July 1, 2023

God calls Abraham his prophet. Abraham knows God has promised him a nation of descendants, yet he still doesn’t trust him. Abraham pushed the boundaries of truth to help save himself from getting killed by King Abimelech. He and Sarah are indeed half siblings through their father; however, they were also married. Even though this seems repulsive to us, it’s in scripture. The Bible is not boring! So, even though Sarah was probably already pregnant with Isaac, King Abimelech took her away from Abraham. God visited him in a dream and told him he was a dead man for taking her. Of course,  Abimelech returned her before doing anything lewd with her. God had so much love for Abraham and Sarah that he stopped this man in his tracks and forced him to make restitution for his crime by giving them sheep, oxen, servants, and silver. Abraham blessed him a prayed for him, his wife, and their people. 

We know that we know that Jesus has saved us from the consequences of our sins, yet we still don’t trust him and continue to sin. If you have to lie, you don’t trust God to work out the details of a situation. That’s all there is to it. Yes, it’s difficult, but we need to learn to trust God from the lesson learned by Abraham.

Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. Genesis 20:10-12

June 30, 2023

Today's lesson is about being grateful for unanswered prayers. Abraham prayed a general prayer, and God still answered him. He started by asking for fifty righteous people to escape when God destroyed Sodom and finally ended by asking for ten. The Bible only tells us of four leaving, and none were very righteous, but God saved them because of Abraham's prayer. The men of Sodom were insane and knew of the angels visiting Lot. They were ravenous to get to them, but Lot offered his daughters instead. What kind of dad offers his daughters to strangers for sexual abuse? Why were those men so eager to get to the angels? It reminds me of the sickos wanting to sexualize children today. It's not a good idea to look back after God saves you from destruction; Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt, but that is a lesson for another day! Lot's daughters slept with him when he was drunk and got pregnant with sons; one became the father of the Ammonites, and the other was the father of the Moabites. They eventually caused trouble for the children of Israel. It's one of those prayers that, in hindsight, you wish God hadn't answered. It also makes you wonder; if they were considered righteous, how evil was Sodom? When God doesn't answer your prayers, maybe it's because of something like this! Be grateful for unanswered prayers!

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. Genesis 19:29

June 29, 2023

Like many of you, I remember certain things that make an impression that I cannot shake. Many years back, I broke my leg and was in a cast, and maneuvering was difficult. We had a closing in a high-rise, and I was by myself because I was meeting Richard there. I got as close to the door as possible, but it would still be a long walk and nearly impossible to get inside. I was one of only a couple of cars on that particular floor of the parking garage. I was contemplating what I would do when a “security guard” appeared out of nowhere. He instructed me to park in the loading parking near the door. I looked away for a second, and he was gone. I never saw him again. I knew God had sent an angel to give me instructions. I will never forget it for as long as I live. I was in an impossible situation, and God sent help.

Abraham entertained angels. They were bringing news about Sarah becoming pregnant and on their way to visit Sodom and Gomorrah. They appeared in human flesh, which tells me it is possible and can happen again; it’s scriptural. The scripture also points out that one was Jesus because Genesis 18:1a says: “And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre.” This verse uses all caps to indicate that one of them was Jehovah God. In verse 18:17, it also used LORD when he spoke about Sarah. 

Angels take on a human likeness because we would freak out if we saw them in their heavenly garb. Remember, nothing is impossible with God.

Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Genesis 18:13

June 28, 2023

Thirteen years after telling Abram about his covenant, when he was 99 years old, God further explained his covenant, added another stipulation, and changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah. He explained that his covenant to make him a great nation would be fulfilled through Sarah, who was 90. At the same time, he made it clear that his part in the covenant would be that all the males, servants, or family members were to be circumcised right away, and anyone born under his care from that day forward would be circumcised on the eighth day. Sarah was to give birth to Isaac a year from that day when Abraham was 100 years old! By waiting until they were very old, God made it clear that he was in control and that even though it seemed impossible, we learn that anything is possible with God. 

Because of Jesus, circumcision is now considered a heart issue. We are to die in the flesh so that we might live for Him. Doing that fulfills our covenant with Jesus. You cannot serve the god of this world and Jesus simultaneously. Though we must live in this world until he takes us to be with him, we must set our hearts to serve Jesus and not get too caught up in worldly affairs. 

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Genesis 17:6-7

June 27, 2023

We must avoid placing blame on others for the mistakes we make. Look at what happened to Sarai with Hagar. She and Abram tried to force God’s promise by making it happen in their time rather than God’s. Sarai offered her servant to Abram as a wife to produce children because she was barren, and it backfired. Of course, it backfired; they didn’t wait on God! Hagar got pregnant and then became nasty to Sarai, and Sarai blamed Abram. He had a part in it but didn’t jump into that fight and told Sarai to handle it herself, and she did. She began treating Hagar harshly, which caused her to run away. There had to be a check in their spirit about going forward with such a plan. Being Sarai was Hagar’s master, was there consent? The whole scheme seems wrong, and they had to have known. 

How do you know if it was God speaking to you or if you were trying to make things happen on your own? If you listen to the Holy Spirit, he will make clear the best way to proceed, and his impression will never go against scripture. 

And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. Genesis 16:5-6

June 26, 2023

Last year, I bought a mango tree and planted it in my yard. It had plenty of time to grow before this spring and had nearly doubled in size. It only produced new growth when it came time for it to bloom. I patiently checked it daily, but nothing. I watched my neighbor's trees bloom, leaving fruit hanging from their branches. I did everything I knew to do; I prayed, watered, fertilized, and was diligent in its care, but it failed me. It was probably of the variety that needs to mature before it fruits; nevertheless, I was expecting a large production of juicy sweetness. Because it's a fruit tree, there is the promise of produce unless it was the fig that Jesus cursed. 

God promised Abram an heir, and he believed him, but waiting on God to deliver on his promise was excruciating, and Abram became discouraged. God then made a covenant with him that his heirs would possess all the land surrounding him, including those already owned by others. God told him of all the trouble they would face but would judge the nations harshly that would oppress them. 

When God makes a promise, he keeps it. Though the waiting may be challenging, we can always count on him to deliver on his promise. I expect my mango tree will produce fruit, but I must wait for the right time. 

And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, Genesis 15:18

June 25, 2023

Moses records the first war in the Bible. The rebellion began when some countries got tired of being oppressed under another country's rule. It's similar to the States getting tired of Washington and rebelling, then Washington collecting all the belongings of those states and their people. One of the captives escaped and ran to Abram to tell him about the capture of Lot and all his things. Even after Abram and Lot split, he still loved him and set out to rescue him. Abram had an army of people and overtook them, bringing back Lot, his possessions, and all the other people. Even though the Bible tells us that Lot was righteous, he surrounded himself with evil people and suffered the same consequences as they did. The lesson in this is to be careful of who your friends are; even though you may sympathize and engage with a particular people group, if God decides to punish them for their actions and you are involved with them, you may receive the same consequences. If that happens to you, I hope you have a friend like Abram to rescue you. As a side note: Abram gave God the glory for his victory. 

And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people. Genesis 14:15-16

June 24, 2023

My daughter and I went to the farmers market. My garden is still producing; however, it is beginning to give out, and I wanted to can some spaghetti sauce and needed more tomatoes. It was quite an experience! Semi-trucks and forklifts were moving produce to different booths they had set up to sell to the public. I had to restrain myself; otherwise, I would be working myself to death trying to put away all the delicious vegetables before they spoiled. As it was, I bought too many tomatoes. I wish I had taken a picture of it because it was as if we were in a different country. It made me think about what it must have been like to feed a lot of people like Abram had. 

Yesterday I wrote that I wondered why in the stories of the Bible, the people always went to Egypt. Genesis 13 explains that it’s like the garden of the Lord. When Abram and Lot split up, Lot chose the portion near the Jordan Valley because the land was well watered, like Egypt. Did Lot choose the best land out of selfishness? Abram let him choose first, but God gave Abram a much more significant portion and blessed him with land as far as the eyes could see and promised offspring more than the dust of the earth. That’s a lot of people to feed! I spent all day making sauce, and 25 pounds of tomatoes only made 7 quarts! 

Lot may have taken the best land, but it doesn’t say that God blessed him as he did Abram. Be careful with your choices. Don’t be selfish and arrogant. God blesses the humble.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Genesis 13:10

June 23, 2023

All the cards are on the table when you’re hungry, but should they be?

God told Abram to move away from his kinfolks. He gathered his belongings, took his wife Sarai and nephew Lot, and moved away. Famine hit the land, and Abram and Sarai went to Egypt. I wonder why they always go to Egypt in these stories. Anyway, Sarai was a beautiful woman, and Abram was afraid the Pharaoh would kill him and keep Sarai, so he lied and told them she was his sister. It worked, but Pharaoh still took Sarai into his house. Things went terribly wrong because plagues hit Pharaoh’s house, and they discovered that Sarai wasn’t Abram’s sister but his wife. They made them leave. The Bible doesn’t give us a time frame, at least not that I could see without digging, but it makes me wonder how long they were there and what happened to Sarai when she was in Pharaoh’s house. It doesn’t say, but we can guess because it caused plagues. 

Abram trusted God when he instructed him to leave his family; why didn’t he trust him when they went to Egypt? But don’t we all do the same thing? God gets us out of rough situations, but we sometimes try to handle things independently. You can see by this example that your actions can affect others when you go it alone. Promise yourself today that you will include God in everything you do; it will keep you out of trouble and may save the lives of others.

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? Genesis 12:18

June 22, 2023

Here we are in 2023 and back at the Tower of Babble. Because of the internet, our languages are no longer confounded. It is easier than it's ever been to communicate with others who are of a different language. I have many tenants who come from other countries and don't know our language, and I use the translation button on my messaging app to understand them and get my point across. How much longer before God scrambles the languages again? 

There must be some things that God doesn't want us to know about; otherwise, why would he care about a simple tower? We've sent rockets into the sky, and they've never reached heaven. What about the technology that supposedly got astronauts to the moon? How could that get lost? What about all the ridiculousness about going to Mars? According to "experts," it would take 21 months to get there, and then you would have to wait another three months to come back so that the earth is in a suitable location for the rocket's trajectory. How much fuel would it take to travel that far and back? If an electric vehicle can only drive about 300 miles on one charge, batteries won't work as a fuel source. If they can't reach the moon anymore, how do we expect them to get to Mars? Did the people building the Tower of Babble have more technology than we do now? I won't lie; I don't believe any of it. One day everyone will wake up and realize that the government spews its propaganda to control the information people receive. We wouldn't have the story about the Tower of Babble if any of it were true. God knows what will happen in the future. The enemy has a purpose for his lies; confusion is part of his game. Start reasoning in your mind the things you hear and compare them to the truths of the Bible. If it doesn't make sense, don't believe it. Pray for discernment. 

Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:9

June 21, 2023

I may stir things up today. Over many years I've read and studied different versions of the Bible; the New International Version, New Living Translation, and most recently English Standard Version; always avoiding the King James Version because of the "thees" and "thous." Over the past year, we've gone to a church that uses the King James Version exclusively. Don't get me wrong; I've always referred back to it when studying because the Strong Concordance is in the King James, so it's not that I've disregarded it; it's just hard to read. I'm over it now, especially when some meanings may seem lost in the other translations. Here's an example:

From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations. Genesis 10:5 English Standard Version 

Compared to:

By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. Genesis 10:5 King James Version

"The isles of the Gentiles" verses "the coastland peoples;" the vision in my mind is entirely different when reading these separately. 

This portion of scripture refers to the sons of Japheth, the eldest son of Noah. I'm guessing that most of us are probably descended from Japheth because the Bible talks about Gentile nations. It is unclear that the Bible is referring to us in the other versions. My question always leads to, "Are we being led astray on purpose?" What else are they changing that might give us a different vision in our minds? I may end up having to go back to an old paper Bible. Isn't it interesting how a few words can change an entire meaning?

June 20, 2023

God made a covenant with people, creatures, and the earth that he would never drown it again. God was serious and repeated that promise over and over again. I found it fascinating that the covenant was also with the animals and every living creature of all flesh, not just man. That shows us how much he values his creation, so much so that every time it clouds up or rains, a rainbow appears in the sky as a reminder of that promise; it's not only for us but for God. It is an everlasting contract. The rainbow is sacred and holy and should be respected by all. It is a precious gift that is humbling; that the creator of all things thought it necessary to assure us of his commitment by giving us a beautiful sign. When you see it in the sky, thank God for valuing our lives. 

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. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. Genesis 9:15-16

June 19, 2023

When we tell the story of Noah's Ark to children, we give them the short version and only explain some things, so most of us only remember the childhood version. Did you know that Noah, his family, and all the animals were on the ark for an entire year? We know the animals came two by two, but did you know that Noah took seven pairs of all the clean animals? For example, seven pairs of cows, sheep, and so on. God had a reason for that; when they got off the ark after a year, Noah built an altar and made a sacrifice from each of the clean beasts and foul to God. I believe the sacrifice was so that Noah and his family could start fresh and free of sin before they started replenishing the earth with people. I'm sure it was also a thank offering because they were allowed to live. Noah's sacrifice pleased God, and he determined in his heart that he would not curse the ground anymore for man's sake because the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. 

And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. Genesis 8:21 KJV

Another observation question for you to ponder is; where did the water go? There was already water on the earth because we have fish. Maybe he put it back above the sky. "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 KJV. What do you think? Or do you know of another place in the Bible where it is explained?

June 18, 2023

When devastation comes upon the earth to rid mankind of the evil forces, Jesus is our Ark. It will be a day of rejoicing, for salvation will come to those who've trusted in him, but for everyone else, panic, for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God! It is imperative that we continue to pray for the lost. Can you imagine being on the Ark, knowing every living creature will be robbed of their last breath? Living through such a time will be harsh and mentally draining for someone with compassion, which I assume every Christ-follower has. Even if we don't see those we prayed for struggling for life, I'm sure we will still experience loss. Noah knew people who were snuffed out by the flood; their decision to entangle themselves in evil matters rather than righteousness sealed their fate. I imagine Noah hired many people to help build the Ark, yet their work didn't save them; they did it for a paycheck and probably mocked him behind his back. They had a rude awakening when the rain came, and the springs bubbled up. It shows that not every person who built the church will be saved; only those who trust Jesus with all their heart will see salvation. Don't stop praying for your loved one's salvation through Jesus; He is our Ark.

And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. Genesis 7:23

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