Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Consolation And Salvation
Date: Friday January 06, 2012
Today's Chapters: Genesis 21-23
Preview of Today's Message: True Christians have put their faith and trust in the Savior to save them from death and hell, they are fully trusting in Christ alone for their salvation. Here is the question, if we can fully trust Christ to save us from hell can we fully trust Him with our lives? All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.
Hello My Friend,
The truth is, the majority of Christians, while they say they trust Christ, have a hard time trusting Him completely with their lives, especially during times of tribulation. No one wants to go through tribulation, but it just cannot be avoided sometimes, it is actually through tribulation that we learn to trust Christ more than any other times. The sufferings of the Christian are the sufferings of Christ, He is right there with us, enduring the same suffering that we are. When we truly share the sufferings of Christ, we have in Him peace in the midst of all our tribulations, and the grace to bear it through Him.
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation...But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” -2 Corinthians 1:3-7,9.
The word consolation means comfort; alleviation of misery, or distress of mind; the word salvation means the act of saving, preservation from destruction. We are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. The Lord is able to give peace to the troubled conscience, and to calm the raging passions of the soul. These blessings are given by Him, as the Father of His redeemed family. It is our Savior who says, Let not your heart be troubled. All comforts come from God, and our sweetest comforts are in Him. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” - John 14:1.
Today we read about two children who had to face tribulation at a very young age, Isaac and Ishmael. First, we learn of Ishmael, he was the son of Abraham that came about after Sarah suggested that Abraham have a child with her handmaid Hagar. Sarah absolutely despised Hagar and did not want Ishmael near Isaac, she demanded that Abraham cast her and Ishmael from their presence. Although it grieved Abraham to let his son go he talked it over with God and He assured him that it was the right thing to do.
“And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.” - Genesis 21:12-19.
Talk about tribulation, here is this young boy having to deal with not only his father sending him away from his home, but his mother leaving him to die in the wilderness all by himself. What was he thinking as he watched his mother walk away from him? What was he thinking as he sat there all alone? We do not know, but God knew, He heard him. “And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.” -Genesis 21:17-20.
Now, we come to Isaac, the blessed, miraculous seed, from God who was promised to Abraham and Sarah. The unthinkable happens when God commanded Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice. He gathers up everything needed to build an altar and walks with his son to the place God instructed him to go to offer his son as God commanded him.
“And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.” - Genesis 22:2,3,6-10.
Isaac was well aware of a sacrifice needed to offer to God, he even questioned his father. What was he thinking as his father ties him up? What was he thinking as he places him on the altar? What was he thinking as the knife comes at him? We do not know, but he had to have some kind of faith in God to help him out of that situation. And God did, “And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” -Genesis 22:11-13.
God places tribulation before us to get us to trust Him, to seek only Him, to increase our faith in Him, He is our consolation and salvation. It does not matter how old we are, if we trust God He will put us through tests, but He will also help us through every situation. It all comes down to hope, we have hope that Christ will save us from hell. Well, we need that same kind of hope in everything that we do. Remember, God knows what we need, and while some things He does makes us question why we needed to go through it, it all works out in the end.
“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” -Romans 8:24-28.
Today's Psalm: “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” -Psalm 18:2.
Today's Proverb: “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” - Proverbs 13:12.
Today's Prayer: God, in the midst of tribulation we can find peace and comfort in You, for You are our consolation and salvation. While I may not understand what is going on I am confident in Your protecting and guiding hand as You carefully watch over me and deliver me from all my troubles. I pray for those who are facing tribulation that You will bring consolation and salvation to their weary souls too. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Overcoming The Bungles
Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Overcoming The Bungles
Date: Wednesday January 04, 2012
Today's Chapters: Genesis 13-17
Preview of Today's Message: God really does not want to see us suffer, He will do anything for anyone as long as they believe in Him. He knows we are going to bungle things up sometimes, but He is always there to help us overcome our bugles. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version, verses in red are quoted by Jesus.
Hello My Friend,
“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass...For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.” - Psalm 37:7,22-24. Let's face it, we all have bungled some things up in our lives, intending to do the right thing. You know, we should not count them as failures, but as lessons learned. So, we messed up, we suffered a bit, but we cannot hold on to things of the past, we need to move forward, rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. He knows our heart, He also knows our flesh, He hates our flesh, but He loves us, He knows we are going to mess up, but He is there to catch us when we fall, every time we fall.
You think that the father of many nations did not make a few bungles in his lifetime. Of course he did, he had flesh too, God records bungles so we can see that even when we mess up He never gives up on us. Now, when we choose to do things our way He will hider us from receiving the full blessings He has in store for us, but He waits patiently until we do what we are supposed be doing. Which is what He did with Abram several times, the first being his bringing his nephew Lot with him, God commanded that he bring no one with him, but he chose to bring Lot and until they were apart God withheld some things from Abram.
“And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together...And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.” - Genesis 13:2-6,14,15.
God waited until Abram was separated from Lot until He revealed all the blessings that He had for him. God knew that Lot would be a problem for Abram had he known all of what God had in store for him as Lot was quick to choose the land he would dwell on by sight. God is a faith by the unseen God, not a faith by sight God. How many times have we been deceived by our eyes? The greatest things in the world are the things we cannot see. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” - Romans 1:20,21.
At the age of seventy-five God promised to Abram that He would make him a father of so many that it would be like trying to count the stars in the sky. Now, years had come to pass and Abram still had no son, Sarai was well above the age to have a child so, Sarai thought perhaps God did not mean that the child would come from me. She came up with a plan to give Abram a child.
“Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 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. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.” -Genesis 16:1-6.
Abram knew that God meant what He said, but instead of letting God make the decision as to who would bare his seed, he chose to listen to the influence of Sarai. You know, they say that a man is the head of the house, but even when the world began women have been influencing men to commit sin? Ladies, we have major power, but that does not mean that we are to use that power to influence men to commit sin. It is very important that women realize that they are to guide their men in the right direction. Now, do not get me wrong, a man can have just as much influence on a woman, I am proof of that, but it was no excuse for me to do what I knew deep down was the wrong thing to do. We must trust God's decisions, He knows what is best for us, He never goes back on His promises, but unless we do things His way we slow Him down and cause unnecessary suffering upon ourselves. Unless we have faith in His promises we cannot receive them. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1,6.
Do you think God gave up on Abram because he went against His will? Of course not. When God has a purpose for us He will use us, even if we mess up sometimes. After they bungled things up Abram went to God and asked for forgiveness, just as God promised He reminded him that his wife would bare the child and that He would be the father of many nations.
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 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 give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God...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.” - Genesis 17:1-5,8,15,16.
Abraham means, “father of many”, Sarah means “little princess”. One of the great tests of our faith is waiting patiently for God. It may take two days, weeks, years, or as in Abraham's situation, 25 years for God to fulfill the promises He makes to us. Usually the reason God makes us wait so long for what He promises is that we get in the way of His plan. Every time we walk out of His will to help Him along with our own reasoning He takes a step back and waits for us to realize that we were wrong. The key to overcoming our bungles is Jesus, I know we are full of guilt and shame when we mess up, but we are forgiven, children of the living God through His Son. “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” - Ephesians 1:5-7.
Today's Psalm: “They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.” - Psalm 18:18.
Today's Proverb: “Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.” -13:15
Today's Prayer: God, I feel such deep gratitude when I consider how patient You are when I bungle things up for You. You don’t toss me aside and move on to a more deserving person, but You continue to come alongside me and Your Word continues to renew my hope day by day. May I be forgiving even as You continually forgive me. May Your divine grace bring the virtues of forgiveness, forbearance and love together in perfect unity so that Your peace dwells in my heart daily. Lead me and guide me in Your truths, help me to have complete faith in Your decisions and understanding of what they are. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Message Title: Overcoming The Bungles
Date: Wednesday January 04, 2012
Today's Chapters: Genesis 13-17
Preview of Today's Message: God really does not want to see us suffer, He will do anything for anyone as long as they believe in Him. He knows we are going to bungle things up sometimes, but He is always there to help us overcome our bugles. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version, verses in red are quoted by Jesus.
Hello My Friend,
“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass...For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.” - Psalm 37:7,22-24. Let's face it, we all have bungled some things up in our lives, intending to do the right thing. You know, we should not count them as failures, but as lessons learned. So, we messed up, we suffered a bit, but we cannot hold on to things of the past, we need to move forward, rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. He knows our heart, He also knows our flesh, He hates our flesh, but He loves us, He knows we are going to mess up, but He is there to catch us when we fall, every time we fall.
You think that the father of many nations did not make a few bungles in his lifetime. Of course he did, he had flesh too, God records bungles so we can see that even when we mess up He never gives up on us. Now, when we choose to do things our way He will hider us from receiving the full blessings He has in store for us, but He waits patiently until we do what we are supposed be doing. Which is what He did with Abram several times, the first being his bringing his nephew Lot with him, God commanded that he bring no one with him, but he chose to bring Lot and until they were apart God withheld some things from Abram.
“And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together...And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.” - Genesis 13:2-6,14,15.
God waited until Abram was separated from Lot until He revealed all the blessings that He had for him. God knew that Lot would be a problem for Abram had he known all of what God had in store for him as Lot was quick to choose the land he would dwell on by sight. God is a faith by the unseen God, not a faith by sight God. How many times have we been deceived by our eyes? The greatest things in the world are the things we cannot see. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” - Romans 1:20,21.
At the age of seventy-five God promised to Abram that He would make him a father of so many that it would be like trying to count the stars in the sky. Now, years had come to pass and Abram still had no son, Sarai was well above the age to have a child so, Sarai thought perhaps God did not mean that the child would come from me. She came up with a plan to give Abram a child.
“Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 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. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.” -Genesis 16:1-6.
Abram knew that God meant what He said, but instead of letting God make the decision as to who would bare his seed, he chose to listen to the influence of Sarai. You know, they say that a man is the head of the house, but even when the world began women have been influencing men to commit sin? Ladies, we have major power, but that does not mean that we are to use that power to influence men to commit sin. It is very important that women realize that they are to guide their men in the right direction. Now, do not get me wrong, a man can have just as much influence on a woman, I am proof of that, but it was no excuse for me to do what I knew deep down was the wrong thing to do. We must trust God's decisions, He knows what is best for us, He never goes back on His promises, but unless we do things His way we slow Him down and cause unnecessary suffering upon ourselves. Unless we have faith in His promises we cannot receive them. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1,6.
Do you think God gave up on Abram because he went against His will? Of course not. When God has a purpose for us He will use us, even if we mess up sometimes. After they bungled things up Abram went to God and asked for forgiveness, just as God promised He reminded him that his wife would bare the child and that He would be the father of many nations.
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 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 give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God...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.” - Genesis 17:1-5,8,15,16.
Abraham means, “father of many”, Sarah means “little princess”. One of the great tests of our faith is waiting patiently for God. It may take two days, weeks, years, or as in Abraham's situation, 25 years for God to fulfill the promises He makes to us. Usually the reason God makes us wait so long for what He promises is that we get in the way of His plan. Every time we walk out of His will to help Him along with our own reasoning He takes a step back and waits for us to realize that we were wrong. The key to overcoming our bungles is Jesus, I know we are full of guilt and shame when we mess up, but we are forgiven, children of the living God through His Son. “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” - Ephesians 1:5-7.
Today's Psalm: “They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.” - Psalm 18:18.
Today's Proverb: “Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.” -13:15
Today's Prayer: God, I feel such deep gratitude when I consider how patient You are when I bungle things up for You. You don’t toss me aside and move on to a more deserving person, but You continue to come alongside me and Your Word continues to renew my hope day by day. May I be forgiving even as You continually forgive me. May Your divine grace bring the virtues of forgiveness, forbearance and love together in perfect unity so that Your peace dwells in my heart daily. Lead me and guide me in Your truths, help me to have complete faith in Your decisions and understanding of what they are. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Faithful and Just
Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Faithful and Just
Date: Tuesday January 03, 2012
Today's Chapters: Genesis 9-12
Preview of Today's Message: No matter how much we try to do the right thing, the truth is until we shed this flesh we are going to mess up sometimes, but God in His mercy and grace is always ready to help us out of our messes when we humble ourselves before Him. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version, verses in red are quoted by Jesus.
Hello My Friend,
Of all the sins committed the most corrupted and destructive are the ones done with the flesh, sins like fornication, substance abuse, gluttony, and drunkenness. The strongest Christian can give into sins of the flesh and it usually happens when they are bored or have nothing to do. Noah, the man who God chose to replenish all mankind because of his faithfulness to God, after he had completed his work, began to drink wine he drank so much that he became drunk. “And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” - Genesis 9:20-27.
The drunkenness of Noah is recorded in the Bible, with that fairness which is found only in the Scripture, to show that the best of men cannot stand upright unless they keep their eyes upon God in all that they do. Ham is quick to expose his fathers infirmities, perhaps to even his grandson, Canaan, but Shem and Japheth, respecting their father, covered him up, careful to not even look at him. We are all sinners, therefore, we have no right to gossip or expose ones sins to others, it's disrespectful and also opens up exposure to our own sins. “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” -Matthew 7:2-5.
Noah was aware that Ham exposed him and because of his dishonor he declared a curse on Canaan, a servant of servants he shall be, meaning he and every generation that follows will face severe poverty, today we know this as African nations. What was Ham's sin? He dishonored his father. When Ham dishonored his father he had no idea the affect it would have on future generations of his, that one foolish decision paved the way for generations of fools rebelling from the one true God and creating their own gods, or even trying to measure themselves up to God themselves. “And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” - Genesis 10:6-10.
Nimrod was a great man in his day; he began to be mighty in the earth, Those before him were content to be upon the same level with their neighbors, and though every man bare rule in his own house, yet no man pretended any further. Nimrod was resolved to lord it over his neighbors. Nimrod established the first world empire and ruled it, the city was known as the city of Babel (Babylon). As their leader he convinced them to build a city and tower that could reach up to heavens. “And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.” - Genesis 11:3-7.
What was his sin? Idolatry and disobedience to God's command to form many nations. Against God's will these people united to build a city and town to prevent their separating. The tower had nothing to do with God, it was meant to be worshiped, for their glory. God dealt with this rebellion by scattering the people into different nations and giving them different languages. God does the same today by only letting those who are saved understand His Word. Oh, many may claim they know the Bible, but only those who have been converted, have received Christ are given the ability to understand Him. “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” - Mark 4:11,12.
Shem's decedents would become the Jews, who were for a great while, the only professing people God had in the world. Japheth's decedents would become the Gentiles, who would follow in Shem's footsteps, as professing God. We are now introduced to Abram, a decedent of Shem. Abram, which means exalted father, was chosen by God to become the father of the Jews, opening the way for Gentiles to be converted as well. “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” - Genesis 12:1-3.
Abram responded to God's call and by faith gave up his country, home, family, and friends trusting in Him to guide the way. Of course, being blessed to be the father of a great nation did not mean that he was not going to make any foolish decisions once in a while. During a famine Abram and his wife Sarai headed for a place where they could go for food. “And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.” - Genesis 12:10-17.
What was Abram's sin? Hi lied, he also exposed his wife and the Egyptians to sin as well. The grace Abram was most noted for, was his faith in God, yet when faced with a circumstance he lost his faith and chose to handle things on his own rather than trust God. So many people get themselves and others caught up in messes because of foolish decisions. If we take the time to truly think about what we are facing and weight out all the possibilities with God guiding us we would keep ourselves from making so many foolish decisions. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - 2 Peter 2:9.
What will become of weak faith, when strong faith has been shaken? If God did not deliver us so many times out of the messes we bring ourselves into, by our own sin and folly, we would be cast right into hell. Praise God that even when we do make some foolish decisions He is always with us and protects us too. I can count countless times that I have escaped foolish decisions, having no idea at the time that it was God that was pulling me out of it. You see, if you are saved, born again, and only trusting in Christ to get you to heaven that you are a child of God. That means He is always watching over you and will pull you out of every mess that you get into, no matter how many times you mess up. He loves you, He gave His Son to die for you because He loves you. When you mess up, don't be afraid, just admit it, He is right there to help you clean things up. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” -James 4:8-10.
Today's Psalm: “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” - Psalm 23:3.
Today's Proverb: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” - Proverbs 3:5.
Today's Prayer: God, it is Your desire that we stay faithful to Your teachings. Scripture gives many examples of those who knew to do right, but chose to do wrong. The consequences of their wrong actions inflicted a great deal of loss, life-long regret and emotional pain, not only for themselves, but others as well. Help us to avoid the traps Satan has set for the believers by not only reading the Word, but applying its truth to our lives, and standing firm when the temptation to do wrong is ever before us. Help me to present my body, mind, and voice in a way that is holy, upright, and honorable to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Message Title: Faithful and Just
Date: Tuesday January 03, 2012
Today's Chapters: Genesis 9-12
Preview of Today's Message: No matter how much we try to do the right thing, the truth is until we shed this flesh we are going to mess up sometimes, but God in His mercy and grace is always ready to help us out of our messes when we humble ourselves before Him. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version, verses in red are quoted by Jesus.
Hello My Friend,
Of all the sins committed the most corrupted and destructive are the ones done with the flesh, sins like fornication, substance abuse, gluttony, and drunkenness. The strongest Christian can give into sins of the flesh and it usually happens when they are bored or have nothing to do. Noah, the man who God chose to replenish all mankind because of his faithfulness to God, after he had completed his work, began to drink wine he drank so much that he became drunk. “And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.” - Genesis 9:20-27.
The drunkenness of Noah is recorded in the Bible, with that fairness which is found only in the Scripture, to show that the best of men cannot stand upright unless they keep their eyes upon God in all that they do. Ham is quick to expose his fathers infirmities, perhaps to even his grandson, Canaan, but Shem and Japheth, respecting their father, covered him up, careful to not even look at him. We are all sinners, therefore, we have no right to gossip or expose ones sins to others, it's disrespectful and also opens up exposure to our own sins. “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” -Matthew 7:2-5.
Noah was aware that Ham exposed him and because of his dishonor he declared a curse on Canaan, a servant of servants he shall be, meaning he and every generation that follows will face severe poverty, today we know this as African nations. What was Ham's sin? He dishonored his father. When Ham dishonored his father he had no idea the affect it would have on future generations of his, that one foolish decision paved the way for generations of fools rebelling from the one true God and creating their own gods, or even trying to measure themselves up to God themselves. “And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” - Genesis 10:6-10.
Nimrod was a great man in his day; he began to be mighty in the earth, Those before him were content to be upon the same level with their neighbors, and though every man bare rule in his own house, yet no man pretended any further. Nimrod was resolved to lord it over his neighbors. Nimrod established the first world empire and ruled it, the city was known as the city of Babel (Babylon). As their leader he convinced them to build a city and tower that could reach up to heavens. “And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.” - Genesis 11:3-7.
What was his sin? Idolatry and disobedience to God's command to form many nations. Against God's will these people united to build a city and town to prevent their separating. The tower had nothing to do with God, it was meant to be worshiped, for their glory. God dealt with this rebellion by scattering the people into different nations and giving them different languages. God does the same today by only letting those who are saved understand His Word. Oh, many may claim they know the Bible, but only those who have been converted, have received Christ are given the ability to understand Him. “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” - Mark 4:11,12.
Shem's decedents would become the Jews, who were for a great while, the only professing people God had in the world. Japheth's decedents would become the Gentiles, who would follow in Shem's footsteps, as professing God. We are now introduced to Abram, a decedent of Shem. Abram, which means exalted father, was chosen by God to become the father of the Jews, opening the way for Gentiles to be converted as well. “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” - Genesis 12:1-3.
Abram responded to God's call and by faith gave up his country, home, family, and friends trusting in Him to guide the way. Of course, being blessed to be the father of a great nation did not mean that he was not going to make any foolish decisions once in a while. During a famine Abram and his wife Sarai headed for a place where they could go for food. “And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.” - Genesis 12:10-17.
What was Abram's sin? Hi lied, he also exposed his wife and the Egyptians to sin as well. The grace Abram was most noted for, was his faith in God, yet when faced with a circumstance he lost his faith and chose to handle things on his own rather than trust God. So many people get themselves and others caught up in messes because of foolish decisions. If we take the time to truly think about what we are facing and weight out all the possibilities with God guiding us we would keep ourselves from making so many foolish decisions. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - 2 Peter 2:9.
What will become of weak faith, when strong faith has been shaken? If God did not deliver us so many times out of the messes we bring ourselves into, by our own sin and folly, we would be cast right into hell. Praise God that even when we do make some foolish decisions He is always with us and protects us too. I can count countless times that I have escaped foolish decisions, having no idea at the time that it was God that was pulling me out of it. You see, if you are saved, born again, and only trusting in Christ to get you to heaven that you are a child of God. That means He is always watching over you and will pull you out of every mess that you get into, no matter how many times you mess up. He loves you, He gave His Son to die for you because He loves you. When you mess up, don't be afraid, just admit it, He is right there to help you clean things up. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” -James 4:8-10.
Today's Psalm: “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” - Psalm 23:3.
Today's Proverb: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” - Proverbs 3:5.
Today's Prayer: God, it is Your desire that we stay faithful to Your teachings. Scripture gives many examples of those who knew to do right, but chose to do wrong. The consequences of their wrong actions inflicted a great deal of loss, life-long regret and emotional pain, not only for themselves, but others as well. Help us to avoid the traps Satan has set for the believers by not only reading the Word, but applying its truth to our lives, and standing firm when the temptation to do wrong is ever before us. Help me to present my body, mind, and voice in a way that is holy, upright, and honorable to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Monday, January 2, 2012
Protected and Preserved
Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Protected and Preserved
Date: Monday January 02, 2012
Today's Chapters: Genesis 5-8
Preview of Today's Message: “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” -2 Timothy 4:18. Those who put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ need not worry about the things to come, He alone protects and preserves them from the floods that will come in their lives. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.
Hello My Friend,
Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters, but the only three we know the most about are Cain, Able, and Seth. Able, who was godly, was slain by Cain, who rejected God after He did not accept his offering. Cain began the genealogy of what is known as the sons of man, meaning they rejected God. The genealogy of the sons of God began with Seth, who would become the lineage of the seed where Jesus would be born into. When God saw His people mixing with the children of man and all the corruption that was taking place He was so angry that He wanted to destroy the earth and everything on it. God repents too, which means to feel deep regret for something they have done. God regretted that He even created man and wanted to end it all. However, something changed His mind, He saw one man, Noah, who was not like the others, he and his family found favor with God. Instead of wiping out everything God preserved man and beast through eight people and a vessel.
“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose...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 God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth...And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.” - Genesis 6:1,2,5,6,13,17-20.
One man's heart changed God's mind, one man's faith stopped God from destroying all the earth, Noah was not perfect or sinless, but he loved God and lived his life with Him in it. Although we are born with a sin nature, that does not excuse us from knowingly living in sin nor does it keep us from facing the consequences of them. The physical, mental, and spiritual consequences of sin are astounding and are eternally irreversible with one and only one exception, Christ. He alone protects and preserves all who come to Him. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23.
When God told Noah to build an ark he might have been a bit puzzled when He said He was going to make it rain, they never saw rain in their life. However, he did not question God and by faith did what He commanded. When the ark was complete, Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives entered the ark along with seven pairs of clean animals and two pairs of unclean animals, when they were all save and sound it began to rain.
“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.” - Genesis 7:11-14.
Noah may not have known it at the time, but the ark he built was a foreshadow of Christ, everyone who got on the ark was saved from death. By faith Noah did what God commanded him to do and God protected and preserved him and his family as He promised He would do. God never goes back on His promises, but without faith we cannot even get God's attention. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” - Hebrews 11:6,7. Likewise everyone that goes to Christ by faith is saved from death. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” - Ephesians 2:8
It rained for forty days and forty nights, after the rain it took one hundred and fifty days for the waters to subside. After the flood subsided and life was coming back to the earth, Noah and everything on the ark got off, the first thing Noah did was build an altar, the first altar recorded in the Bible. “And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 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. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” - Genesis 8:20-22.
An altar is a place to worship, to thank God for what He has given us, and to get right with Him. When everything seems to be falling apart and you cannot even find the strength to pray that is when you need to come to the altar and give yourself completely to God. Life can be overwhelming and honestly talking to God can be challenging when we are trying to deal with life. It happens to me, I admit that there are times when my prayer time with God lessens to the point that I am barely talking to God, but it also becomes harder to deal with my situation. That is when I get to the altar, which finally gives me peace, it is amazing what a simple, “God, I need You” will do. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30.
Today's Psalm: “The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.” - Psalm 145:20.
Today's Proverb: “He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.” - Proverbs 2:8.
Today's Prayer: God, Turn my eyes away from worthless things, preserve my life according to your Word. I delight in your law. I will not neglect your Word. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths, lead me and guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Message Title: Protected and Preserved
Date: Monday January 02, 2012
Today's Chapters: Genesis 5-8
Preview of Today's Message: “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” -2 Timothy 4:18. Those who put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ need not worry about the things to come, He alone protects and preserves them from the floods that will come in their lives. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.
Hello My Friend,
Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters, but the only three we know the most about are Cain, Able, and Seth. Able, who was godly, was slain by Cain, who rejected God after He did not accept his offering. Cain began the genealogy of what is known as the sons of man, meaning they rejected God. The genealogy of the sons of God began with Seth, who would become the lineage of the seed where Jesus would be born into. When God saw His people mixing with the children of man and all the corruption that was taking place He was so angry that He wanted to destroy the earth and everything on it. God repents too, which means to feel deep regret for something they have done. God regretted that He even created man and wanted to end it all. However, something changed His mind, He saw one man, Noah, who was not like the others, he and his family found favor with God. Instead of wiping out everything God preserved man and beast through eight people and a vessel.
“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose...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 God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth...And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.” - Genesis 6:1,2,5,6,13,17-20.
One man's heart changed God's mind, one man's faith stopped God from destroying all the earth, Noah was not perfect or sinless, but he loved God and lived his life with Him in it. Although we are born with a sin nature, that does not excuse us from knowingly living in sin nor does it keep us from facing the consequences of them. The physical, mental, and spiritual consequences of sin are astounding and are eternally irreversible with one and only one exception, Christ. He alone protects and preserves all who come to Him. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23.
When God told Noah to build an ark he might have been a bit puzzled when He said He was going to make it rain, they never saw rain in their life. However, he did not question God and by faith did what He commanded. When the ark was complete, Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives entered the ark along with seven pairs of clean animals and two pairs of unclean animals, when they were all save and sound it began to rain.
“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.” - Genesis 7:11-14.
Noah may not have known it at the time, but the ark he built was a foreshadow of Christ, everyone who got on the ark was saved from death. By faith Noah did what God commanded him to do and God protected and preserved him and his family as He promised He would do. God never goes back on His promises, but without faith we cannot even get God's attention. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” - Hebrews 11:6,7. Likewise everyone that goes to Christ by faith is saved from death. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” - Ephesians 2:8
It rained for forty days and forty nights, after the rain it took one hundred and fifty days for the waters to subside. After the flood subsided and life was coming back to the earth, Noah and everything on the ark got off, the first thing Noah did was build an altar, the first altar recorded in the Bible. “And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 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. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” - Genesis 8:20-22.
An altar is a place to worship, to thank God for what He has given us, and to get right with Him. When everything seems to be falling apart and you cannot even find the strength to pray that is when you need to come to the altar and give yourself completely to God. Life can be overwhelming and honestly talking to God can be challenging when we are trying to deal with life. It happens to me, I admit that there are times when my prayer time with God lessens to the point that I am barely talking to God, but it also becomes harder to deal with my situation. That is when I get to the altar, which finally gives me peace, it is amazing what a simple, “God, I need You” will do. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30.
Today's Psalm: “The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.” - Psalm 145:20.
Today's Proverb: “He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.” - Proverbs 2:8.
Today's Prayer: God, Turn my eyes away from worthless things, preserve my life according to your Word. I delight in your law. I will not neglect your Word. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths, lead me and guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Sunday, January 1, 2012
Made Aware
Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Made Aware
Date: January 01, 2012
Today's Chapters: Genesis 1-4
Preview of Today's Message: Through one man sin entered the world and a death sentence is passed down to all of us, through One Man the death sentence is removed. The temptation to sin is always desirous when we are introduced to it, the key to resisting temptation is keeping our eyes on Jesus from the start. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.
Hello My Friend,
“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive...It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven...The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 15:21,22,44-47,56,57.
When we are born we are born with a natural body and a living soul. What is missing? The quickening spirit, rather the Spirit of God. Why? By one man, Adam, sin entered the natural body, by one man, Adam, death, rather the death of the soul, was passed down to every body. By one man, Christ, life enters the natural body, by one man, Christ, who died for man, life is given to all who believe in Him. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23.
The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Old Testament, it contains fifty chapters, and the time line of these events took place approximately between 4004 BC to 1689 BC. The inspired author of the book is Moses and it was written to Israel. The purpose of the book was to preserve the historical background of Israel and to give an account for creation, sin, redemption, and God's first dealings with man. What we are to learn from the book is that God, the Creator of all things, brought us here in His image and gives us every means necessary to live a godly life. “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” -Genesis 4:7.
There is nothing more powerful that the voice of God, faster than the blink of an eye He can speak something into existence. Faster than the blink of an eye He can speak something out of existence. Faster than the blink of an eye He can save a person from the death sentence. Many people have a hard time understanding why God has such a harsh penalty for the smallest sin. Well, it all begins with the first sin of man, but before we learn of that we need to understand what God was commanding Adam not to do.
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 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...And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” -Genesis 2:7-9,15-17.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil, this fruit bearing the consciousness of ones actions, was forbidden to be eaten. Why? Think about it, when we are unconscious to sin we remain pure, undefiled, and unaware of sin, it is only when we learn of something that we think about it and become tempted by it and while it is no sin to be tempted, it is sin to act upon the temptation. However, there is no temptation that we cannot escape, “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.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Sin is sin to God, no matter how big or small, disobedience to God comes with a punishment and that punishment is death, not just a natural death, but the death of the soul. It was only a piece of fruit that Adam bit into, but that small act brought not only death upon him, but us as well. Much worse than that, it brought upon him and us separation from God. It was when he was made aware of the temptation that he desired it.
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat...And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel...And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;..And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:” - Genesis 3:4-6,15,17,22.
A gracious promise is made of Christ, as the Deliverer of fallen man from the power of Satan. It speaks great encouragement to sinners, that their Savior, the Seed of the woman will reconcile the enmity or separation between God and man. His sufferings on the cross and death point to Satan's bruising His heel, but by His death He gave a fatal blow to the devil's kingdom, a wound to the head of this serpent that cannot be healed. As the Gospel gains, Satan falls. “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;” -Ephesians 2:13-15. Praise God!
You see how we fall so easily into temptation when we are made aware of something sinful? Eve fell right into the temptation because it was introduced to her and she kept thinking about it. Now, many people wonder why Adam was condemned since Eve sinned first. He was made aware of it and just like Eve, he too thought about it and fell into temptation. There is no excuse when we fall into sin, it is of our own doing, like everyone else, we are responsible for our own actions. Jesus explains that if we are blind to sin we will not sin. “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” - John 9:39-41. When we keep our eyes on Jesus we can walk away from any temptation. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - 2 Peter 2:9.
Today's Psalm: “Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” - Psalm 145:16.
Today's Proverb: “Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.” - Proverbs 24:1.
Today's Prayer: God, help me to walk faithfully with You day by day. As I earnestly seek You I will receive the reward You promise to those who do so. Daily temptations, recurring doubts, and fleeting distractions seek my heart’s affection, but I remain faithfully committed to You, my Lord and Savior. Your Spirit indwells me and I am filled with Your glorious and inexpressible joy. No matter the mocking and undermining of my faith by the unbelieving world, I believe in You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. Happy New Year!
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be. Visit: God's Price
Missed A Devotional? Visit: The King James Bible Study Blog
Subscribe To This Devotional Through Google Groups: King James Bible Study
Visit The Official Site Of: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
Message Title: Made Aware
Date: January 01, 2012
Today's Chapters: Genesis 1-4
Preview of Today's Message: Through one man sin entered the world and a death sentence is passed down to all of us, through One Man the death sentence is removed. The temptation to sin is always desirous when we are introduced to it, the key to resisting temptation is keeping our eyes on Jesus from the start. All Scripture quoted from the King James Version.
Hello My Friend,
“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive...It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven...The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 15:21,22,44-47,56,57.
When we are born we are born with a natural body and a living soul. What is missing? The quickening spirit, rather the Spirit of God. Why? By one man, Adam, sin entered the natural body, by one man, Adam, death, rather the death of the soul, was passed down to every body. By one man, Christ, life enters the natural body, by one man, Christ, who died for man, life is given to all who believe in Him. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23.
The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Old Testament, it contains fifty chapters, and the time line of these events took place approximately between 4004 BC to 1689 BC. The inspired author of the book is Moses and it was written to Israel. The purpose of the book was to preserve the historical background of Israel and to give an account for creation, sin, redemption, and God's first dealings with man. What we are to learn from the book is that God, the Creator of all things, brought us here in His image and gives us every means necessary to live a godly life. “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.” -Genesis 4:7.
There is nothing more powerful that the voice of God, faster than the blink of an eye He can speak something into existence. Faster than the blink of an eye He can speak something out of existence. Faster than the blink of an eye He can save a person from the death sentence. Many people have a hard time understanding why God has such a harsh penalty for the smallest sin. Well, it all begins with the first sin of man, but before we learn of that we need to understand what God was commanding Adam not to do.
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 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...And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” -Genesis 2:7-9,15-17.
The tree of knowledge of good and evil, this fruit bearing the consciousness of ones actions, was forbidden to be eaten. Why? Think about it, when we are unconscious to sin we remain pure, undefiled, and unaware of sin, it is only when we learn of something that we think about it and become tempted by it and while it is no sin to be tempted, it is sin to act upon the temptation. However, there is no temptation that we cannot escape, “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.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Sin is sin to God, no matter how big or small, disobedience to God comes with a punishment and that punishment is death, not just a natural death, but the death of the soul. It was only a piece of fruit that Adam bit into, but that small act brought not only death upon him, but us as well. Much worse than that, it brought upon him and us separation from God. It was when he was made aware of the temptation that he desired it.
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat...And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel...And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;..And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:” - Genesis 3:4-6,15,17,22.
A gracious promise is made of Christ, as the Deliverer of fallen man from the power of Satan. It speaks great encouragement to sinners, that their Savior, the Seed of the woman will reconcile the enmity or separation between God and man. His sufferings on the cross and death point to Satan's bruising His heel, but by His death He gave a fatal blow to the devil's kingdom, a wound to the head of this serpent that cannot be healed. As the Gospel gains, Satan falls. “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;” -Ephesians 2:13-15. Praise God!
You see how we fall so easily into temptation when we are made aware of something sinful? Eve fell right into the temptation because it was introduced to her and she kept thinking about it. Now, many people wonder why Adam was condemned since Eve sinned first. He was made aware of it and just like Eve, he too thought about it and fell into temptation. There is no excuse when we fall into sin, it is of our own doing, like everyone else, we are responsible for our own actions. Jesus explains that if we are blind to sin we will not sin. “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” - John 9:39-41. When we keep our eyes on Jesus we can walk away from any temptation. “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - 2 Peter 2:9.
Today's Psalm: “Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” - Psalm 145:16.
Today's Proverb: “Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.” - Proverbs 24:1.
Today's Prayer: God, help me to walk faithfully with You day by day. As I earnestly seek You I will receive the reward You promise to those who do so. Daily temptations, recurring doubts, and fleeting distractions seek my heart’s affection, but I remain faithfully committed to You, my Lord and Savior. Your Spirit indwells me and I am filled with Your glorious and inexpressible joy. No matter the mocking and undermining of my faith by the unbelieving world, I believe in You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. Happy New Year!
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be. Visit: God's Price
Missed A Devotional? Visit: The King James Bible Study Blog
Subscribe To This Devotional Through Google Groups: King James Bible Study
Visit The Official Site Of: I'm Following Jesus
Like Us On Facebook: I'm Following Jesus
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