not enjoy the hard times, but I have learned to embrace them, and also embrace the God who loves me enough to mature me and, with the trials he brings me through, conform me into the very image of Christ.

Today’s Passage – Genesis 48 – 50

(Second Milers also read – Mark 9 – 10; Proverbs 19; Psalms 91 – 95

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1

Read “Voluntary Pain” by Pastor Paul Chappell

“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” (Genesis 49:1)

I remember when I was a young person attending school. At the end of every school year there was an awards ceremony and they would give out various awards for attendance, academics, athletics, and even some for attitude. I didn’t receive many awards as a child, I was what you might call “exceedingly average” in just about every area. Looking back on my school days, I can only recall receiving three awards: two in intermediate school, and one in college (the first time I went to college – not Bible school). However, I remember that every time I attended one of those awards ceremonies, or a commencement exercise, I would always feel two things. First, I would feel regret for not having applied myself more that year. I would realize that I could and should have done more; I should have worked harder; I shouldn’t have goofed off so much, wasting valuable time. The second thing that I would feel is motivated. I would determine that next year was going to be different for me; next year I was going to do better; next year I would be up there on the stage getting some kind of award. The only problem was that my weaknesses in character always outlasted my bursts of motivation.

You may be wondering what all of this has to do with the passage that we read in Genesis this morning. Well, here is the connection. Every time I read chapter 49 in Genesis, I am reminded of these award ceremonies. Except, here it is the one who is graduating to Heaven that is handing out the awards. Jacob is about to die, and he calls all of his children together to pronounce a blessing upon some. Unfortunately, he also will be pronouncing a curse upon others. Can you imagine the last words that you hear out of your father’s mouth before he dies being words of regret, rather than words of praise. I know well what it feels like trying to live a life that is pleasing to a father. I spent a good deal of my young adulthood trying to receive “attaboys” from my dad by achieving sales and success in the business world, which was his life. I think every child desires to please their father; at least most do. I cannot imagine the hurt I would feel if my father were to offer words of regret about my life at his passing. These sons of Jacob had all ran out of time. The time to live a life that would be worthy of being blessed by their father had passed.

You know what’s worse, however, than not receiving words of blessing and praise from your earthly father? Not receiving them from your Heavenly Father. Someday all who are His children will stand before Him and give account for their lives. Some will hear words of praise and will receive rewards; others will not. I want to please my Heavenly Father in my life today so that He will someday say to me, “Well done”. I guess I never got past that desire to hear “attaboy”; only now it is my Heavenly Father that I want to live for. Don’t misunderstand, I love my dad dearly, and I want my life to be a source of blessing to him as well, but my passion in life today is to live for God. I want the same thing for my children. Yes I want to be pleased with them, but ultimately the only thing that matters is if God is pleased with them.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 1:4)

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” – (Hebrews 9:27)

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” – (Romans 14:10)

Today’s Passage – Genesis 45 – 47

(Second Milers also read – Mark 7 – 8; Proverbs 18; Psalms 86 – 90)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3

“Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” (Genesis 45:5)

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 20)

Joseph was truly a man of great spirituality. As I was reading through these chapters of Genesis, there was something that stood out: Joseph forgave his brothers. The fascinating thing about Joseph’s forgiveness, however, is that it was not requested by the brothers. The brothers do not actually ask for Joseph’s forgiveness until after the death of Jacob in chapter 50. I am not so sure that their motivation was exactly pure, either. They were probably just trying to make sure that Joseph would not finally get even now that Dad was gone. However, Joseph then will just reiterate the forgiveness he already gave them in chapter 45.

There is one more thing that I would like to point out regarding Joseph’s perspective on what hs brothers had done to him. He says in chapter 50 that, though the brothers fully intended to do Joseph harm, God allowed (“meant”) it for good. For whose good you might ask? Well think about it. If Joseph’s brothers had not sold him into slavery, Joseph would not have been strategically positioned to ultimately become the prime minister of Egypt. From his position there he was able to feed the people of Egypt and the rest of the surrounding areas; including his family back in Canaan. The “bad” thing that his brothers did was made “good” by God. In fact we can see through hindsight that God’s sovereign hand was in the whole thing; not that God caused Joseph’s brothers to sin against him, but that God could take their willful crime against him, and through his foreknowledge, use it for good and His glory. Joseph had the right perspective. He could see the “Big Picture”.

How do we look at the “bad” events of our lives. You’ve noticed I’m sure that life is full of “bad” things: bad people; bad accidents; bad health; you get the idea. The key to true spirituality is how you choose to look at these events that God has allowed to enter into your life. Maybe He’s trying to get your attention. Maybe He’s trying to teach you something. Maybe He is using you to glorify Himself in the eyes of somebody else. You may not understand completely all the “good” that God is doing through the “bad” things that are happening; but know this: God is doing something, and everything God does is good. And also know this: the tunnel you may be going through today may be very dark, but if you stick with God, you will eventually get to the light at the end of it. It’s easy to see the light when you get out of the tunnel; but the truly spiritual person will see the light through the eyes of faith when he is in the darkest recesses of the problem that has come his way. You will get out of the valley and back on top of the mountain; but you have to trust God. Remember, He loves you more than you love yourself.

Let me challenge you. If you are going through a trial in your life today, try to look beyond the immediate problem, and see the big picture. God is in control. He knows what He is doing, and He will make something wonderful come out of it. Contrary to the way many of us thing, the universe does not revolve around us; it revolves around Christ. His sovereign plan is the big picture.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Today’s Passage – Genesis 43 – 44

(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Growth Points 005 by Paul Chappell – Thoughts on Separation

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17

“And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.” (Genesis 37:26 & 27)

“Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad benot with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.” (Genesis 44:33 & 34)

There is quite a contrast between the events that take place in chapter 37 and chapter 44 of the Book of Genesis. In chapter 37 the brothers of Joseph want to put Joseph to death (all except Reuben). Judah, who is the fourth oldest son comes up with idea of selling his brother into slavery. His idea does save Joseph’s life, but consider with me what this heinous act did to Joseph’s father, Jacob. We are all familiar with the events that transpired in the life of Joseph; they are recorded in these chapters 37 through 44. God had his hand on Joseph, and although he certainly suffered, God raised him up to a position of great influence and authority. But what about Jacob? For years Jacob thought his favorite son, Joseph, was dead. Joseph’s brothers seemed to have no problem going home and telling their father that their brother was killed by some wild beast. How could their level of compassion and care for their father be so low that they would be willing to put him through the tragic loss of Joseph.

There is quite a change, however, in chapter 44. Joseph puts his brothers through a series of tests. (You will have to read the story for yourself in order to fully grasp the thought I am trying to convey here.) The final test is when Joseph arranges to “set up” Benjamin his youngest brother. I think Joseph was really trying to keep Benjamin safe with him, away from his other brothers. He tells the brothers that Benjamin is going to have to be kept as a bondman in Egypt. But notice how Judah intercedes this time for his brother. He remembers what the loss of Joseph did to the father, Jacob; and now he is doing everything in his power to keep the same thing from happening to Benjamin. He knows that the loss of Benjamin will completely destroy his father. He even goes as far as to offer to take the place of Benjamin. This is certainly quite a change from his earlier days.

Judah changed. God changed him. God can change you and I too. People can change. I believe the best way to bring about the needed changes in your life is for you to get as close to God as you can. I am convinced that as we draw nigh to God, He will purge the dross from our lives, and conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus. Do you desire to remain the same; or do you desire to be more like Jesus in your life? Judah certainly bore a resemblance to the Lord Jesus here in chapter 44 in the way that he interceded for his brother, and by the way he was willing to be a substitute.  God can do the same for you and me as we yield our lives and our will to Him.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – (Romans 12:2)

Today’s Passages – Genesis 41 – 42

(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4 ; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80)

Second Mile Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51

“And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.” – (Genesis 41:38-41)

There are two questions that I would like to consider this morning:

1  Would you be willing to wait all of the years that Joseph waited if you new there was a marvelous and exciting plan for your life in the distant future?

2  Would you be willing to endure all of the hardship that Joseph endured and remain faithful to the Lord if you knew that those trials were necessary to advance the plans and purposes of God?

The story of Joseph begins in Genesis 37. In these chapters we discover that Joseph goes from being a favored son of Jacob to a slave in the house of Potipher, and then to a prisoner in Pharaoh’s kingdom. Joseph’s downward slide began with a dream that he had which revealed to him that God was going to elevate him above his brothers, and even above his father. His brothers would have none of Joseph’s dreams and sought to be rid of him, and for a long time they were. However, many years after they sold their brother into bondage, the sons of Jacob went down into Egypt at the request of their father to purchase food, and who do you think was the guy in charge of the food? You guessed it: Joseph. Egypt was the only place that had food in this time of famine, and the only reason they were prepared  was because Joseph had revealed to Pharaoh that he should store up food in the days of plenty, so that Egypt would have enough when times got hard. By the way, that’s not a bad idea for us, either.

At any rate, when the brothers finally come to Egypt, their little brother is no longer a slave; he is the prime minister of all of Egypt. However, it took a long times and a lot of hardship before Joseph was elevated by God to this prominent position. I am sure that there were times in those many years that he doubted God; but he never wavered. Joseph remained faithful to God. In God’s time, Joseph was delivered from his brothers, from the bondage, from the prison, and from the humiliation of it all; and all of the world could see that Joseph was God’s man. Though, Joseph certainly did not enjoy all of the days of trial and affliction, I bet that at the end of his life he would say that it was all worth what God finally gave him.

We sing a song that says “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus”. I bet when Joseph hears us singing that song from his vantage point in Heaven, he says “Amen. It was worth it all”.

Stay faithful to God. You may be in Pharaoh’s dungeon right now, but if you are a child of God, I promise you, that He will some day pull you out of that awful place. Trust God. He has a purpose and a plan for it all. God doesn’t often fill us in about all of the details of His sovereign plan, but we can trust that He will work it all out in the end.

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” – (Romans 8:18)

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – (Romans 8:28)

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” – (Isaiah 40:31)

Today’s Passages – Genesis 38 – 40

(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2

Good morning. After reading about the butler and the baker in Genesis 40, I wanted to take a closer look at them.

Pharaoh was angry, and the Bible doesn’t say exactly why. The problem could be traced to the Chief Butler, and the Chief Baker. It could have also been because of something one of their subordinates did to anger Pharaoh. Leadership is responsible for those they are leading. Pharaoh was angry and had the Chief Butler and the Chief Baker thrown into prison. They must have been old too, because God’s Word tells us that your old men shall dream dreams; which is exactly what they did (I know – I dream all the time!). As God would have it, their paths crossed with Joseph who was able to interpret their dreams. Good news for the butler, bad news for the baker. And the dreams came to pass: the butler was restored, and the baker was hung.

God is angry at the wicked every day (Ps. 7:11). God tells us (the butler and the baker’s dreams) in His Word that there is none righteous, and for all have sinned and come short of His glory (Romans 3:10,23). Joseph was there to explain the dreams (Ephesians 4:11-12). God provided the only Way out (Pharaoh brought them both out of prison). The Chief Butler received Pharaoh’s grace, the Chief Baker did not (Genesis 40:20-22). They were both servants to Pharaoh: the wages of sin is still death to the non-Christian as well as the Christian. We should always want to please God in all the things that we do. And God made it so simple for us. A lesson can be learned from a conversation that the Lord Jesus Christ had with Peter…

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved f0llowing; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” (John 21:15-22).

When we do things like gossip, spread lies about people, or anything else to hurt the body of Christ, it angers God. If you have been hurt by gossip, or lies, or any other attack, God knows what happened. You need to pray for those who have done these things to you: they put themselves under the judgment of God. God knows how to chastise perfectly: He knows exactly what to do. As rotten as those who offended you seem to be, do you really want to see them chastised by God? Don’t you think it would be better if they humbled themselves and got their hearts right with God before the hammer comes down? Pray for them. Get back in church. Don’t lose your head. And as Jesus said, “…follow thou me.”

Peace. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Today’s Passages – Genesis 36 – 37

Second Milers also read – Matthew 27 – 28; 12 Proverbs 14; Psalms 66 – 70

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Check out “Growth Points 004 – Sunday School Teacher Visitation”

Read last year’s post from this passage – “The Green Eyed Monster”

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2

Genesis 37:23-24 say:

“And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.”

Good Morning. Poor Joseph. Rejected by his family. Stripped of his coat of many colors. Thrown into an empty pit with no water in it. All alone, nobody around to help him. The pit he is in is just too steep for Joseph to climb out by himself. The only thing he can do is look up and wait for someone to rescue him.

Have you ever found yourself in a pit? A deep pit where all you can do is look up and wait? As you look up at the clouds high in the sky. Night falls, and all you can see are the stars so very far away. You are all alone.

You are not alone. There is still somebody out there who cares deeply about you. One who loved you so much that He allowed Himself to go through the same experience. Rejected by those He chose to love. Stripped of His raiment. Nailed to a cross to die alone.

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.” (Psalm 22:1-18).

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53).

And now we wait. It is bitter-sweet to have Melissa back home again. She has been in the hospital, and then a nursing home since December 26^th. Now we wait. Waiting for Melissa to move into her new home – a mansion that her Saviour went to prepare for her. I tried to look around for God’s grace in all this, and it’s like looking at the sides of the pit – there is no way to escape. Then I realized – look up. God’s grace is there, and it’s been there all the time. There is nothing to look for, but a whole lot to experience. I have peace. My wife has peace. And Melissa has peace. Melissa says that she is soooooo ready.

It is great being a Christian, knowing that your final resting place is in heaven. If you are not 100% sure that you are going to heaven when you die, you need to know. 1John 5:13 tells us strait out that: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Know that you are a sinner. Everyone has sinned. As a sinner, there is nothing you can do to earn or work your way to heaven. The Bible says that: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [AND] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:10 & 23).

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8 & 9).

BUT, and I love the buts that are in the Bible.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

God allowed Jesus to go through all that was written in the Scripture above because He loved you!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

Do you know Jesus? Does He know you? Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

It doesn’t have to end that way for you. Come to Jesus. Jesus also said in John 6:37 – 40:

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Come to Jesus: call upon His name to save you and He will.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

Peace. (2Corinthians 12:9)

Today’s Passage – Genesis 33 – 35

(Second Milers also read -Matthew 25 – 26; Proverbs 13; Psalms 61 – 65)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Read last year’s post from this passage – “Boys Will Be Boys”

“And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.” – (Genesis 33:13-14)

In our passage today, Jacob and his large family are travelling back to the land of Canaan, and when they are almost to their destination they meet up with Jacob’s brother, Esau. Jacob was initially afraid to meet up with his brother because when he had last seen Esau 20 years prior, they were not on good terms. However, it seems that all is well between them, and now they will both travel along the same route to the land that God gave their grandfather, Abraham. The problem is that Esau is travelling with 400 men, and Jacob is travelling with his family, including women and small children; and he also has his livestock with him. Jacob knew that he could not keep the same pace as Esau, so he sent Esau on ahead. Jacob told his brother that he will “lead on softly”, at a slower pace, so that he would not put too much strain upon his family.

There is a wonderful lesson that can be learned from this story. Jacob knew that the people that he was leading weren’t capable of doing what Esau’s men could do, so he didn’t try to force them to perform at a level that was beyond their ability at that point. As a preacher, I have had to learn (sometimes the hard way), that all of the people at our church are not the same. They all have different gifts and abilities, and they are all at different stages of growth. It would be wrong for me to expect a babe in Christ to act as spiritually mature as someone that has been saved and growing for many years. Similarly, I should not expect someone  to perform in some capacity that is beyond their God-given ability. Everyone is unique. However, I do want to offer opportunities to our people that will challenge, and stretch them, but I must be careful not to put too much upon them. I thank God that He has been very patient with me, and has developed me on a timetable that was uniquely designed for me.

Parents need to learn this lesson as well. We shouldn’t compare our children because they are all different. Some will develop faster than others. They will all have their own individual strengths and weaknesses. We need to pray daily for wisdom from God as to what each of our children need at the level they are at today. Someday, they may be travelling with a band of 400 men, but for now we  may have to “lead on softly”.

Today’s Passages – Genesis 31 – 32

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60)

Scripture Memory for the Month of January – Isaiah 53

“And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Jacob left the land of Canaan with a name that means “supplanter” or “deceiver”; but he returns after twenty years with name Israel, which means “a prince of God”. This is a wonderful picture of the power of God to transform lives. Jacob didn’t just get a name change, either, he received a nature change; and so do we when we give our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. God gives us a new nature. The Holy Spirit of God moves in and transforms our lives from the inside out. This isn’t just a “turning over of a new life”. This is the impartation of a divine nature into the heart of a formerly fallen sinner. What a wonderful thing it is to be a Christian.

Notice, however, that Jacob did not receive his new name until he had been with Laban for twenty years. Justification and positional righteousness take place immediately when we are born again into the family of God; but sanctification and practical righteousness in our lives is a lifelong process. God had to do some things in Jacob’s life. I have been saved now for twenty years myself, and God is still chipping away at my rough edges; still revealing areas of my life that need his touch. In fact, the closer I walk with him, the more I see the things in my life that are not as they should be. My goal is just to get close to Him, and allow Him to have His will and His way in my life. I am not what I should be; but, praise God, I am not what I used to be, either. I am not yet an Israel, but no longer am I Jacob. God is still at work in my life. I am trying to get out of His way and let Him work.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – (Romans 12:2)

Only God take something like this

and transform it into this

Today’s Passages – Genesis 29 – 30

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 21 – 22; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55)

Scripture Memorization – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1

Read last year’s post from this passage – “Surprise!”

“And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.” – (Genesis 30:43)

Our passage today reveals the blessing of God upon the life of Jacob. Jacob was a man who was certainly not always deserving of the abundant favor of God upon his work and his family, yet God always took good care of him. In chapter 30, we see God increasing the livestock of Jacob. Notice in vv 37 – 42 that Jacob devises a peculiar and rather devious plan in order to make sure that his cattle prosper. However, I do not believe that Jacob’s “scientific” methods were the reason for the increase. It was God that had His hand upon Jacob’s life. I believe that God blessed Jacob the way He did because God saw the big picture. He was not blessing Jacob because of the things that Jacob had done in the past to deserve the blessing, because Jacob really hadn’t done anything yet. Up until this point, Jacob is mostly a deceptive person who takes matters into his own hands rather than place his trust in God. However, God saw what Jacob would become. God will change his name from Jacob (which means trickster or deceiver) to Israel, which means a prince with God. God was going to do something someday with Jacob. He saw what Jacob would become.

When we look at people, we also need to look past what they have been in the past, and even what they may be right now, and we need instead to try to see what they could be in the future. God has a wonderful tendency to make something marvelous out of ordinary, sinful people like us. In order to do this God has chosen to forget about the sins that we have committed in the past, and He even chooses not to “impute”, or record the sins of today and tomorrow. God had a plan for Jacob in the future that was not yet apparent at this point in Jacob’s life. I bet God has a plan for us too. If God chooses to see what we can and will be tomorrow, why don’t we do the same thing. Let’s not let the past bog us down, and cause to stay where we are. Let’s move forward into that abundant life of God’s blessing.

There is a passage of Scripture regarding Abraham that supports what this thought:

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” – (Genesis 18:19)

Motice in this verse that God knows some good things about Abraham, yet the things that He knows are all in Abraham’s future. God reveals His plan to Abraham, not based upon what He remembers about Abraham’s past, but what He sees in Abraham’s future. God saw what Abraham would be, and He did’t choose to remember any of the failures in Abraham’s past. We need to develop our spiritual eyesight so that we can see the possibilities of someone’s future rather than dwelling on what they were in the past. We have to learn to see people as God sees them.

Today’s Passages – Genesis 27 – 28

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 19 – 20; Proverbs 10; Psalm 46 – 50)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6

Read “Growth Points 003 – What Christians Need in January” by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.” (Genesis 27:4)

This chapter of Genesis has always been a source of irritation to me. It is one of those passages where nothing is as it should be, and every character in the story is behaving badly. I will not rehearse the story as you can surely read it for yourself, but let’s examine the bad behavior of each character, and learn something from all of this.

First, let’s consider Rebekah. She is conspiring with her younger son against her husband. Right or wrong, her husband asked the older son, Esau to go get him some dinner so that he could bless him. Rebekah did not want to see her favorite son, Jacob, lose the blessing, so she lies to her husband and works up an evil plan to deceive him. Wives, your husband may not always be right; but it is always right for you to submit to him unless of course he is telling you to do something against the clear command of God; and besides that, it is never right for you to lie or connive in order to get your way.

Now lets’s talk about Jacob. He was also clearly wrong. Although he did not want to do it initially, he was certainly complicit in the deception. He did what he knew to be wrong. He can not claim innocence because he was obeying his mother’s will. His mother was clearly doing wrong, and Jacob knew it; and he should have refused her.

In this story. the one that seems to be the most innocent is Esau. However, we have already seen what makes Esau tick. You will remember that back in chapter 25, he sold his birthright for a bowl of chili (red pottage). Here, he claims that he was tricked out of his birthright, but he wasn’t. He gave it up willingly. Now he is trying to get back some of the blessing that comes with the birthright he already gave up.

Now we come to Isaac. At first glance it may appear that Isaac is completely a victim in this saga, but let’s carefully consider some things. First, notice how many times it states in this chapter that Isaac loves savoury meat. Now don’t misunderstand, I like savoury meat also. My wife learned last year how to cook a bottom round roast with a high temperature recipe that really makes the meat tender and juicy. I love it. But when the Scripture emphasizes this point, it is telling us that Isaac’s appetite was the driving force of this whole story. I love my son, and I want to bless him; but my blessing him will not be dependent on whether or not he makes me dinner. Isaac in his birth is certainly a picture of Christ, but in his old age he seems to be a picture of the flesh.

Notice also in this story that Isaac is deceived because of his feelings. He felt the fake skin on Jacob’s hands and came to a faulty conclusion. How many times in our lives to we get messed up because we make decisions based on our feeling rather than on the clear will of God. If I only did right when I felt like it, I would rarely do it. We don’t come to church because we don’t “feel” good, or we don’t “feel” like it. Kid’s don’t go to school for the same reasons. We must do the will of God out of obedience to His word, not because of our feelings. It’s great when our feelings are in agreement with the Word, but when they don’t, we should follow God, not our feelings. Notice also that Isaac was dim of eyes. Now, I am not picking on his poor eyesight, but it is a picture of spiritual blindness. Isaac knew the will of God regarding his two sons. Jacob was God’s choice. Isaac didn’t particularly like the choice God made. Isaac preferred Esau because Esau fed Isaac’s flesh with savoury meat.

There is certainly a lot to “chew” on in this chapter isn’t there? Sorry I couldn’t resist.

Today’s Passages – Genesis 25 – 26

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45)

Scripture Memorization - Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34

Read last year’s post from this passage – “The Battle of the Ages”

“And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.” – (Genesis 26:7)

In order for you to fully understand this morning’s thought, you might want to go back and read Genesis chapter twenty. If this account of Isaac lying about the true identity of his wife sounds familiar to you, it is because we read back in Genesis 20 that his father, Abraham, did the exact same thing to Abimelech. It appears that the apple doesn’t fall very far the tree. Isaac apparently had picked up some of his father’s bad habits.

There is an old expression which states that parents don’t get what they want in child-rearing, they get what they are. I have observed that to be true. Our children definitely begin to emulate our values, character traits, and even our mannerisms. As a school teacher, I have closely observed the children in  my charge, and it is amazing how much the children are like their parents. It’s kind of scary to think that we are also passing on our bad habits. Isaac learned how to lie from his dad.

As parents, we must be very careful to remember that our children are always watching us; almost analyzing us. They mistakenly think that everything we do is right, so they have no reason not to mimic who we are. Even later when they are taught with words regarding bad behavior, the message that they received from the life of the parent will often leave a stronger impression. Parents, and mentors, need to be very careful to watch their own behavior, especially around those young ones that are so impressionable. We need to be what we want them to be. Be the right example to your children.

Today’s Passages – Genesis 23 – 24

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 15 – 16; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25

“But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.” – (Genesis 24:4 KJV)

I just wanted to share a quick thought this morning from today’s passage in Genesis 24. I am sure that many of you have studied this passage before, or perhaps you may have heard a message or two on it; but this chapter is a wonderful picture of the Bride of Christ, painted by God in the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. Consider just a few of the many pictures or types that we see in this passage:

Abraham is a type of God the Father.

The servant is a picture of the Holy Spirit who was sent into a far away country to find a wife for the son of Abraham. Notice that the servant is not named in this passage, which reminds how that the Bible says in the New Testament that the Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself, but will draw people to Christ. The servant gives gifts to the bride, which is a picture of the Holy Spirit giving us His gifts.

Rebekah is a picture of the Church, the Bride of Christ.

And, of course, Isaac is a picture of the Lord Jesus.

There are literally dozens of pictures, or types, found in this passage and we have only named a few of them. I am sure that you can find many more. How awesome our God is who can paint such a beautiful and acurate picture in history of the event that every Christian is waiting for: the rapture of the Church, when we will meet our Bridegroom face to face.

Good Morning. Did you ever notice how much the life of a person is usually like a ride on a roller coaster? There are many hills and valleys. As your coaster climbs the hill there is peace along with an anticipation of what will happen next. All you can see is the blue sky is in front of you. Your hear the soft clakety-clack of the chains and gears pulling you to the top: the peak. Then suddenly all that peace disappears. Plunging downward at break-neck speeds, the ground gets closer and closer. Your heart is pounding harder and harder. But, almost as quickly as you came down, you start going up again. This time though you are not concentrating on the peace: you hardly notice the blue skies, and soft clacking. You are trying to recover from the shock of that dip in your life. Just as you catch your breath, you are shot down again. A surprise awaits you in the valley. As you speed upward from the valley, your life is thrown into a loop. Your world is completely flipped upside down. As you straighten out there are many more hills and valleys to go through until your ride finally comes to an end.

King David wrote, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. (Psalm 32:1-2).

Life can be like a roller coaster ride. Riding it’s ups and downs alone can be frightening sometimes. But if you are saved, you have the only true and living God riding it with you. You are blessed.

Peace. (Ps. 32:1)

Today’s Passages – Genesis 17 – 19

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Proverbs 6; Psalm 26 – 30)

Scripture Memory for January – Isaiah 53

“And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:” (Genesis 18:3)

Genesis 18 is a wonderful account which tells of the communion that Abraham had with his God. In the passage, three “men” appear at the farm of Abraham. We are not sure who all of these “men” are. Some have concluded that one of them was the Lord, and the other two were angels, which is certainly a good possibility because the very next chapter begins with two angels going to rescue Lot from the destruction of Sodom. I tend to believe, however, that these three were physical manifestations of the the three members of the Trinity. I could be wrong, but it is interesting that though there were three men, Abraham always only addresses them in the singular form as one. Nevertheless, the Lord and Abraham enjoy a sweet time of fellowship during this time. You get the feeling from the passage that they were not rushing to conclude their time together. A meal was prepared while the Lord waited.

During this time, God, no doubt, spoke to Abraham about many things; but one thing in particular that he told Abraham was that he would, in fact, have a son that would be born to Sarah. The miraculous thing about all of this is that Sarah and Abraham both are well beyond the child bearing years. Abraham and Sarah actually waited 20 years from the time that God first promised them a child to the time when their son, Isaac, was finally born. God is faithful to do all that He says that He will do in His time. During this afternoon of fellowship with Abraham, God reassures him again of the promise.

God reveals something else to Abraham during their time together. As Abraham was walking with the Lord as He was leaving, God shares with Abraham his planned destruction of the city of Sodom. God didn’t have to tell him, but He did. Of course, this got Abraham’s attention because he had a nephew in Sodom that he cared for. Abraham begins to intercede for the city of Sodom. He is begging God to spare the city, but his concern is really about Lot. The Bible tells us that Abraham was the friend of God, but here we see that he was also a good friend to Lot. God never promises to spare the city, and interestingly, He never promises to spare Lot; but He did say that He would spare the city if He had found ten righteous people there, which, by the way, He does not find. However, God does spare Lot and the family members that are willing to listen to Lot’s warning of the coming destruction. I want you to notice something very important, however, from chapter 19 and verse 29:

“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.”

Did you catch it? It does not say that God spared Lot because he was righteous, though we know that the New Testament speaks of him as being “just” (justified). It also does not say that God remembered Lot. It does say that God remembered Abraham. What did God remember about Abraham? He remembered Abraham’s intercession on behalf of his nephew, Lot. God spared Lot and his family because of the prayer of Abraham.

What a wonderful picture we have here of prayer. God communing in sweet fellowship with his child. God revealing something to that child that would be of concern to him. God giving that child an opportunity to intercede, to pray for that very concern. And then the best part: God answering the request of the child: not exactly the way he wanted it; but a wonderful answer none the less. Kind of causes you to want to spend a little time in prayer yourself, doesn’t it?

Today’s Passages – Genesis 13 – 16

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 9 – 10; Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19

Read “Revamp and Relaunch” by Pastor Paul Chappell

Read last year’s post from this passage – “Gardens and Green Grass – or God’s Will?”

Today’s Passages – Genesis 7 – 9

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalm 11 – 15)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19

Read last year’s post from this passage – “It Doesn’t Take Long Does It?”

“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” – (Genesis 9:13-15)

I love rainbows. However, in recent years the rainbow has become symbolic of many things, one of which is a very ungodly lifestyle.  Actually, the rainbow was (and still is) a token, a visual representation of the covenant that God made with Noah, and all of the other living creatures of the earth, that the earth would never again be completely destroyed by a flood. It is interesting that the rainbow wasn’t placed in the sky for our benefit, but it served as a reminder to God of His covenant. I am not sure why God needs to be reminded, but He can do what He wants. Nevertheless, when I see those beautiful rainbows in the sky, I think about the wonderful promises of God. God never breaks His Word. Unlike us, He will always do what He says He will do.

God uses a lot of other pictures, or symbols, in the Bible that serve as reminders for us. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder, a memorial, of the shed blood and broken body of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Whenever I partake of the Lord’s Supper, I am reminded that all of my sin debt was completely paid for by the Lord, and that I no longer am under judgment for the bad things that I have done. What a wonderful reminder. God says that because He remembers what Jesus did on the cross, He no longer remembers my sin. What an awesome thought.

There are other tokens in my life as well. My wedding band is a token. It reminds me (and everybody else) of the fact that I belong to only one woman – Cindy Erickson. I once had a friend that said that he would never think about cheating on his wife because he believed that his wedding ring somehow had some sort of spy chip in it that let his wife know everything that he was doing. I don’t know about that, but I do know that my wedding band reminds me often of my wonderful wife and the covenant that she and I have made before God to love each other, be faithful and serve one another until God takes one of us home to Heaven.

There have been many different kinds of tokens throughout man’s history; but the rainbow was the first. I love a God that never, ever, goes back on his Word. I have let a lot of people down in my life, but God has always been faithful to do what He says He will do; and the rainbow is a reminder of that. It’s been many thousands of years since the Great Flood, and it hasn’t happened since. It won’t either, because God said it won’t, and the rainbow is our assurance that it won’t. God will someday destroy this earth, and then create a new one, but He will not destroy it with a flood.

This is the theme for Jersey Shore Baptist Church for 2012

Today’s Passages – Genesis 4 – 6

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 3 – 4; Proverbs 2; Psalm 6 – 10)

“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24)

In our text we read about a man that is not mentioned all that much in the Bible: maybe a half dozen times; but we know that he walked with God; and we also know that God took him to Heaven long before his time to die. He has the distinction of being only one of two people in the Bible from the past that was “raptured” up to Heaven. Do you know who the other man was? I’ll let you research it if you do not know. Anyway, God took Enoch a few years prior to the flood of Noah’s day, and he is a picture of the believer today who will be taken to Heaven (raptured) prior to the Great Tribulation that will take place here on the earth in the near future.

My thought for this post, however, is not Enoch’s departure from the earth, but rather his walk with God. It is interesting that the phrase “walked with God” is only used twice in the Bible: here, and also once referring to Noah. I hope that some day, it can be recorded about me that I walked with God. One of my resolutions for  this New Year is to get closer to God: to spend more time with Him. Recently, I have begun walking early in the morning so that I can spend some undistracted time with the Lord. I pray that it continues to remain a regular part of my routine throughout the year. Don’t misunderstand, I also want to see some changes and improvements in my life this year, but I am completely convinced that the way to see real change occur in a life is through a relationship with the Lord that daily grows more intimate. I like what Paul said in Philippians 3:10:

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

By the way, I know that I have been writing and speaking a lot lately about this theme. I can’t help it. It is in my head. I feel like the guy who just came back from vacation and can’t talk about anything else. I am excited about what God is going to do this year, and the best part about it is that I am not going to do the work; He is. All I am going to do is try to walk as close to Him as I possibly can; and just maybe, on one of our walks He will take me home to Heaven as well.

How about you? When was the last time that you took a nice long walk with the Lord? Have you been neglecting your time spent with Him? Why not determine that the one thing that you accomplish this year is strengthening your relationship with Him.

Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3

(Second Milers also read – Mathew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)

Scripture Memoriztion for January – Isaiah 53

Read “Five Principle of Achieving Goals” by Dr. Paul Chappell

Check out the new Daily Devotional resource – “Rooted in Christ”

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” – (Genesis 1:1)

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” – (Revelation 21:5)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Isn’t wonderful that our God is a God of new beginnings? 22 years ago, almost to the day, God gave me a completely new life, and charted a radically different course for my life. God gave me a chance at that time to start over again with a clean slate. The awesome thing about our God is that since He took my sins away through the blood of Jesus Christ, my slate has remained clean (at least positionally).

I thank God for this new year that we are beginning today. I always look at the New Year as a time to hit the re-set button; a time to review the successes and failures of the year before and make the necessary adjustments in order to make the most out of the coming year. It’s kind of a new beginning. Last year is gone. 2012 is brand new, and we have the opportunity to strive to make this year the best one yet.

Tonight in our evening service, we will be casting the vision for the new year. We will unveil the new theme, and reveal some of the changes that we will be making in order to make 2012 our most fruitful year ever. Don’t miss it; and don’t miss out on the opportunity to make the necessary adjustments to your personal life and schedule in order to make a new beginning out of your own life.

It’s December 26^th, late in the evening. I’m sitting in the emergency room at Shore Memorial Hospital. One of the tubes coming out of Melissa’s kidney had gotten blocked. Infections, holes, 4 units of blood, and a trip to Philadelphia Hospital, brings us back to Shore Memorial, and now it’s Saturday. Sitting there on Monday, I had no idea what this week had in-store for me and my family. Numerous Bible verse flowed through my head this week. The one that I thought about the most is, possibly, my favorite passage from God’s Word. The passage is in Ezekiel chapter 16…

“And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.” – Ezekiel 16:3-8.

This passage paints a beautiful picture of where we started, and where the Lord has brought us. Other Christians are on this same journey, but we are all at different points. If you want to make a New Year’s resolution, one that is worth keeping, then treat others as God treated you in these verses. Let 2012 be the year that we lift up a brother or sister. Make them yours. Let’s help them grow in the Lord.

Peace. (1John 3:16)

Today’s Passages – Revelation 20 – 22; Proverbs 30

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 146 – 150; Memorize – Luke 1:35)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 18:3 & 46

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)

First of all, I want to congratulate those of you who have journeyed with us this year through the Bible. Reading the Bible through each year is quite an accomplishment, and it is also very rewarding. Some who are reading this post may not have been completely faithful in your reading at times; perhaps you were “hit and miss”. I have often been there myself. Don’t be discouraged! Try again this year. Our new journey begins January 1st in the Book of Genesis. I am excited again to offer an even more intense “Second Milers” program this year for those who desire to take their walk with God to a higher level. You will find more information on this program on the page entitled “Second Milers”

Just a quick though from our reading today that is similar to what was posted a couple of days ago regarding invitations. Here at the very end of the Bible is another invitation for people to come to Christ. Have you received Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Have you received that new birth that Jesus spoke of in John chapter 3?  Jesus loves you very much, and desires for you to come to Him. He won’t force anybody to come; but as you can clearly see from the verse above, He invites you to come. All throughout the Bible, God has always offered an opportunity for people to turn from their sin unto Him. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, He still desires a relationship with you.  Mind boggling, isn’t it. Why would God desire us? Maybe you’re a Christian, and you have strayed away from God’s will. God invites you too to come back to Him. He never stopped loving you either, no matter how far away you’ve wandered.

A final note to those of you who are doing well spiritually: God wants you to come in a little closer. John tells us in his gospel that God wants us to have “life more abundantly”. Every day of our life ought to be more abundant than the day before. Why? Because every day we ought to be drawing closer to Him. Make 2012 the year that God gets all of you, the year that you surrender more fully to the will of God; the year that you are wholly yielded to the Spirit of God. Who knows, this may be year that Christ comes to take us home to Heaven. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. What a blessing it is to be a child of the King!

Today’s Passages – Revelation 16 – 19; Proverbs 29

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 141 – 145; Memorize – Luke 1:35)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8

Read last year’s post from this passage – “Supper Is Almost Ready”

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” – (Revelation 18:8-10)

I must confess that I feel completely inadequate to discuss much of the truth contained in this Book of Revelation. I have studied this marvelous and mysterious book, and have even attempted to teach through it twice to our church in the last ten years. Still, there is much that I do not understand. In chapter 18, we read about the destruction of the City of Babylon. I am not exactly sure whether or not this city is actually a modern, re-built version of the old city in Iraq; or if it is just symbolic of the capital of Antichrist’s headquarters wherever that may be. I have heard some say that it is Rome, but I don’t know. My gut feeling tells me that it is actually Babylon. I like to take the Bible at its face value; literally.

At any rate, this city represents all that the world values: wealth, culture, power, education. This is the very capitol of the world system, and is the seat of government for Antichrist. The lost people that will be alive when this happens will be completely shocked at what will take place when this city is destroyed. They will not believe that anything could ever happen to that great and powerful city. But in one day, it will all be destroyed.

My thought this morning is that we do not think that anything like this can happen to us either. Even Christians who should know better have somewhat placed their trust in what this world offers them. We have become very comfortable and affluent. We are rather enjoying our little sojourn down here on the earth, and we sometimes forget why we are here. We don’t think anything can happen to our own little empire. But in one day we, too, could lose everything. It only takes one phone call from the doctor’s office; one pink slip in your the envelope; one catastrophe; and everything that we know and love could change forever. You see, the Scripture is very clear that we are not to put our trust in anything but the Lord, and He has the tendency to shake up our world every once in a while, maybe just to get our attention. Remember Christian, we are here on a mission for the Lord. We are not supposed to get too comfortable down here on the earth. We are on a mission,  God’s ambassadors to this fallen, sin-cursed world. Heaven is our true kingdom, the New Jerusalem is the city that we hail from; and that city is eternal. Let’s not put our trust in the shifting sand of this world. Someday, all that the people of this world hold dear will be gone. This life on earth is temporary; don’t live for it. Live for the eternal life that you have long after this world is gone.