Friday, July 31, 2009

What Age Got to do with it?

No matter what age you are there is something thinking you are either to old or to for something. Having gotten married at 20 there are those who though I was to young. I knew a man who was in his sixties and he thought he was to young to be a grandfather. Age means nothing when God is involved.

When Abraham acted on faith and was circumcised he was 99 years old. Sadly, some people want to "live life" before putting it all aside to accept "restrictions" of Christianity. What we do not know is will we have tomorrow to live. Just this past week, a person driving down a road, passed a car and then slide into a tree. He had no more time. He going fast to somewhere but sadly he never arrived.

Gen 17:24-2724 Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27 All the men of his household, who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. NASU

Waiting in life can bring lots of scars and tragedies. You are never to young or old to respond to God invitation to receive Jesus as your Savior. Why not respond today?

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Laughing At God

There are many things that we find funny in life. We laugh a jokes, family miscues even untimely falls are laugh at from time to time but we would never laugh at God would we? Sadly, we do laugh at God maybe not out loud but silently. Not one of those belly rolling laughs but more like a silent snicker. We laugh at His promises that He can change our lives. Sadly, we laugh because we don't believe it is possible. We would never dream of telling God He is not able to do that so we smile, grin and chuckle to ourselves....laugh at God. Sadly, we are just like Abraham. God tells him that Sarai will have a new name, Sarah, and also she will have a son that they will name Isaac. All this seem so unbelievable to Abraham so he simply tries to laugh it off.

Gen 17:15-23
15 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 "I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!" 19 But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year." 22 When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. NAS

Abraham assumed that since Sarah was 90 she could not have a child. By man's standard this would be true but God promised it would happen and it did come to pass.

What promise of God are you laughing at today? What challenge has He laid before you and you simply think God there is no way that this can happen. Even though you might not be laughing out loud you heart is snickering at God.

Seek God's forgives. Let us be like this man who spoke to Jesus.

Mark 9:22-24 23 And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief." NAS

Do you believe or do you laugh at God?

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Sign

Traveling is much easier when the road sign are in place. Have you ever traveled with a set of directions that were incomplete? Maybe they forgot to give you are turn or maybe the turn that was supposed to be marked with a sign was no longer there, blow away by a storm.

Sign tell us about stores, bargains and all kinds of other things that are available or happening in our community.

God instructed Abraham what he was to keep His covenant. Know that this was not an act of work on Abraham's part. This was the accepting of God promise to him.

Gen 17:9-10 9 God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 " This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. NASU

This act of faith on Abraham's part showed that he believed God.

Do you believe the promises of God?

Monday, July 20, 2009

God Does It All

There are certain things in life that we simply have no control over. When a young man asks a girl to marry him he does not control her answer. He may do many things but none of them guarantee that she will say yes. Doctor's operate of someone without a 100% guarantee that everything will come out well. Many times it often does but never 100% of the time.

With God everything is guaranteed because He promised without any involvement on our part to insure the promise is kept.

Gen 17:6-8 6 "I (GOD) will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. 7 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8 " I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." NASU

All that is promised here was kept, not because of some actions on Abram part but because of God's promise.

Eph 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. NASU

Acts 16:31 They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." NASU

Do you believe? These promises are there for those who believe, why not take them today.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

I Promise, GOD!

How do you get someone to keep there promise? Sometime you have to promise something in return, other times you have to encourage, or bug them. (not that bugging is good). Sadly, many times you are involved in some way for a promise to you to be keep. Even in our marriages today when people "promise" to stay together for all time, they are quick to step away if the other person does something deem unworthy, dishonorable or just plain bad. So, since the other person did something bad it is assumed that it is OK to give up on your promise to them.

What a joy to know that this is not how God work in His promises to us.

Gen 17:1-5 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty;Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly." 3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram,But your name shall be Abraham;For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. NASU

God's promise to Abram was not based on Abram's life or obedience. It was God's promise period. God shows us that He keeps all His promises. What a wonderful blessing for us to see and know.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. NASU

A promise made and a promise kept.

Have you experienced the promise of God in your life? If you haven't why not take that promise today.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Peek A Boo!

Little children love the game "Peek-A-Boo". For them, when their eyes are covered no one can see them until they decide. Alas, they grow up and come to realize that even when they cover their eyes other people can still see them.

Sadly, many people play "peek-a-boo" with God. As long as they aren't looking at Him or for Him they assume that they can do what every they want cause He must be busy elsewhere.

Hagar gives a name for God, Elroi, which means "You are a God who sees"

Gen 16:9-14 10 Moreover, the angel of the Lord said to her, " I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count." 11 The angel of the Lord said to her further,
"Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son;And you shall call his name Ishmael,Because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. 12 "He will be a wild donkey of a man,His hand will be against everyone,And every one's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers." 13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, " You are a God who sees"; for she said, " Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?" 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. NASU

So do you understand that where ever you are and whatever you do there is God, Elroi? "God who sees."

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Run Away

It has been said that the time for someone to work for a company all their life has long past. The generation of workers today moves on to a new job much quicker. Often it is said that it is because it is the best way to "find a better job".

I want to suggest to you today that this is not always the case. Our society has created a culture that we simply move on rather than face our problems.

Let first say clears, THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. PEOPLE DO MOVE ON AT THE DIRECTION OF GOD! Do not think that just because someone moved on they are fleeing or were sent away.

Today we see (and know) that Hagar was driven away by the hand of Sarai. (Gen 16:6 So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.) However, the angel of the Lord, give her instructions to return and submit. Why? Why go back where she was not wanted.

Well, you remember that Sarai said " I am despised in her sight". You see, Hagar had an attitude problem which was never going to get fix unless she return and submitted to the authority that was placed over her.

Gen 16:7-9 7 Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai." 9 Then the angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority." NASU

Is God trying to adjust your attitude? Are you in a difficult situation today. Ask God to teach and help you learn and serve him.

Hagar stayed for many more years until the Lord approved of her departure.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Go Ahead Do It

Being dared by someone to do something is never a good thing. Those dares almost always lead us to do or say things that we later regret or cause us to suffer some consequences.

A true friend will help us make a wise decision not encourage us to do poorly.

Yesterday we saw Sarai unwilling to take responsibility for her actions. Today, Abram simply allows her to do something that is not honoring to God. Instead of helping Sarai resolve the matter between Hagar and Sarai, his actions allow the situation to grow worse.

Gen 16:66 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight." So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. NASU

Are you willing to help your friend make wise chooses or are you willing to let someone continue a path of destruction.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Someone Else's Fault!

When I was young I always thought that my brother and sister where there so I could blame them when I did something wrong. I didn't want to take responsibility when I did anything wrong. I think it would be true to say that most of us really don't want to do thing wrong so we find it easy to blame someone or something else.

Society, parents, brothers, sisters even employees all get the blame for what we do or don't do. Even today a gentleman was willing to "blame" employers for the reason the church was declining, after all, they "require" people to work on Sunday's.

Sadly we can see this is not a new practice. Sarai quickly blamed Abram for the results for Hagar conception.

Gen 16:3-5 3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, " May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the Lord judge between you and me."NASU

She was unwilling to admit that she gave Hagar to Abram and that she didn't trust God to fulfill His promise to Abram and Sarai.

So are you willing to admit to something you've done or will you blame someone else.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Listen to God

We can get all kinds of advise in today's world. Through Face Book, our friends, emails, even from the newspapers. But the best advise we will ever get will come from God and His Word. Please know that God will never use your friends or Pastor to tell you to do something that He does not reveal to your personally. Many years ago the decision to go into missions came first from God through study of the Scriptures and conviction from the Holy Spirit. It was only Louise and I dealt with what God said that we received confirmation from our pastor and friend.

Abram was told by God that He (and Sarai) would have a son. The advise from Sarai was contrary to what God had already revealed. Abram should have dismissed this and followed God.

Gen 16:1-2 1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. NASU

As a husband I know it is hard not to listen to advise from your wife. However, when the struggle is between what she says and what God says the ONLY option is to listen to God.

Who do you listen to in life.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

"I Promise", God.

As a married man and father there have been promised that I have made only to fail in keeping them. I was not able to do everything that I wanted and desired. But when God promises something He is able to do all that He says.

Having promised that Abram would indeed have a son He promised him land as well. God shows that He will keep His promise by the providing of a covenant and the by passing through the animals Abram laid out.

What we need to understand that the only promises that matter are the promises from God. Man will fail at some point and time but God will never fail.

John 10:27-28 27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. NASU

This is a promise of God and it will not fail.

Gen 15:6-21 7 And He said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it." 8 He said, "O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?" 9 So He said to him, " Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 "But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 "As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 "Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." 17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying,
" To your descendants I have given this land,From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite 20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim 21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite." NASU

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

To Scared To Believe God?

How many times have we dreamed big dreams only to get scared and back away from even pursuing those dreams. I read today on Nascar.com that Michael Waltrip had a dream/desire to be a team owner with multiple teams from the start. Friends and relatives tried to persuade him that this dream was too big.....go from something smaller. He has stayed focus and continued to move even closer to running a multi car team in Nascar.

The Lord has come to Abram in a vision to reveal that his reward would be great. But between God's revelation and Abram's acceptance there is a change. Abram fails to think "great enough", his vision of what God could do becomes small. He start to think of things that are just impossible. He has no son and at this point can not see that happening.

Gen 15:1-6 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
" Do not fear, Abram,I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."
2 Abram said, "O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, " Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir." 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir." 5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, " So shall your descendants be." 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. NASU

Abram says, I have no children and since that is true the only heir that I have is Eliezer because he was born in my house.

God need to open up Abram's eyes. He needed to get Abram to dream big again. First, He told Abram that Eliezer is not going to be your heir. Second, He shows him the stars and he said, "try counting those, if you can" (my version) "that is how many will be your heirs".

Abram needed to see what God saw, that is that all things are possible with Him.

Luke 18:27 But He [Jesus] said, " The things that are impossible with people are possible with God." NASU

Are you thinking something is impossible? Look to God, when it is within His will, all things are possible.

DO NOT LIMIT GOD

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Giving Thanks

Yesterday we saw that Abram was called to rescue Lot quickly. Today I want to show you that he didn't do this without thinking about God.

When we respond to a need we are faced with a challenge. This challenge is whether we will give the glory to God or willing take the credit for our enduvors upon ourselves.

Abram had just such a choice to make. Upon returning with the victory he could have "keep the spoils" as a reward. He did not choose to do that rather he chose to worship God by the giving of a tithes to Melchizedek as worship to God Most High.

Gen 14:17-24 17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High,Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." He gave him a tenth of all. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself." 22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, 'I have made Abram rich.' 24 " I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share." NASU

Keeping nothing for himself! Abram returned everything to others. He wanted to be certain that any "success" he had in his life was the result of God and not man.

Who get credit for your success? God or ................?

Monday, July 6, 2009

Responding Quickly

How do we respond to a clear need in a persons life. This can be a challenge from time to time. There are moments we are told to pray before we decide and I certainly don't want to very tell anyone that they shouldn't pray. There are times however that we must recognize that God has us at the right spot so that we can respond quickly.

Abram knew that the situation needed a immediate response.

Gen 14:13-16 13 Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people. NASU

This quick response brought about a successful rescue of Lot and his relatives and all that they had possessed.

When the situations presence itself are you willing to respond quickly? Or do you delay to the point that your help is no help at all?

When God calls us to action be ready to respond.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Be Free...Stay Free

Why you play a simple game of "freeze tag" you are always grateful to the one who comes by to touch you to unfreeze you. To set you free from your "frozen" position. From that moment on you try and do all you can to remain free.

Paul reminded the believers in Galatia that they had been set free by the blood of Christ. He encouraged them to remain free.

Gal 5:1It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. NAS

If you have Christ as your Savior, you too are free, stand firm and remain free.

If you are reading this and have never asked Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come into your life you are not free no matter where you live on this earth. You are bond by Satan and a prisoner to his desires.

Why not make today your day for being truly free?

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Caught in the middle.

This past weekend we had the joy on having two of our three grand daughters here with us for the weekend. What a delight! We did spend one morning at the beach and although it took awhile then did get into the water. We had to be very close to them because as the tide rushed out they would get pulled along with it. Being to deep in the water cause big problems except for mom-mom and pop-pop's help.

In Gen 14:1-12 we see that Lot's move to the heart of Sodom and Gomorrah got him "sucked into" the battle of the kings. Trouble arose because of his decision to move into the appealing valley. He failed to consider the dangers that were around him.

Gen 14:12 They also took Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom. NAS

Be alert for hidden dangers. Steer clear of those situation that make the alarm bells ring.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

We want it all!

I think there are times in our lives when we read the story of Abram and the only think we walk away with is that he "got it all". We then begin to hope and dream that someday we too will get more. More because we helped someone, or gave them first choice. So why did God give Abram all that land and promise of descendants?

Gen 13:14-14:1
14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, " Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. 16 "I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. 17 "Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you." 18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. NAS

First, there was a command to obey. Separate from him. Leave behind that things of this world, including Lot. But all that we see coming to Abram comes only because of God's grace. Abram didn't earn it in any way shape or form. This isn't a reward for obedience or some future look at Abram's life and God giving him an "advance" on his pay.

Abram's reaction to this promise was to built and altar and worship the Lord.

You and I can never earn anything from the Lord. We can't obey to receive rewards. God blesses us as He chooses. Our responsibility is to worship Him.