Genesis 28

Genesis 28

“And he dreamed. And behold! A ladder was set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to Heaven! And behold! The angels of God were ascending and descending on it!” (Genesis 28:12)

Throughout our studies we have had an emphasis on faith. It is hard to be a man of faith if you are not dwelling on the things of the Lord. Jacob dreamed of heaven. Jacob dreamed of the promises of God. Although it becomes clear that this dream was divine, sent from the Lord, I believe Jacob’s mind was set on these things. Jacob wanted to know this promise, and the Lord answered.

It is amazing how the things you dwell on come out in your everyday life. As we grow older we learn how to hide it better. Luke 6:45 reminds us, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth the good. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth the evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

If you are looking to be a man or woman of faith dwell on the things of the Lord. We are to love the Lord our God with our heart, soul, and mind. It will be apparent what you’re thinking about. We cannot hold everything in. I so appreciate those people who are always talking about the things of the Lord. They are just always thinking about it. I challenge you, this week, when you are hanging out with friends talk about the Lord. Talk about what He is doing in your life. Build up your faith.

“For I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you” (Genesis 28:15). God has given us all promise of hope. He will not abandon us until He has accomplished the work. When the work is accomplished, He will start a new one!

Genesis 27

Genesis 27

“Then he said, ‘are you really my son Esau?”

He said, “I am.”

Let’s look at the build up before this story. In Genesis 25:23 the Lord clearly states that the older would serve the younger. We have Rebekah whose favorite is Jacob. She remembered the promise God had made. What does she decide to do? She decides to take care of the problem. Since everything worked out according to what the Lord said, was it necessary for Rebekah and Jacob to do what they did? Was this the Lord’s will?

I think we would all agree that it is not. I do not know how things would of worked out considering Isaac was bent on blessing Esau, however, the Lord has a plan. Hebrews 4 tells us the chief principle of faith, which is rest. Faith is an action. It is the action of leaning on God. It never involves sweat, or our own efforts (remember the priests wore linen). It is the simple action of leaning on God and allowing Him to intercede.

Often times we sing songs like, “Lord come, and fill this place,” and “Meet us here.” Have you ever wondered why we sing those songs? Isn’t God everywhere? These songs are more for the benefit of us. When our hearts are in that place to meet with Jesus, He, of course, will be there. When we are not allowing Him to be in our lives, it is not that He is not there; it is that we are ignoring Him. God is a gentleman and will not force Himself into your life.

Look at the result of all the scheming that takes place in Genesis 27. A family is broken up. Is this the first time this has happened? No! Remember the scheming behind the event with Hagar and Ishmael. What was the result? A family was broken up. This is not God’s intention. He will work it out. We need to trust in Him. Cease from scheming and live a life of faith. Jesus uses the willing heart not the calculating mind.

Genesis 26

Genesis 26

Genesis 26:1-5

Not much can be said about Isaac’s life. We here a lot about Isaac, but this is the one chapter that actually deals with Isaac. From here on out we will continue through learning about Jacob, Isaac’s son.

There are two things to note about Isaac. Isaac was a man who sought the will of the Lord. Notice what he is doing in Genesis 24:63. A famine had come to the land and Isaac waits to hear what the Lord has in store. The Lord says, “Do not go down to Egypt.” If you care to get some background about the spiritual significant of this, check out Jeremiah 42-43. Egypt has always represented the world and its glory. Egypt has food, wealth, and stuff to offer. There will be times of famine in our lives. It is then that we see who we run to. Are we running into the arms of the world and its riches? Are we running to God and His arms of love? Notice also, it is through times of famines that we are given revelation into the promises of God. I have come to know God more so through the hard times than the easy ones. It is by going through a tough time that I realize how good and great Jesus is!

Genesis 26:6-9

How interesting. As the saying goes, like father like son. Isaac is caught lying to the King of the Philistines about his wife. The name, “Abimelech” is actually a title. It means king, just as we recognize Pharaoh, Caesar, and Czar to mean the same thing. The Abimelech was the king of the Philistines. Thus we see Abimelech approach Isaac. He is aware that Isaac had lied to him.

Interesting enough, we will read of another fatherly example. Notice how Isaac handles the situations between verses 12-22. Isaac keeps on getting kicked out of his own wells! This was a lot of work to dig up a well. Does Isaac complain? No, instead he simply keeps on digging new wells. We already saw how crafty Jacob could be. As Jacob grows older and gets wiser we see him becoming more and more like Isaac. He ends up working an extra seven years to get the wife he wants. He would end up having to let his sons go down into Egypt. Less conniving, more trusting.

Fathers and mothers, your example has a huge effect. Older siblings, your example has a huge effect. Who are you reflecting? Look how an ungodly example affected Isaac. Look how a godly example would affect Jacob. We all look up to some one. Keep in mind that we all are being looked up to. Be sold out for Jesus. Live a life that is transparent. Live in a manner that, whoever is looking up to you, will be pointed toward God.

Genesis 25

Genesis 25

“(lest there be any fornicator, or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he did not find any place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears)” (Hebrews 12:16).

“…Thus Esau despised his birthright” (Gen. 25:34).

Isaac and Rebekah anxiously waited for the Lord to give them children. Like Abraham, it was a while until this promise would be fulfilled. We see Isaac plead with the Lord in verse 21. The Lord finally gives them children. Twins were born. First comes Esau (hairy) and second comes Jacob, or “heel catcher.” This term can also be used to mean undermine, or one that takes away your foundation. We are told that Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a mild man, a man of the tents.

Esau came in one day starving. I am sure it had been a long day. He walks into the tent and asks his brother for his stew. Here comes the “supplanter,” Jacob. Jacob knew his brother. He knew how to get under his skin. He refuses to give Esau any food unless Esau gives up his birthright. What did this birthright represent? This was the birthright of promise. This was the blessing of Abraham and Isaac. This was the Lord’s promise to make a great nation out of them. One of these two men would come to be known as Israel, “who prevails with God.” Esau sells this right for some soup.

Certainly Jacob was by no means in the right here. However, Esau was in the wrong, for this was his trial. We are told that by doing this, Esau “despised” his birthright. The word “despised” implies utter contempt. Do you remember how long Abraham waited for the promise? As we mentioned, he messed up. He lied to kings; he tried to fix the problem himself by having another child. But, Abraham never despised the promise of God. He loved the promise and waited for the promise, and eventually, “Laughter” came. Esau took the promise of God and threw it out the window for some soup. It was worth that much for him.

Later we will see Esau crying, begging his father for the promise that was rightfully his. I think of all the people who are going to go before the Lord on that Day of Judgment. They will beg God, with tears, for the salvation they rejected throughout their life. God will look at them and say, “I never knew you.” These are they that rejected the promise of eternal life. They had it there before them, it was free, however for a small morsel of food, or for a season of pleasure, they reject salvation. Apart from the salvation Jesus gives where else are you going to find repentance? Thus Hebrews 12:16 tells us, “he did not find any place of repentance.”

Do not sell your birthright for a season of pleasure. Like Abraham, you will mess up, but hold on. The Promise, our hope, is coming, and it is worth living for.

Genesis 24

Genesis 24

“As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me…” (Genesis 24:27).

Abraham starts to worry. His son, Isaac, was getting older and was still single. Abraham appoints his servant, probably Eliezer from chapter 15, to go back to his homeland and find a bride for Isaac. Eliezer takes off for his mission.

Eliezer does the right thing. He reaches his first destination. It is time to take a break. Rather than find a hotel for the night, or take care of the camels, he kneels down and prays. He asks the Lord for something truly “above and beyond.” He asks the Lord that a woman would come who would not only offer him a drink, but the camels as well.

Camels are incredible animals in that they can go a week without drinking water. When camels do stop and drink, they can drink a lot. A typical camel will drink 15-30 gallons in one sitting. The unfortunate thing about camels is that, they cannot draw water from wells. Think about how much work it would be to draw up 20 gallons for one camel. Remember, these wells were probably wells you walked down to not wells as we typically think of them. During summer months I would make sure the two trees in front of the church had enough water. I would go inside and take a 4 gallon trash can and fill it with water and pour it into the trees. I would take five trips for each tree. This would take me a long time! It was heavy. You never wanted to get yourself wet, or the inside of the church, so it was also tedious.

Eliezer sits and here comes this beautiful girl. Sure enough, this woman offers him a drink and the camels as well. Notice Eliezer does not get up and yell, “You’re the one!” No, instead he allows her to get all the water. He wanted to make sure that she was for real. When the last drop of water had been poured, he praised the Lord.

There are things in this world we are going to want. For some it will be sports skills, to be in a rock band, to be an amazing skateboarder, or to just have fun. For others it may be as simple as finding “the one.” This is natural. However, I suggest that whatever we want, we take on Eliezer’s motto, “Being on the way, the Lord led me.” Being on the way where? Eliezer was just a servant looking to obey his master. This should be the drive in our lives. Live for Jesus, and whatever desires that you may have, the Lord will lead you. Do not allow the cares of this world to drive you a different direction. Do not live for them. Just stay on the path that leads to Jesus, and let Him take care of the rest. In the end, you will be able to say, “I was on my way to serve the Lord, and this is what He gave me in the process.”

Genesis 23

Genesis 23

This is an interesting chapter. Sarah has died. Now comes the moment for Sarah to be buried. Abraham is not willing to have Sarah “share” a tomb nor is he willing to have Sarah buried in a borrowed tomb. Instead, here is Abraham, still a sojourner, in need for his own plot of land.

He comes across these Canaanites. The Canaanites were bargainers. As was the custom, the process would be done in a hinting manner:

“I am a stranger and a visitor with you. Give me a possession of a burying place with you, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” = “I want to buy some property.”

“Hear us, my lord. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choice of our burying places. None of us shall withhold from you his burying-place from burying your dead.” = “This is what we have for sale.”

“that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is in the end of his field. For as much silver as it is worth he shall give it to me for a possession of a burying-place among you.” = “Well I want that cave.”

“No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and the cave that is in it I give to you. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” = “I won’t sell the cave without the field.”

“And he spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, Only if you would hear me. I will give you silver for the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.” = “Fine, I’ll take the field as well. How much?”

“My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? And bury your dead.” = “The blue book says 400 shekels of silver.” (Note: there was no currency in these days. This was not coinage the man wanted, but 400 shekels of actual silver!)

“And Abraham listened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, which passes with the merchant.” = Abraham pays every last penny, no bartering. He had an agenda and that was to take care of his wife the right way.

This cave would later be the burial place for Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Leah, and Joseph.

Genesis 22

Genesis 22

Sorry for being late guys:

“And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son (Genesis 22:10).”

In the beginning of Chapter 21 we see one of the happiest moments in the Bible. Here is Abraham and Sarah, waiting their entire life for a promise, and it comes. The moment is summed up in one word, “Isaac,” (Laughter).

How far has Abraham come in his life? We are about to find out. Having received the promise, the laughter, his joy, God asks him to slay Isaac for an offering. First off, Abraham does not procrastinate. He does not think. Instead he “rose early in the morning,” and immediately took off.

Secondly, Abraham had faith. “…and we will come back to you” (22:5). Abraham had perfect faith in God. Interesting that Abraham had received Isaac hardly a man of faith at all. Before Isaac was born Abraham had lied to a couple kings about his wife and had a child with his servant! Abraham had received Isaac because God was faithful. Abraham would now receive Isaac because God is faithful, and had built Abraham up to be faithful himself. I am not saying Abraham was perfect. I am not saying Abraham earned Isaac. It was by grace Isaac came. It would be by faith that Abraham could now receive the fullness of the promise.

Salvation is a moment of pure laughter. It is a moment where grace is so real and so sweet in our lives. Then we continue on our walks and come to trials. When we get over that trial, it is simply amazing. Salvation is how Jesus told us, “I love you.” When we live for Jesus and die to ourselves, we are saying, “Jesus, I love you too.” It is then that we are renewed and realize that we would have never been able to tell Him this had He not died for our sins. What a God we serve. What a life we live. Ever feel like you are on an empty beach of faith? Ever feel like the world is crashing down on you? Ever been asked to get rid of something you love? Will you walk by faith? Either way God is faithful, but why miss out on an opportunity to tell the Lord you love Him.

Genesis 21

Genesis Chapter 21

And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
(Gen 21:1)


What a wonderful thing to read, “The Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken”. All throughout scripture we have this incredible testimony to the faithfulness of God. Character after character, promise after promise, as we read through the bible we see God fulfill ALL of His promises. To me, this is one of the most beautiful things of all about faith.

Imagine this if you will… A couple of salesmen dressed in tacky suits, smiling tacky smiles, and cracking tacky jokes show up at your house. They have in their hands an appliance that they claim will solve ALL your household problems. They tell you it will make your life easier. They say it will make your chores get finished MUCH quicker. They tell you it will buy you HOURS of free time every week. It all sounds great until you start to ask some questions. “Can I see it in action?” you ask politely. “I’m afraid not” the salesman replies… “It really hasn’t been tested enough for us to do demos”. Slightly stunned you reply, “Well, do you have any testimonials of how it has changed people’s lives?” They look a little sheepish and mumble, “That’s just the thing, we haven’t sold one yet”. Feeling more annoyed by the minute you ask with a slight bit of frustration in the back of your voice, “do either of YOU use one at home”. “Oh goodness no,” says one, “I wouldn’t dream of it” replies the other. They look at each other, then at you, and say in unison, “we won’t use it till it’s tested!”

Now… I don’t think ANYONE would want to try something out like that, do you? Praise God that isn’t the way it works with HIM!!! We have over four thousand years of testimony! We have to look no further than prayer meetings at church to see God’s faithfulness demonstrated in the lives of REAL PEOPLE that we ACTUALLY KNOW! And to top it all, the people who preach a life of faith in Christ are often the greatest living examples of His reliability.

We have no reason not to trust the Lord. He is faithful, and we can be assured that He will do what He promised. Try Him out and you will find that in the end your testimony is just like Sarah’s. I guarantee you that you won’t be disappointed!

Genesis 20

Genesis Chapter 20

Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. And 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.
(Gen 20:9-11)

As believer’s we are called by God to be salt and light. It is not only our great duty as believer’s to be lights in the darkness, and salt to preserve; it is also a great privilege! When we fail to be influences for Christ, then we end up being stains on the name of Christ. This is what happend to our good friend Abraham.

As we have been looking at the life of Abraham and learning lessons about faith, you may have noticed that some of his greatest failures came about as a result of FEAR. Fear is one of the greatest enemies of faith. Over and over in the Psalms we hear David echoing the thought, “I will not fear, I will trust in you”. That tells us that fear and faith are exclusive of one another. When we trust in the Lord, our fear is driven away; but when we allow ourselves to live in fear, our faith is destroyed. Abraham had a choice when he entered Gerar. He could trust God to protect him, (after all God HAD promised to make a nation out of him, right?) Or he could be fearful and try and protect himself.

This is the chief way that fear works to kill our faith. When fear rises up within us, our normal reaction is to try and protect ourselves. When we do this we remove God from the place of controlling our lives, and we attempt to control them. In other words, we stop walking in the Spirit and start walking in the flesh.

When Abraham did this, he stopped being a “blessing to all nations” and became a CURSE! Look at the way Abimelech reacts, He just wants Abe to go away and stop making life tough. The same is true for us. When we are walking by faith, living lives controlled by the Spirit, we are a blessing to everyone around us. But, the moment we become afraid of our circumstances, and take things into our own hands to protect ourselves, we end up hurting everyone around us. When we live to protect ourselves, the last thing on our minds is the needs of others. Let’s learn a lesson from Abe: Whenever we find ourselves afraid because of the circumstances we are in, trust the Lord! Whatever you do, don’t lean to your own devices to “get out” of a tuff spot. It never ends up good for ANYONE involved!

Genesis 19

Genesis Chapter 19

And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
(Gen 19:17)
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
(Gen 19:26)

One of the most interesting verses in the entire Bible is related to the story that we read right here.

Remember Lot's wife.
(Luke 17:32)

Simple and to the point, it asks us to remember this event. So this morning that is exactly what we will do. What is it that we should remember about Lot’s wife, and what are the things we can learn? I look at this way:

1. Remember where Lot’s wife came from…
2. Remember what Lot’s wife did…
3. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife…

1. Remember where she came from: She was living in a sinful world, a world that was about to be destroyed, and God asked her to LEAVE it behind and NOT LOOK BACK. As CHRISTIANS Jesus has asked us to do something very similar. He asks us to LEAVE this world that is headed for hell. To put it behind us and not have ANYTHING to do with it’s sinful ways. He also asks us to forget about the past, to see it as sin, and to rejoice that it has been forgiven. We are told to rejoice because our sins are forgiven, but also told NOT to glory in them. In other words, “DON’T LOOK BACK”.
2. Remember What She did: Lot’s wife looked back, and directly disobeyed the commandment of the Lord. This tells us something about our sin nature. Even after we have been forgiven and set free from our sins, we WILL be tempted to look back. Lot’s wife caved in to that temptation. Let us look at her and learn what not to do. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Co 10:13) This verse reminds us of something that Lot’s wife failed to take advantage of: God ALWAYS provides a way of escape! Don’t cave in to the pressures of longing to go back to old paths of sin you have trod in the past, let Jesus lead you down a new escape route!
3. Remember what happened: Lot’s wife met the consequences of her decision very swiftly. I believe that the Lord dealt with her this way to make her an example to us all. The example was meant to teach this lesson: God’s commands ARE NOT mere suggestions! We can’t go half-way in our obedience, the Lord desires total surrender to Him from all of us. The Lord probably won’t be turning any of us into a pillar of salt anytime soon, but we should take His exhortation seriously. “Remember Lot’s wife” He said. We ought to remember the fact that God takes sin very seriously, and He means what He says. Don’t look back, but look ahead, fixing your eyes on Jesus as you run to him and flee this wicked World!!!

Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
(Luk 17:32-33)

Genesis 18

Genesis Chapter 18

And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 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.
(Gen 18:13-14)

There are a lot of things that we would term as impossible. We could list them off, one after another, for hours on end without running out of things that we as humans can’t do.

I still have never met anyone who can fly like Superman. I have never seen anyone that can make themselves invisible. I don’t know of anybody that can walk on water. I’ve never seen anyone that can walk through buildings, or even see through buildings. Pretty much anything we would term as “superhuman” spills over into the realm of the impossible.

It seems the older I get, the list of things that I think are impossible just grows and grows. Have you noticed that? It sure seems to me like children are much more ready to believe in the possibility of the unthinkable than adults are! Sarah and Abraham were pretty old, and things that once would have seemed common place had become unimaginable. Things like having a baby… At 20, it would be no sweat. At 40, there is definitely a decent chance. At 60, it is possible, but not probable. For a woman in her 90’s we would all agree: you had better forget about it! This was how Sarah reacted, she thought, “you have got to be kidding me”! Not only did she think it, she couldn’t even stop the chuckle from bursting out of her mouth. I picture it to be that kind of laughter where if you have something in your mouth, it gets sprayed EVERYWHERE.

But the Lord wasn’t joking! Look at how He responds… “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” It’s a good question, and one we should consider. Is there anything that is too hard for the Lord? Anything at all? Look at who He is… He made the heavens and the earth, and all they contain in six days. He keeps all matter held together using nothing but His hands. He hears our EVERY prayer, answers each one according to what is very best, and not even a sparrow falls from a tree without Him knowing about it! We can be assured, the answer is this: “No Lord, there is nothing that is too difficult for You!”

So what does this mean for us? Well, we know one thing it definitely does NOT mean. Just because God CAN do anything, doesn’t mean He WILL do anything… In other words, don’t put God’s abilities to the test by jumping off your deck and seeing if He can make you fly! (Remember, that is one of the things the devil tried to get Jesus to do, and He said, “you shouldn’t put the Lord your God to the test.”) What it does mean is this. If God promises it, we can take it to the bank. God WILL do everything He promises, so we should never say, “it won’t happen”. Also, we should never give up on people or situations. I have several very dear friends that I love greatly who are not walking with Jesus. I know that God promised that He is willing that NONE should perish, so I cling to that promise… God doesn’t have to save my friends, but He can!!! So I pray all the time for them. Some people have said they will never change, but I say, “Is anything too Difficult for the LORD?”

Genesis 17

Genesis Chapter 17

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
(Gen 17:4-6)

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
(Gen 17:15-16)

What’s in a Name?

Throughout the scriptures, both Old and New Testament, we often see the Lord changing people’s names. This meant a whole lot more back in Bible times than it does today. For people back then, a name actually told people something about who you were. Today we don’t see that very often. In our passage today, we see God changing the name of both Abram and Sarai… they become Abraham and Sarah. God was communicating something here… He was changing who these people were, their character and Identity. They were going to be different!

To this point in his life he had been known as Abram, the “high father”. Here God changes his name, and does so to further confirm His promise. He became Abraham, the “father of a multitude”; prophetically looking forward to the “many nations” he would father. And the promise is true; you and I are all sons and daughters of Abraham, the Father of the multitude of faithful believers.

Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah, which means “princess”. Very fitting, seeing as she would be the one who gave birth to the child of the promise. This wandering couple with no home of their own, had something far greater: the promises of God! He transformed them into His people, the very people He would use to raise up His own nation.

Think about this: if you had a name that described you before you met Jesus, what would it be? Liar, sinner, failure, fool? But when we meet Jesus, it all changes… what name might He give you now? Thank God today for the way He has transformed you, and given you a “new name”.

Genesis 16

Genesis Chapter 16

And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
(Gen 16:2)

And Hagar bore Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bore, Ishmael.
(Gen 16:15)

“I’m just going to help God out a little”
“God helps those who help themselves”
“I don’t think He would want me to just sit here and DO NOTHING”

We are all familiar with these sentiments, or at least with ones like them. In fact many people might think a couple of them are actually in the BIBLE!!! It was something similar to this that took place in the life of Abram and Sarai in our story. They were looking for God to work, to come through on His promise, and we know that Abram at least, if not Sarai, believed that this promise was TRUE. The problem was that they got a little impatient.

Maybe you can relate… I can recall times when I grew impatient with people and took things into my own hands. I remember one time at Bible College in particular. It was a Friday afternoon, and I was working. My job was to setup the audio and video for the retreats that would come in. It was different than a lot of the other jobs on campus… some weeks it was long, others it only took a couple hours… all that really mattered was that I got it done. On this particular week I had to transport a very large TV from one side of campus to the other. I had a big motorized cart to do it with, but it was too big to carry to the cart by myself. I called for “backup” and waited… and I waited… and I waited more… and some more… IT WAS TAKING FOREVER!!! I kept radioing for help, but no one would come!!! I can’t remember exactly what I wanted to do that afternoon, probably go to the beach with some friends; but whatever it was, this silly TV was about to ruin my plans and wreck my entire weekend schedule! So I did the only thing that made sense… I decided I would have to move the TV by myself. I went into the room where it was stored, circled it a couple times, sizing it up… then I moved in for the kill.
It wasn’t too heavy, it was just big and awkward. I made it out of the room, and into the hallway fine. “What have I been waiting for?” I thought to myself. It was when I had to open the door that I ran into trouble… It didn’t have a crash bar, so I turned the handle with my elbow. As I headed out the door, the TV started to TEETER and TOTTER, it wobbled BACK and FORTH, and BACCCCCKKKKK and FORRRRTTTTTTHHHHHH and then

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

It flipped right out of my arms and with a little explosion “BOOM" it hit the ground and the picture tube blew!

It was a great idea that quickly turned into the worst idea I ever had! So it was with Abram… He waited… and Waited… and they waited more… They were getting old, and Sarai didn’t think she could physically HAVE a baby anymore… So in their impatience they came up with a plan to help God out… and the results were even worse than the TV debacle! What is the lesson here for us? It’s this: trust the Lord, and wait for Him. Don’t take matters into your own hands, what the Lord has promised He will surely bring to pass… In His own perfect time!

.I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
(Psa 40:1)

Genesis 15

Genesis Chapter 15

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
(Gen 15:5-6)

Look at the context of this incredible declaration. Here is Abraham, worried about his future, about how the promise of God could possibly be fulfilled. The circumstances spoke of impossibility, Abraham was getting old, and he still had no kids! His idea here is, “I guess it will just have to be my servant Eleazar”. The Lord had other plans though.

Here He takes Abraham and shows him the stars in the sky, and believe me, I am sure he saw a lot. No “light pollution” from city sprawl, no skyscrapers throwing out the brightness of a city that never sleeps, Abraham saw the heaven’s in all their purity. A vast innumerable host, star upon star, further than the eye could see. God gives the promise: “so shall your seed be,” and we are told that Abraham BELIEVED.

Now, this is the first occurrence of this word in the Bible, and it is one of the most important words in ALL OF SCRIPTURE. It literally means that Abraham took that promise from God, and he trusted it, he stood firm on it. It carries with it a sense of permanence and rest. Abraham was truly convinced that God would do what He said…

This belief we are told, was counted to Abraham as RIGHTEOUSNESS. This is a fundamental passage in Scripture, the beginning of God’s covenant with His special people! By trusting in God Abraham had obtained a right standing with God. FAITH is the way that we can have a right relationship with God… even today! God has given us wonderful promises, and sometimes they seem just as impossible as Abraham’s situation… but when we take Him at HIS word, and stand firm on HIS promises, we obtain a RIGHT standing before Him, and He brings our life into its proper place!!!

“On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand… all other ground is sinking sand.”

Genesis 14

Genesis 14:18-24

Melchizedek is one of the most mysterious people in the Bible. There is often a debate concerning his identity. Was he really just a king during Abraham’s time? Was he Christ incarnate? When someone is an example or a picture of Christ in the Bible it is called a typology. For instance, Jonah being the whale for 3 days is a type of Christ because Christ was in the tomb for 3 days. We know Jonah is not Christ, but just a picture. When it is Christ, Himself, it is called a Christophany. For instance, the fourth “man” with Shadrach, Meshech, and Abendigo was Christ, therefore Christophany. We do not need to worry about all this, but it is good to know.

Melchizedek was the king of Salem. Melchizedek means “My King is righteous.” Salem is in reference to Jerusalem, which means peace. The first thing we notice is that Abraham is blessed by Melchizedek. This is interesting because the greater always blesses the lesser. Next we see Melchizedek knowing who Abraham is and worshiping the One True God. Lastly, we see Abraham giving tithe to Melchizedek.

Something unique to Melchizedek is that he is the only king in the Bible who was also a priest. In fact, according to the law you could not be both king and priest. The priests were men who lived at the temple, and spent their life performing offerings. There is only one other Priest/King in the Bible and that is Jesus. He is the Priest who laid down the offering that wiped away our sins. He is the King of kings.

Now Melchizedek will not be mentioned again in the Bible until Psalms 110:4, “Jehovah has sworn, and will not repent, You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” We know there is a Levitical priesthood. Could there also be an everlasting priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek? Perhaps this is how Abraham knew how to perform the offering despite the fact that the Law had not been written (compare Genesis 15:9-11 with Leviticus 1:14-17). Melchizedek must have taught Abraham something of the law!

Melchizedek would not be mentioned again until Hebrews! Now read Hebrews 5:9-10. Jesus had to be a High Priest. There is one problem with this. The prophecies said that Jesus would come from the line of Judah, and only the Levites were priests. This verse tells us that Jesus came from a different order, the order of Melchizedek. Now read Hebrews 7. “To him Abraham also gave a tenth of all. He was first by interpretation king of righteousness, and after that also king of Salem, which is king of peace, without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:2-3).

I ask you, who is Melchizedek? Is it Jesus Christ? Is it just a man God had revealed Himself to? Is he a Christophany or a typology

The True Face of the Mysterious TomTor

Here it is... what it would really look like if Hector and I were one person...

Genesis 13

“Rise up and walk through the land, in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it to you (13:17).

I feel I have been bombarded with lessons on faith. In our chapter we see Lot’s herdsman fighting with Abraham’s herdsman. Abraham then makes a proposition for peace. Although Abraham is the older one, he submits his will to that of his nephew. He gives Lot the first choice. I love this picture because after all is said and done, we see that it was actually the Lord giving to Abraham rather than Abraham giving to Lot.

There is a Michael Card song I would like you to read. It is called distressing disguise:

He is in the pain, He is in the need
He is in the poor, we are told to feed
Though He was rich, for us He became poor
How could He give so much, what was it for?

In His distressing disguise
He waits for us to surmise
That we rob our brothers by all that we own
And that's not the way He has shown

Every time a faithful servant serves
A brother that's in need
What happens at that moment is a miracle indeed
As they look to one another in an instant it is clear
Only Jesus is visible for they've both disappeared

He is in the hand that reaches out to give
He is in the touch that causes men to live
So speak with your life now as well as your tongue
Shelter the homeless, take care of the young

In His distressing disguise
He hopes that we'll realize
That when we take care of the poorest of them
We've really done it to Him

Abraham, by submitting and being the servant, had fallen perfectly into God’s will. It was Lot that made the choice, yet in the end, it was the Lord saying, “…for I give it to you.” Want to fall into the perfect will of God? Just serve your brother. Although it may feel like that person is getting the better end of the deal, I guarantee you are.

Genesis 12

Genesis 12

Enter Abram, AKA Abraham. The next 13 chapters deal with Abraham. The rest of Genesis deals with Abraham’s descendants from Isaac to Joseph. This is the great father of faith! As we learned with James, these men of faith often get off to a slow start.

James was the brother of Jesus, yet he did not believe until he saw Jesus risen up. It is this man who stresses us to live by faith, with active faith. In Genesis, we see Abraham, the great father of faith. God has personally come to him and told him to leave everything behind and follow Him. Here is the Father of faith being told to leave his family behind, and the first thing which he does is allow his nephew Lot to come with him (12:4). As we see later on this would only cause trouble. A second time the Lord comes to Abraham (12:7-9). Immediately after this, Abraham fails again.

Read Genesis 12:10-20.

Let’s take a look at where Abraham went wrong.

1. Abraham was not where the Lord sent him v.10

Let’s consider why. Abraham was told to go to Canaan yet went to Egypt because of a famine. What causes me to leave the Lord’s will. Is it a poor environment? Is it discomfort? Is it simply not being where I want to be? Steps of faith come hand in hand with sacrifice. To go down a road which you have never been down before means you just might get lost. Remember, your guide is Jesus, and He is not lost at all.

2. Abraham was protecting himself in his own strength v. 12-13

Faith is a rest and a rest on Jesus. I wonder the stress and anguish Abraham was going through as his wife got taken away to the Pharaoh. Look at the tangled webs we weave. Our plans and efforts only mean that we have to rely more and more on Jesus to escape the trial. Is there anything you really want? Do you try to twist plans that you might get what you want? Abraham was wheeling and dealing and looked what happened.

3. Abraham never swallowed his pride v.17-20

Abraham was all hush, hush. He was receiving everything he had wished to get, but oh how he must have been tormented. Finally, the Lord reveals the truth to Pharaoh, himself! When we do not live by faith, think about the witness we become. Here we are saying we believe in a God that loves us and protects us, yet we spend our time watching our backs!

Oh that sweet grace! The coolest thing about this story is that Abraham walks out of the situation still loved by God and still protected. Faith is active. Faith can be hard. When we have a lapse of faith it can be depressing. Run to Jesus as fast as you can. We all can connive to get what we want. We all have wanted something sooooo bad. There can be a whole life that goes into scheming and it becomes tiresome. God’s got a plan. Just lean back onto Him and approach the Throne of Grace.

Genesis 11

“And they said, Come, let us build us a city and a tower, and its top in the heavens. And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered upon the face of the whole earth (Gen. 11:3).

“Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they cannot understand one another's speech (Gen. 11:7).”

Why can’t we be friends? Why can’t there be world peace? What is it which causes man to fight each other needlessly? In this chapter, we see something extremely interesting. Man has come together to corporately build something and God comes in and breaks it up. Was God scared of what might happen? Was He scared the people of this tower called Babylon would actually make it to heaven? Of course God was not scared, but why then did He break it up?

I was at the beach with two friends and their families, neither of which any of you know. I was 11 years-old. I was standing outside of the local surf shop called “Sunsations.” There was no one looking. They told me to go in and get the job done. I, oh so, wanted to be accepted by these two. I do not know why. They were slightly older and it seemed cool to hang out with them. So I went in and got back out without anyone noticing. I had laid a gruesome stink bomb right on the carpeted floor of the “Sunsations.” I never got caught, however, I felt really bad about it. For an 11 year-old this was sin worthy of anathema. Never was I “closer” to these friends then around that time. It was then that I realized I really did not want not be that close.

The world is always going to agree on sin. The world is always going to agree on doing what they feel is right according to feelings. Why not come together and build a tower? It sure sounds good. You can be remembered forever. Did you ever stop to notice that think that the tower was totally self-centered!?! I find it interesting that, if I had chosen to go the route of some of my childhood friends, we would probably still be friends. It was because I chose to follow Jesus that our friendship got broken up. Luke 12:51, Jesus tells us, “Do you suppose that I have come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division…”

Be careful who your friends are. Be ready to head a different direction toward Christ. I am not saying that we shun all who are not saved. Instead, we are light to them. Notice the way we witness to the world, “They will know we are Christians by our love one for another.” We witness through loving one another. Compromise, “Peace,” giving in that all might be happy, these are scary words. God pried Babylon apart to save the human race. Never give in to fit with the crowd, instead love, and give of yourself, to share with them. Have a goodie!

Genesis 10

Genesis 10

Genealogy chapter…alright! Let’s have some fun. Want to know who your great, great, great, great, grandparents are? Check it out. We will start with Japheth. If you are at all European, you came from Japheth (hey that’s me). Japheth’s children were “Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras (10:2)”

If you are at all British or Irish, well you came from Gomer.

Ever wake up and feel like a Skyth. You come from Magog my German brother.

Madai is your great grandpa if you track your heritage back to Iran, ya Mede.

Are you Greek? Then for you it is Javan. Oh Yeah!

Are you Spanish? I know I am. Well, then you come from Meshech.

Are you Asian or Eastern Russian? Then you come from Tiras!

“And the sons of Ham: Cush and Mizraim and Phut and Canaan (10:6)” If Africa is the place of your descent then look no where else than Ham.

If you are Ethiopian, then your greatest grandpa is Cush.

If your family tree goes back to Mizraim, then wise up, you’re Egyptian.

Do you think you are form Libya? Then I think you are from Phut. Woohoo!

Canaan was cursed. Therefore, no Canaanites exist anymore. Bummer.

“The sons of Shem: Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram (10:22)…”

Do you like Persian food? Then your chef is probably from Elam (what?)

If you are Assyrian, then you are totally from Asshur.

Are you Jewish? Then you are from Arphaxad. Thank goodness I do not have to say that out loud.

Are you Turkish? Then you are Lydian and from Lud.

If you are Syrian like my dad, you come from Aram.

Phew! For those of you wondering I did not make all this up. God bless!