June 17, 2023

Genesis is so interesting! The heading for Genesis 6 in my Bibles is “Increasing Corruption on Earth.” Doesn’t that speak volumes? From what I’ve read, I think people may have been worse during the days of Noah because one of the verses says that the thoughts in the hearts of man were only evil. Yes, our days are evil, and plots of the wicked are carried out to the destruction of many innocent people; however, I don’t believe every heart is evil like in that day because many of us know Jesus and believe in him. God was disappointed and regretted that he had made man, so he started fresh with Noah’s family because he was righteous. 

This chapter begs more questions. For example, if everyone except Noah’s family died in the flood, why were there still giants like Goliath? Where did the Nephilim (giants) come from? We know God created them but was there something about them that wasn’t in the likeness of God that made them different from humans? We may not have to worry about the earth being flooded again; however, it will be destroyed by fire; I’m not sure which is more horrific, flood or fire. Our days are also very evil, and fire cannot be too far off. Make sure you are secure in Jesus so that God will spare you from devastation like Noah and his family. 

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:5-8 KJV

June 16, 2023

I learned a lesson this morning. I’ve always understood that, in many cases, you may need to read several chapters in a book to get the full context of the scripture. Today I ran across one of the reasons why that is true. Genesis 4 mentions Enoch, Cain’s son, so I thought that this was the Enoch that didn’t die and that a good person can come from a bad parent. A good person can indeed come from a bad parent; however, Genesis 5 also mentions Enoch, who walked with God and never died; God took him. He came through Seth, one of the sons of Adam. Jesus is in the line of Seth. Genesis 5 gives the genealogy from Adam to Noah. Even in the early years after creation, people would name their children after relatives. The Enoch that came through the line of Seth was a good guy that walked with God and never saw death. All the others, between Adam and Noah, died. Did God give Enoch a glorified body that could handle heaven? God can do whatever he wants; I guess we will find out when we get there. 

And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:21-24

June 15, 2023

Able was the good son, and Cain was jealous because God loved his offering of meat and fat more than Cain’s. It made him very angry. But God warned him before he did anything drastic to take control of his sin, but instead of listening to God, he let it overcome him by killing Able. There are a lot of lessons in this portion of the text. One interesting note is that God could hear the cry of Abel’s blood from the ground where Cain spilled it. Can you imagine all the blood that cries from the ground of the innocent lives taken? The sound must be deafening. His punishment was that he could no longer grow anything, was sent away to wander the earth, and could no longer walk with God. Even though God punished Cain, he still protected him. He marked him so that if anyone killed him, they would receive a punishment sevenfold. Hmm, I wonder what his mark was. Even when you sin, God still cares about you. You may have to face the consequences of your actions, but all is not lost. Though Cain was a murderer, he had a good son, Enoch, whom we will find out further in scripture that he loved God and never died. So there is hope for those who feel they have less-than-ideal parents; overcoming your ancestral faults’s up to you. 

My takeaway is: God likes an offering that comes from the heart; it is up to you to control your sin; blood has a sound; your punishment from God can be severe, but he still loves you; good people can still come from bad parents.

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7 ESV

June 14, 2023

Except for the GEICO gecko, if I were ever to run into an upright talking serpent, I would pass out! It didn’t seem to bother Eve; however, she hadn’t learned about evil before encountering the serpent. Thank goodness snakes are no longer able to talk! They are creepy enough without saying a word. After she and Adam ate the fruit, their eyes were opened, revealing their nakedness. God then gave them skins as clothing. Where did the skins come from? Did God make a sacrifice to cover their sin and shame? I’m not sure how long they walked together with him in the garden before this day came, but they must have had a good relationship with him because rather than kill them on the spot, he gave them another chance and punished their behavior. 

Adam didn’t have a choice in a mate, but we do. If you choose someone more susceptible to the wiles of the devil, you will pay with your happiness and contentment. They may also try to lure you away from God and drag you down with them, just as Eve did to Adam. That’s why we are taught to choose to partner with others who are equally yoked with us in the Christian faith. That devil is still slithering around disguised as an angel of light and will find a way to devour you if you don’t stand firm in your faith. 

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21 KJV 

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8 KJV

June 13, 2023

I’m ready for God to give us back the Garden of Eden, but he can leave the tree of knowledge of good and evil out of it; since it’s already ingrained in our brains, I don’t think we can go back. I want the bliss of living in paradise and the comfort of having a relationship with God, where he walks with me in the garden. I’ve tried to create that, but the weeds tend to take over since evil still exists. I know he walks with me in the garden every morning; I can feel it. I am in awe of His creation, especially when I find interesting foods you don’t often see in the produce market. All you have to do is open a seed catalog, and you will realize that what we eat barely scratches the surface of the foods he gave us. Have you ever seen a winged bean? I hadn’t until I grew it! I can’t wait to taste it! We should get used to exploring and tasting other plants that aren’t often grown commercially. God gave us so much more than we experience; break out of your comfort zone and try something new, even if you have to grow it yourself.

And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8-9

June 12 2023

As a goal, I decided to write a post on each chapter of the New Testament. I sectioned it off by writer, with Paul being the last because he wrote the most, and I finished his letters yesterday. Today, I started in Genesis. Though I’ve read it many times, there is something different about studying it; it is eye-opening. If you have a preconceived idea about the meaning of certain words, I suggest you double-check them using the Strong Concordance. Not only should you read your Bible to understand God and his plan, but it also clears up the misdirection by seemingly well-intentioned teachers of God’s Word. It may also shed light on the scientific malarkey used to try and control the population; I haven’t figured out the point of that, but it will be exposed eventually. I may have opened myself up to more questions than answers, but that’s okay; God has the answers, but I’m in no hurry to question him; he will enlighten me and you as he sees necessary. 

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. Genesis 1:7

June 11, 2023

Philemon had a servant named Onesimus that escaped. While on the loose, he became a fellow believer under Paul’s guidance. Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon but also sent a letter pleading with him to forgive him and treat him as a brother in Christ. The Bible doesn’t expand on what happened to Onesimus, but writings outside of the Bible say that he became a bishop in Ephesus and was tortured and beaten to death for spreading the gospel. 

Jesus has forgiven us so much; many times, we sin unintentionally; nonetheless, it’s still a sin. That’s why we must ask forgiveness daily, sometimes more than once a day. Jesus sets the example of how we should live and expects us to replicate his actions. When someone sins against you, for the sake of your heart, you must forgive them, even if they don’t seek your forgiveness. You do not have to involve yourself with them ever again; the Bible doesn’t say we have to be their buddy or friend; it only tells us to forgive and move on without the bondage of an offense. 

So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. Philemon 1:18