"Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7
"Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is your brother, Abel?'" verse 9
"Cain said to the Lord, 'My punishment is more that I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth and whoever finds me will kill me.'" vs. 13, 14
"But the Lord said to Cain, 'Not so, if anyone kills you, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." vs 15
The Lord's kindness and justice are so strongly evident in this story of the first murder. First, God warned Cain that something bad could happen if he didn't get a handle on his anger. Then, after Cain had killed his brother, God gave him a chance to confess his sin, but he lied. Still, after doling out his punishment, God showed love and mercy by placing a mark on Cain so no one would kill him.
Cain still had to pay consequences for his sin, but God was watching over him. The same holds true for us. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but, while we were yet sinners, Christ laid down his life willingly for us. He became sin so that we could have eternal life. Thanks and praise belong to him!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Don't Keep Quiet
"Then the Lord said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievious that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.'"
Genesis 18: 20 and 21
There were not even ten righteous people left in these two evil cities prior to their destruction so I wonder who was doing the outcrying? Perhaps a wandering caravan of merchants who couldn't believe their eyes? A string of appalled relatives? Perhaps the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah had such dastardly reputations that the city walls could not contain them? Whatever the reason, the important part remains: there were folks who were so disturbed by what they saw and heard that they cried out to the Lord. And He heard them!
Sin matters! Selfish behavior fosters an entitlement agenda, thus bringing this response: "If it feels good, do it. After all, I am not hurting anyone."
We all have a responsibility toward our fellow man. If we are concerned about something or someone who is going down the wrong path, we can bring them to God in prayer, like a memo that has ASAP stamped on it. We are our brother's keepers.
Genesis 18: 20 and 21
There were not even ten righteous people left in these two evil cities prior to their destruction so I wonder who was doing the outcrying? Perhaps a wandering caravan of merchants who couldn't believe their eyes? A string of appalled relatives? Perhaps the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah had such dastardly reputations that the city walls could not contain them? Whatever the reason, the important part remains: there were folks who were so disturbed by what they saw and heard that they cried out to the Lord. And He heard them!
Sin matters! Selfish behavior fosters an entitlement agenda, thus bringing this response: "If it feels good, do it. After all, I am not hurting anyone."
We all have a responsibility toward our fellow man. If we are concerned about something or someone who is going down the wrong path, we can bring them to God in prayer, like a memo that has ASAP stamped on it. We are our brother's keepers.
Believe it or Not!
Reading some of the facts in the Bible is like reading those of Ripley's Believe it or Not. Here are some examples:
Jesus Christ descends from the clouds, surrounded by angels; every eye shall see! (Rev 1:7)
Believe it.
- Giant slain by David over nine feet tall (1 Sam. 17:4)
- Balaam's donkey verbalizes question (Num. 22:28)
- Man's wife becomes pillar of salt (Gen 19:26)
- Water pours from a rock (Ex. 17:6)
- Red Sea parts in two; people walk on dry path (Ex 14:21, 22)
- Worldwide deluge; one family survives (Gen 6:13)
- Hungry lions tame around Daniel (Dan 6:22)
- Three men, bound and fully clothed, survive fiery furnace; not one hair singed (Dan 3:26)
- Virgin bears child (Luke 1:34)
- Man dead four days walks out of tomb (John 11:44)
- Cruicified man rises from dead (John 20:6,7)
Jesus Christ descends from the clouds, surrounded by angels; every eye shall see! (Rev 1:7)
Believe it.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
God's Emotions
"The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain... But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."
Genesis 6: 5-8
Imagine God during the time of creation, excitedly crafting the various animals, tropical fish, birds from the ostrich to the hummingbird, thousands of flowers, bushes and trees. The shiny acorn with its funny cap, the glassy curve of the cat's eye, the delicate velvety colors of the butterfly wing, squishy red berries on a verdant bush, chattering chipmunks amok underground. The Genesis account of creation just says that God proclaimed it all "good", but I would like to imagine his playful creativity, the smile on his face as his came up with such awesome things. Then, he placed a man in the paradise, hoping he'd love all he made as much as he loved him.
So, you can also imagine the pain in his heart as this paradise became muddied with the smut of sin. "His heart was filled with pain." Out of all those people, only Noah found favor in his eyes. This makes me want to try harder to please God, to be one who would find favor rather than cause pain. After all, when I examine the work of his hands, I see the lovely gifts that he made for mankind. I do not want him to be grieved that he made me.
Genesis 6: 5-8
Imagine God during the time of creation, excitedly crafting the various animals, tropical fish, birds from the ostrich to the hummingbird, thousands of flowers, bushes and trees. The shiny acorn with its funny cap, the glassy curve of the cat's eye, the delicate velvety colors of the butterfly wing, squishy red berries on a verdant bush, chattering chipmunks amok underground. The Genesis account of creation just says that God proclaimed it all "good", but I would like to imagine his playful creativity, the smile on his face as his came up with such awesome things. Then, he placed a man in the paradise, hoping he'd love all he made as much as he loved him.
So, you can also imagine the pain in his heart as this paradise became muddied with the smut of sin. "His heart was filled with pain." Out of all those people, only Noah found favor in his eyes. This makes me want to try harder to please God, to be one who would find favor rather than cause pain. After all, when I examine the work of his hands, I see the lovely gifts that he made for mankind. I do not want him to be grieved that he made me.
What are the Benefits?
"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
Psalm 103: 2-5
I have never been crowned with anything. Probably my only remote chance at this honor was if I were elected homecoming queen in high school, but I was never considered for that. I watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on television and wondered what she thought of the thronging crowds, the pomp and circumstance, the responsibility. Living in a castle has its price.
But check this out: God crowns me with love and compassion! And that is only one of the benefits I receive as his believer. Just as when a person accepts a new job, they want to know "what are the benefits?" Not only do I have the free gift of eternal life and salvation from hell, I have healing, redemption, love, compassion, good things, renewed youth and vitality.
He loves the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son, yet he also provides all these fringe benefits! Thank you, Dear Lord, for choosing me to crown with love. What others have overlooked, you see. I love you, too.
Psalm 103: 2-5
I have never been crowned with anything. Probably my only remote chance at this honor was if I were elected homecoming queen in high school, but I was never considered for that. I watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on television and wondered what she thought of the thronging crowds, the pomp and circumstance, the responsibility. Living in a castle has its price.
But check this out: God crowns me with love and compassion! And that is only one of the benefits I receive as his believer. Just as when a person accepts a new job, they want to know "what are the benefits?" Not only do I have the free gift of eternal life and salvation from hell, I have healing, redemption, love, compassion, good things, renewed youth and vitality.
He loves the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son, yet he also provides all these fringe benefits! Thank you, Dear Lord, for choosing me to crown with love. What others have overlooked, you see. I love you, too.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
My Super Hero
"Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron."
Psalm 107: 15 & 16
I adore this Superhero description of what God can do! I can just picture the downtrodden masses huddled behind bars of iron, held in the grip of their nemesis, then God flies in out of nowhere, larger than life (maybe even wearing a cape!). With omnipotence, he breaks down what the strongest man in the masses could not, setting them all free from bondage.
Don't we all desire someone stronger than we are? Someone wiser, more capable, always there when we need him, ready to leap tall buildings?
What iron bars has he bent for me? What bronze gates has he cut through? Most importantly, he has freed me from Satan's prison of hopelessness. He has dressed me in the robes of righteousness and made me a daughter of the King. He eases my daily burdens as he hears my cries for help.
He is my Super Hero.
Psalm 107: 15 & 16
I adore this Superhero description of what God can do! I can just picture the downtrodden masses huddled behind bars of iron, held in the grip of their nemesis, then God flies in out of nowhere, larger than life (maybe even wearing a cape!). With omnipotence, he breaks down what the strongest man in the masses could not, setting them all free from bondage.
Don't we all desire someone stronger than we are? Someone wiser, more capable, always there when we need him, ready to leap tall buildings?
What iron bars has he bent for me? What bronze gates has he cut through? Most importantly, he has freed me from Satan's prison of hopelessness. He has dressed me in the robes of righteousness and made me a daughter of the King. He eases my daily burdens as he hears my cries for help.
He is my Super Hero.
What Defines You?
"Watch out! Be on our guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Luke 12:15
I've seen a bumper sticker that said, "He who dies with the most toys wins." What do they win, I wonder, because it's also true "there are no u-hauls behind a hearse!" Naked we come into this world and naked we leave it behind so what do designer clothes and expensive handbags do for me?
I like to watch "American Pickers." So many times, an older person will throw open his garage door and I gasp at the conglomeration of his stuff! He doesn't even know what he has and yet is reluctant to sell it because he has an emotional attachment to it. How sad, that this person so long in the tooth holds on to rusty, dusty possessions like a life raft in a roiling sea.
During my lifetime, I have been down to a box of rice, bankruptcy and living in the back rooms of a store, but I've also been blessed with prosperity and plenty. Inside, I am still the same person because I look to Jesus for the fulfillment of life. He never changes. His value never wavers with the stock market. His salvation is a free gift, yet you can't put a price on it. This is what defines who I am. I am Christ living in me.
Luke 12:15
I've seen a bumper sticker that said, "He who dies with the most toys wins." What do they win, I wonder, because it's also true "there are no u-hauls behind a hearse!" Naked we come into this world and naked we leave it behind so what do designer clothes and expensive handbags do for me?
I like to watch "American Pickers." So many times, an older person will throw open his garage door and I gasp at the conglomeration of his stuff! He doesn't even know what he has and yet is reluctant to sell it because he has an emotional attachment to it. How sad, that this person so long in the tooth holds on to rusty, dusty possessions like a life raft in a roiling sea.
During my lifetime, I have been down to a box of rice, bankruptcy and living in the back rooms of a store, but I've also been blessed with prosperity and plenty. Inside, I am still the same person because I look to Jesus for the fulfillment of life. He never changes. His value never wavers with the stock market. His salvation is a free gift, yet you can't put a price on it. This is what defines who I am. I am Christ living in me.
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