Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Family Tree

I always get confused when someone starts talking about their family tree. Mostly because each parent has parents yet when someone follows a family tree they usually research only one side of the family. But what about everyone else?

Well, here is the short version of "my family tree". By faith, I am part of the family of Abraham.

Gen 22:15-19 15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba.
NASU

Gal 3:8-9 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
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So are you part of the family of Abraham? You can be, simply by receiving Jesus Christ as Saviour. Why not do that today?

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Journey of Faith

Let me ask you a simple question. What have you experienced in your journey of faith?

There are things today that I believe are possible simply because of what I have learned from God in the past. Things that can happen, not because I am better but because I can trust God with great assurance.

Abraham did not wake up one morning to be asked to sacrifice his son Isaac without having years of training by God. All of his life, God had been preparing Abraham for this moment.

God is training you too! Learn from the smaller moments in life. Trust God for the bigger situation.

A life of great faith begins with a simple step of trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior. Have you started that journey? If you haven't today is a great day to begin.

Gen 22:1-14

22 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2 He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. 5 Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." 6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 12 He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." 13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the Lord it will be provided." NASU

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Do you mean it?

Sadly the days when business could be concluded with a hand shake are long gone. Now we have sign contracts for nearly everything we do. Some of that is good because it details what is expected by both parties. Some of that is not as good because it simply point to the fact that we can not trust someone to do what they said would be done.

Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech and then both men did exactly what was promised. They fulfilled the deal.

Are you trustworthy? Will you do what you say?

Beginning a new year is a great time to began again. To commit yourself to being trustworthy in all you say and do.

Gen 21:27-34 27 Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 Abimelech said to Abraham, "What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set by themselves?" 30 He said, "You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this well." 31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba; and Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days.
NASU