Hang in There
Today’s Passage – Exodus 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click hereto view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 13 – 14; Proverbs 21; Psalms 101 – 105)
Scripture Memorization for January – Joy in Serving Jesus
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Proverbs 3:5 & 6
Read the “0121 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Hang In There!
“And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.” (Exodus 5:22-23)
“Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.” (Exodus 6:1)
Moses was sent by God to free the children of Israel from 400 years of bondage. God showed Moses his power, and reassured him that their freedom would come to pass, but he lacked faith. When things didn’t go the way Moses thought it would, he doubted God. But don’t be so hard on Moses. We’re no better. We’ll pray for something or someone and think all will be well. We’ve done exactly what God wanted and the way He asked and so on. But the prayer didn’t turn out in our time in our way. We question God, why? Now please re-read Exodus 6:1. It says, “Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh.”
Think with me if you will. The people were praying all those year to be free. Who do you think would get the praise if Moses said lets go, and they left? Moses, of course. It wouldn’t be by the hand of God that they would go, but Moses. God wanted to prove His love for His children by providing the impossible. God not only wanted to show His love, He wanted to destroy forever the very thing that hurt them, and He still works the same today.
What are you facing? What have you been praying for? When things look like it’s all over, hang in there. God is getting ready to work His will for you. He loves you and only wants the best for His children. Just hang in there!
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by admin with no comments yet.
Forgiveness: It Does A Body Good
Today’s Passage – Genesis 45 – 47 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 7 – 8; Proverbs 18; Psalms 86 – 90)
“Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 45:1-8)
Good morning. How many times in your life has someone done you wrong? Now, how many times have you forgiven their wrong? Too many of us hold a grudge against the many wrong-doers in our lives. We fail to realize that it may be part of God’s will: we may need to be hurt, so we will not hurt others. Look at what Joseph said, “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”
God had a bigger reason for allowing Joseph to be sold as a slave in Egypt: bigger than satisfying the hatred of his brothers: to preserve life. Joseph was able to see this, and forgave his brothers for what they did to him. Sometimes we are not sure of what God is doing, and should be tolerant of those times we are under attack: look at King David fleeing Jerusalem…
“And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.” (2Samuel 16:5-12)
Peter asked “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?”, and Jesus told him, “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
Stephen said, before dieing from the stones that were thrown at him, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”
Our Example, the Lord Jesus Christ, asked the Father from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Being angry or upset with someone cannot end in anything good, unless it ends with forgiveness. Let’s strive to be a little more, and forgive as Jesus did. Jesus died for their sins as well as yours.
Peace. (Mark 11:25-26)
Posted in The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl with no comments yet.
“What Did You Say?”
Today’s Passage –Genesis 36 – 37 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read –Matthew 27 – 28; Proverbs 14; Psalms 66 – 70)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
Read the “0114 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from today’s reading – “Who Can Stand Before Envy“
What Did You Say?
“And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” (Genesis 37:10)
In today’s scriptures, we read that Joseph was the bearer of bad news that his family did not appreciate. Later in chapters 40 and 41, Joseph also delivered bad news to the baker and Pharaoh. Pharaoh, unlike Joseph’s family, received the news gladly.
People still today do not appreciate hearing bad news. Your Pastor will preach a great message but there was something that he touched on that just got under your skin. You become angry or hateful towards him. His intentions are pure, but will rarely be appreciated. We’re not really ticked off at him, but at God because we’re under conviction. Remember he cannot always preach messages that please all the people all the time. He is led by the Holy Spirit to preach messages that make certain people very unhappy. The key is to make a decision based on God’s Word and remove our emotions from the way we respond. Do we hate the mailman when he brings us the bill we can’t afford? Or how about the Doctor that tells you something is seriously wrong?
My thoughts from this verse is that we should be thankful that we have a man of God who loves us. One who is yielded to the Holy Spirit? A Pastor who will give us what we need, not what we want. Love and pray for your Pastor.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
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The Unloved – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Genesis 29 – 30 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read –Matthew 21 – 22; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55)
Read “Four Eternal Priorities of a Renewed Church” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.” (Genesis 29:27-35)
Good morning. Did you ever have the feeling that you were unloved, that nobody cared about you, or maybe that everyone hated you? Maybe it’s your fault, maybe it’s not. Leah was hated. The Bible states that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, but when the Lord looked at the heart of Jacob, He could see that Leah was hated. What did God do? He opened her womb, and she conceived. She bare Jacob his first four sons. At the birth of the fourth son she said, “Now will I praise the LORD.”:therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.
Her fourth son was Judah. Judah is the tribe that the Lord chose to come to earth through: the King of Kings, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, our Emmanuel: God with us.
How do you feel about harlots? God used a harlot to hide the spies sent into Jericho, saved her and her family, then used her in the line of Jesus. Rahab the harlot was King David’s great, great grandmother (Joshua 2, 6:22-25; Matthew 1:5).
Then after a few years later, we find Ruth in the line of Messiah…
“Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.” (Ruth 1:1-6)
Moab was the firstborn of Lot and his daughter. When Israel did evil in the site of the Lord, God had then serve Eglon, king of Moab, for 18 years (Judges 3:12-14). Israel hated the Moabites; God didn’t. So God put a woman of Moab, Ruth, in the line of Jesus also. (Ruth 4:13-22).
Come to think of it, everyone in the line of Judah, up to, but not including Jesus, was a sinner: everybody who ever was and is going to be is a sinner except Jesus. He died for the Leah’s of this world, the Rahab’s of this world, the Ruth’s of this world, and everybody else who has ever lived or died in this world. And Jesus gave His life for us because He loved us…
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:14-17)
If you feel you are one of the unloved, remember that Jesus loves you. He loved you so much that He believed you were worth dieing for. Remember Leah, Rahab, and Ruth.
How do you feel about others? Do they meet your high standards or not? Remember who God chooses to use: you just may be looking down your nose at someone who will do something great for God.
Peace. (John 13:34, 15:12 & 17; Romans 13:8; 1Thesselonians 4:9; 1Peter 1:22; 1John 3:11 & 23, 4:7 &11-12; 2John 1:5)
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Savoury Meat
Today’s Passage – Genesis 27 – 28
“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 just learned 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.
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
Oh Be Careful Little Mouth… by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Genesis 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 13 – 14; Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)
Scripture Memorization for January – Joy in Serving Jesus
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 34
Read the “0107 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read “7 Commitments for Finishing Well” by Pastor Paul Chappell
Read a previous post from this passage – “God Will Provide Himself A Lamb”
Oh Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say
“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.” (Genesis 21:9-11)
We read back in Genesis 16, Sarah was doubting God about her having a child in her old age. She convinced Abraham to take Hagar as his wife. The result of her wrong speaking is still felt today between the two sons of Abraham. We also see in Genesis 12:13, Sarah lying to the Egyptians about being Abraham’s wife. As a result, a plague was sent to Pharaoh and all his house. But not to blame Sarah only, there are many other examples of harm resulting from lying.
If you’re honest with yourself, I’m sure you can think of a time when you lied or said something that you later regretted. I remember, (before salvation, not that it makes it right) saying things about a person that affected others. After salvation, I realized that the things I was saying, was just a criticism of her her personality type, which was very different than mine. But most importantly, I realized it was wrong for me to say what I said. For years I prayed for forgiveness, and to have the opportunity to apologize. I really thought I would never see this person again. Well, by the grace to God, I did see her and God allowed me to apologize. I think it would have been better not to say anything bad at all. As children we learned the saying: ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me’. How untrue. A black eye hurts for a while, but lies and poorly chosen words will last forever. Maybe there’s been a time when you allowed your child to do something that you wish you could take back. Now you look back and say,”What was I thinking?”
We should always guard our mouths, because the devil is just waiting to use it for his purpose.
“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:…” (Philippians 1:27)
“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4:6)
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” (James 1:19)
This New Year, let’s use our mouths to praise and glorify God.
Just a thought!
Thank You
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:6)
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It Was Just A Little White Lie – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Genesis 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 7 – 8; Proverbs 4; Psalm 16 – 20
“And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.” (Genesis 12:11-20)
Good morning. Or is that ‘just a little white lie’? Good morning? It’s -2 degrees outside. I wish I would have stayed in my nice warm bed, under the five covers. Not only that, I ache from shoveling all that snow! Grumble, mumble, etc, etc. Actually, any time you can get up early and join brothers and sisters in prayer is a good morning.
I was given a neat Christmas gift, actually a New Years gift: Dr. Paul Chappell’s Stewarding Life Planner. In the planner, I needed to develop a ‘purpose statement’. I want to share with you the first part of my purpose statement…
The purpose of my life is to glorify God through preaching the gospel (John 15:8), being truthful (Joshua 7:9), and by giving Him praise (Psalm 86:12).
How do you feel about lies? Would you prefer someone to tell you a lie or the truth? I would prefer the truth. Even if it was something about a mistake I made, I would then know that I have something that needs changing: something to repair in my life.
Truth is the most solid, stable, unmovable object that you can hold onto. If you could move or change truth, it stops being truth and becomes a lie…
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in TRUTH.” (John 4:23-24)
“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)
Aren’t you glad you have a God who is the Truth, and changes not? And it should be easy for you to be truthful with God when you realize that He already knows what sins you will commit tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and you don’t. The truth of the matter is that our lies affect those around us. In our text, Abraham told a half truth, which makes it a lie, and he did it to protect his own neck. The result was that the Lord plagued all of Pharaoh’s house with great plagues.
In an effort to cover up his sin with Bathsheba, David tried to make it look like her future baby was from her husband, Uriah. When that did not work, David had Uriah killed in battle. David’s lie cost Uriah his life, also the life of the child he had made.
Of course Eve believed the greatest lie of all time, and the entire world was plunged into sin.
What can we do? Let me give you several key truths and verses to remember…
Remember that lies are sin, even the little white lie…
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all LIARS shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
Remember where lies come from…
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)
Remember God is Truth, and He does not change, so as Psalm 136 tells us 26 times that His mercy endureth forever…
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)
Remember, if you have Jesus, you have the Truth living in you…
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in TRUTH.” (John 4:23-24)
God is looking for His people to worship Him in truth. Why not give Him what He wants in 2014.
Peace! (John 14:6)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
It Doesn’t Take Long, Does It?
Today’s Passage – Genesis 7 – 9
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalm 11 – 15
Read previous posts from this passage – “A Token” and “I’m Getting Too Old For This“
Last night it snowed about 5 or 6 inches here in southern New Jersey, and when I got out this morning to take my walk I noticed two things. The first thing that caught my attention was how white and clean everything looked, which is quite the contrast from the dreary, dark browns that are the norm here in the winter. The second thing that struck me was the quiet. There were very few cars on the road, and most people were “hunkered down” in their houses. All I could hear for most of my time outside was the wind. With all of the people that populate our area, it is very rare to experience that level of tranquility. It was very cold, however, and the tiny ice particles that were still falling and blowing around were stinging my face a little; but, all in all, it was a wonderful time, walking with the Lord this morning.
Now for this morning’s thought:
“And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.” (Genesis 9:21 & 22)
In Genesis 7 we have the account of the flood. God was grieved because mankind had become completely corrupted, and their wickedness was great upon the earth. God decided to start over with a man who walked with Him, named Noah. Noah and his family are instructed to build an ark that will keep them safe during the deluge of water that is about to cover the entire earth. For forty days it rains, and everything that breathes air on the earth dies. All. that is, except Noah and his family. In chapter 8 the rain stops, and the water levels gradually decrease until, finally, the dry land appeared, and Noah and his family were able to leave the ark and start a new life for themselves.
Chapter 9 begins with God blessing Noah and his family, and God also promises that He will never again destroy the earth with a flood. He seals the covenant with the rainbow, which was to serve as a reminder every time it rains. Everything seems to be going well. Noah and his family have the opportunity to live in peace with the full blessings of God on their lives. However, when we get to verse 21, we see how quickly even godly men like Noah can mess things up. Here we see that Noah is drunk. This is the first mention of wine in the Bible. Theologians tell us about a law of Bible interpretation, which is called the Law of First Mention. This principle teaches that important clues can be gathered about a doctrine by studying the way it is first used in the Bible. Here we see the use of wine associated with drunkenness and other sins. Maybe, we should learn a lesson from this. The Bible will have much more to say in future chapters regarding drunkenness.
My point, however, is not to discuss the sin of drunkenness. I merely want to point out that man will quickly mess up a good situation. Adam and Eve did, Noah did, and we do the same thing today. It doesn’t take long for our sinful nature to reveal itself. We are two days away from the New Year. Many have resolved that this is the year that their lives are going to be different. Yet, most have already blown every resolution that they have made. We are desperately wicked people. Yet, for some strange reason, God loves us; and if we are saved, He doesn’t even see our wickedness anymore. Through the blood of His Son Jesus, God sees us, not as sinners, but as sons.
Don’t throw in the towel, however. You have blown in the past and you will blow it again in the future. Just get back up, confess the sin, and move forward. God knows your frame; He remembers that you are dust. Don’t let your failure keep you from coming back to God. He will always take you back. Get as close to Him as you possibly can. He will work in you, and make the necessary changes that need to be made in your life. He will continue to mold you into the image of Christ.
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
In the Beginning!
Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3
(Second Milers also read – Mathew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)
“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 it wonderful that our God is a God of new beginnings? 24 years ago, almost to the day, God gave me a completely new beginning, 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. 2014 is brand new, and we have the opportunity to strive to make this year the best one yet. Early this morning, as I was walking, I thought about the fact that so far this year I haven’t said anything or done anything yet that would displease the Lord. I am sure, however, that it won’t be long before I break my streak, but it is a good feeling to know that the old is gone, and today is a brand new day. Let us serve the Lord with gladness this year!
Tonight, we will be studying the Bible and praying together as a church. None of us have missed any church services yet this year, so let us all be in our place, assembling ourselves together for exhortation and edification. This Sunday, 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 2014 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 in 2014.
Note – Today also begins our new Bible reading schedule. Please make it a point to carve out some time daily in your schedule to read the Word and to pray.
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JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Read your favorite Bible passage today
(Second Milers also read – Proverbs 31)
Scripture Memorization for December – The Incarnation
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read the “1231 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from today’s passage – “Resolve To Be Transformed“
Do You Believe In Me?
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)
There are so many great verses in the Bible about God’s love or His promises that we could claim to be our favorite verse. I think that Revelation 20:10 is one of my top 3 of favorite verses.
Throughout history there have been many woes and sorrows. How sad Adam and Eve must have been when Cain killed Abel. Later, all but 8 souls died from the flood. The sadness of Lot, when all his family and friends, save his two daughters, were destroyed by fire and brimstone. Of modern times, we have the sinking of the Titanic, the bombing of Pearl Harbor and many other wars where thousands of family members have been killed. We now see children as young as 1 and 2 years old bald from chemo and radiation. All kinds of mental illness is around us. Parents killing children and children killing parents. We’ve seen God taken out of school and quickly out of government and soon they will try to take Him out of our lives. It used to be the rebel who was the outsider, now the outsiders are the ones who stand for Christ. The family is being ripped apart by sexual ‘freedom’, children rebelling, and bossy wives. When will it all end?
Now take a trip to Heaven with me if you will. God calls for an assembling of all the Saints. We are sitting in the stands waiting for our Lord to appear. There is much chatter wondering what will happen next. Then walks out Jesus clothed in white. Everyone starts singing, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. Praise to the Mighty King of King! He stands on the 5o yard for all to see. Jesus raises His nail print hands for all to be silent. Then as everyone gasps, out walks Satan. Still no one says a word as Satan walks up to Jesus. Then Satan’s trembling body begins to bow.
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” (Philippians 2:10)
Just then the ground begins to quake and open. The flames of Hell are exposed. As Satan stands, Christ lifts his nail print hand and Satan is cast in to Hell forever and ever. The Saints rejoice as they again sing praises unto the LORD of Heaven. Oh yeah, I’ll be sitting first row on the 50 yard line. AMEN!
Now there is also a verse, I believe, is one of the saddest.
Not all are Saints.
“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)
These also will spend eternity separated from God. There will be more of them then Saints. Time is getting short. Once we leave this earth, it will be too late to tell others about the saving blood of Jesus.
This New Year, let’s make a commitment to ourselves and to God, that we will tell others about Jesus. There is plenty of room at the table, but not many who are willing to leave it to invite others to dine. Remember Satan is alive and well, for now, on the planet earth.
No one Believes In Me Anymore – (Satan’s Boast)
A Song by Keith Green
Well my job keeps getting easier, as time keeps slipping away
I can imitate the brightest light, and make the night look just like day
I put some truth in every lie, to tickle itching ears
You know I’m drawing people just like flies, cause they like what they hear
I’m gaining power by the hour, they’re falling by the score
You know it’s getting very simple now since no one believes in me anymore
Heavens just a state of mind, my books read on your shelf
Oh have you heard that God is dead, I made that one up myself
They’re dabbling in magic spells and get their fortunes read
You know they heard the truth and turned away and followed me instead
I use to have to sneak around, but now they just open their doors
You know no one’s watching for my tricks, since no one believes in me any more
Everyone likes a winner, with my help you’re guaranteed to win
Hey man you ain’t no sinner, no, you’ve got the truth within
And as your life slips by you believe the lie that you did it on your own
But don’t worry, I’ll be there to help you share a dark eternal home
My job keeps getting easier, as day slips into day
The magazines, the newspapers print every word I say
This world is just my spinning top, it’s all likes child’s play
You know I dream that it will never stop, but I know it’s not that way
Still my world goes on and on, always stronger than before
I’m going to make it dark before the dawn since no one believes in me anymore. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
Thank You
1 John 5:13
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