KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date:
Saturday,
January 09, 2016
Chapters:
Genesis 25-27
Message:
Genesis: The
Value Of A Birthright
Hello My Friend,
Birthright, Any right or privilege, to which a person is
entitled by birth. The second a person believes in and accepts Jesus
Christ as their Saviour, they not only are saved from the fiery pits
of hell, they become heirs with Him and children of the Almighty
Himself. The right or privilege we receive as children of God are
eternal life with Him, a one on one relationship with Him, and
blessings that only can be given by those who believe in His Son.
“Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a
child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son,
made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye
are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a
son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” -
Galatians 4:1,4-7.
When reading through the Bible it is
interesting to see the descendants that came from Abraham, especially
since they all play a part in Hebrew history, many of them becoming
enemies. After Sarah died, Abraham remarried and had several
children, their lineage is listed. Abraham made sure to separate them
from Isaac, as he was the promised seed that would make up the Hebrew
nation, and in which Jesus would descend. Years later Isaac asked God
for children and He blessed them with twins, Esau and Jacob, even in
the womb they were fighting, and we get an insight as to the events
that take place in which Jacob would be fighting, beginning with Esau
selling his birthright to Jacob.
“And
Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah
loved Jacob. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and
he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that
same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said,
Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this
birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he
sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob
gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink,
and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.”
- Genesis 25:28-34.
“and what
profit shall this birthright do to me?” For a bowl of soup,
Esau gave up his birthright, and this act of carelessness not only
proved to God that he had no intention of following Him, it also
would bring a division between the two countries, so much that God
would eventually destroy it, also known as Edom. “But
I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he
shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his
brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not. Leave thy fatherless
children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.
For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink
of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall
altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou
shalt surely drink of it. Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one
that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the
plagues thereof.” - Jeremiah 49:10-12,17.
Being
heir with Christ does not mean we will not face any difficulties in
life, in fact, we may face more simply because we choose Him over the
world. Being heir does mean that God has our back, and He will even
bring us to live content lives in the midst of a messed up world. God
sent a famine in the land, one in which Isaac found himself making
the same mistakes as his father did. It was during this trial that
God spoke to him and reminded him that He made a promise to his
father that He will fulfill through him.
“And
there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in
the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the
Philistines unto Gerar. And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go
not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee;
for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries,
and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will
give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my
voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:” -
Genesis 26:1-6.
“Because that
Abraham obeyed my voice,” We must realize that God does not
keep His promises to us based on our works, He does them because He
never goes back on His promises. No matter how good we try to be, we
are mess, we do not always have a perfect heart for God. God knows
this and that is why He promises that if we believe in and accept His
Son, we will be His children forever and will never leave nor forsake
us. “But the scripture hath concluded all
under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given
to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the
law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that
we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are
no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by
faith in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:22-26.
We
do not hear much about Isaac's life beyond him being the seed that
God promised He would be to establish His covenant with Abraham. Much
of this is due to the fact that he was about to bless Esau with great
power, since Rebekah never forgot what God told her, she came up with
a scheme to deceive Isaac into giving the blessing to Jacob, thinking
it was Esau. This was not going to be easy, and Jacob himself would
soon find out that by listening to his mother he will face the
consequences for deceiving his father, but the plan worked.
“And
he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his
raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as
the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: Therefore God give
thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty
of corn and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to
thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down
to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he
that blesseth thee. And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an
end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the
presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his
hunting. And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his
father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his
son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac his father said
unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn
Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he
that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all
before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be
blessed.” - Genesis 27:27-33.
“And
Isaac trembled very exceedingly,” Isaac not only was
embarrassed by being deceived by his son and wife, he also realized
he was wrong on what he had done. God told Rebekah that the first
born would be weaker and serve his younger brother. He mentioned two
nations, meaning that they would both be rulers of a nation and that
Jacob's would be stronger and rule over Esau's. Esau is a type of the
man of the earth, in many respects he is more nobler than Jacob, yet
the fact that he lacked faith in God and despised his birthright made
Him of no value to God. God’s choice of His children does not
depend on their character, or even what family they are born into, it
is dependent upon their faith in His Son. “As
it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall
we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he
saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I
will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is
not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
sheweth mercy.” -Romans 9:13-16.
Today's
Prayer: God, When we put our faith and trust in Your Son
we never fully comprehend just how merciful You are until we are
faced with a situation that cries for Your mercy. Thank You, for Your
grace, it is infinite and given freely given to all Your children.
Lord, be with us in all that we do, lead us and guide us through the
mercy and grace that only You can provide, while others mock us,
remind us that Your grace is sufficient enough for us. Let us never
despise our birthright, and help us to keep our heads up high no
matter how many times we fall. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God
Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Saturday, January 9, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
Genesis: You Want Me To Do What?
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Friday, January 08, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 22-24
Message: Genesis: You Want Me To Do What?
Hello My Friend,
As Christians, sometimes God places challenges (the Bible calls them temptations) upon us that seem down right strange and unheard of, but just as with afflictions God has a reason and a purpose for every challenge we are faced with, including those that we question. The key to facing every challenge from God is trust, do we trust Him in the thing is He asking us to do, even if what He is asking is unthinkable? To answer that question with a yes, we must first think about the whole picture and upon that picture remember His promises as well. “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” - Psalms 37:4,5.
Tempt, to entice or solicit an evil act. We often think of the word tempt as someone enticing us to do something that is immoral, but there is also another meaning for the word, to try; to prove; to put to trial for proof. Believe it or not, quiet often after we have been saved we are put to the test by God, not to question our salvation, but to see if we are going to keep following Him. After God blessed Abraham and Sarah with their promised son, God decided to test Abraham's faith, in a most peculiar and unimaginable way.
“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 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. 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.” - Genesis 22:1-3,9-12.
“for now I know that thou fearest God,” See the key here, fear God, and this is not a scared fear, this is godly fear, the type of fear that we, honor, respect, and trust God no matter what He challenges us with. We must realize that God will never take a life to save a life, which is why He gave His own to save us through His Son. People who die and end up in hell are not there because God did not love them, they are there because they never believed in Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” - John 3:16-18.
It is important as Christians that we leave a godly legacy for our children, I am paraphrasing for time, but God says to train your child the right way and when they are older they will do the same. Now, I have seen some people turn away from God that were brought up in the church, and I have also seen some rebels on the streets turn to God. So, we have no idea what our children or the children we take care of will bring upon themselves, but all we can do is be that godly influence they need (not strict religious rules that have nothing to do with God) to lead them in the right direction, and even if they mess up they will return. Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old, she is the only woman in Scripture that God recorded the age of her death.
“And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.” - Genesis 23:1-4,17-20.
“Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre:” One of the most highly guarded places in the world is a rectangular building in Palestine, beneath which the cave of Machpelah is said to be, and in which are the remains of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God has never let it come into the hands of those who would have easily disturbed it and made a mess of it. Now, that Sarah died and Abraham's health was deteriorating, he decided that it was time for Isaac to have a wife. He sent his servant to seek out a wife for him, he didn't give any specifics, only that she be from his people.
“And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.” - Genesis 24:1-4,10-15.
“And it came to pass, before he had done speaking,” This is another one of those challenges that we wonder why we are even asked to do it. I mean, an employee picking out a wife for his employers son? His only option was to pray to God for guidance and before he even said Amen, God answered his prayer. God does not always answer our prayers in an instant, most of the time He will challenge us before He gives us the things we desire, but as long as we endure the challenge we will see it. Whether we are seeking things for ourselves or others, it is best to seek God for guidance, in fact, it is the only way you can know that you are even doing the right thing. History proves that when we seek God for guidance we always see the best outcome. “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.” - Isaiah 48:17.
Today's Prayer: God, Your tests of trusting You are never without void, and while we do not always understand some of the ways in which You do test us, everything You do has a purpose and a meaning, and comes out good if we simply trust You. Lord, I will never forget the day You came to me and revealed Your purpose for my life. I want to fulfill that purpose, lead me and guide me, give me Your power to trust You no matter what challenge You bring me, and keep me obedience to Your Word, not because I have to, but because I love and respect You. Give me the strength to fight evil temptation, and let me not even be tempted to go against Your Word. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Date: Friday, January 08, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 22-24
Message: Genesis: You Want Me To Do What?
Hello My Friend,
As Christians, sometimes God places challenges (the Bible calls them temptations) upon us that seem down right strange and unheard of, but just as with afflictions God has a reason and a purpose for every challenge we are faced with, including those that we question. The key to facing every challenge from God is trust, do we trust Him in the thing is He asking us to do, even if what He is asking is unthinkable? To answer that question with a yes, we must first think about the whole picture and upon that picture remember His promises as well. “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” - Psalms 37:4,5.
Tempt, to entice or solicit an evil act. We often think of the word tempt as someone enticing us to do something that is immoral, but there is also another meaning for the word, to try; to prove; to put to trial for proof. Believe it or not, quiet often after we have been saved we are put to the test by God, not to question our salvation, but to see if we are going to keep following Him. After God blessed Abraham and Sarah with their promised son, God decided to test Abraham's faith, in a most peculiar and unimaginable way.
“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 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. 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.” - Genesis 22:1-3,9-12.
“for now I know that thou fearest God,” See the key here, fear God, and this is not a scared fear, this is godly fear, the type of fear that we, honor, respect, and trust God no matter what He challenges us with. We must realize that God will never take a life to save a life, which is why He gave His own to save us through His Son. People who die and end up in hell are not there because God did not love them, they are there because they never believed in Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” - John 3:16-18.
It is important as Christians that we leave a godly legacy for our children, I am paraphrasing for time, but God says to train your child the right way and when they are older they will do the same. Now, I have seen some people turn away from God that were brought up in the church, and I have also seen some rebels on the streets turn to God. So, we have no idea what our children or the children we take care of will bring upon themselves, but all we can do is be that godly influence they need (not strict religious rules that have nothing to do with God) to lead them in the right direction, and even if they mess up they will return. Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old, she is the only woman in Scripture that God recorded the age of her death.
“And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.” - Genesis 23:1-4,17-20.
“Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre:” One of the most highly guarded places in the world is a rectangular building in Palestine, beneath which the cave of Machpelah is said to be, and in which are the remains of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God has never let it come into the hands of those who would have easily disturbed it and made a mess of it. Now, that Sarah died and Abraham's health was deteriorating, he decided that it was time for Isaac to have a wife. He sent his servant to seek out a wife for him, he didn't give any specifics, only that she be from his people.
“And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.” - Genesis 24:1-4,10-15.
“And it came to pass, before he had done speaking,” This is another one of those challenges that we wonder why we are even asked to do it. I mean, an employee picking out a wife for his employers son? His only option was to pray to God for guidance and before he even said Amen, God answered his prayer. God does not always answer our prayers in an instant, most of the time He will challenge us before He gives us the things we desire, but as long as we endure the challenge we will see it. Whether we are seeking things for ourselves or others, it is best to seek God for guidance, in fact, it is the only way you can know that you are even doing the right thing. History proves that when we seek God for guidance we always see the best outcome. “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.” - Isaiah 48:17.
Today's Prayer: God, Your tests of trusting You are never without void, and while we do not always understand some of the ways in which You do test us, everything You do has a purpose and a meaning, and comes out good if we simply trust You. Lord, I will never forget the day You came to me and revealed Your purpose for my life. I want to fulfill that purpose, lead me and guide me, give me Your power to trust You no matter what challenge You bring me, and keep me obedience to Your Word, not because I have to, but because I love and respect You. Give me the strength to fight evil temptation, and let me not even be tempted to go against Your Word. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Thursday, January 7, 2016
Genesis: The Mercies Of God
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, January 07, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 19-21
Message: Genesis: The Mercies Of God
Hello My Friend,
Mercy, to treat an offender better than he deserves. Not one person on earth is good all the time, we all have a little bit of evil in us, and given the right circumstance and emotion we will reveal it. As much as we try to live the way God wants us to live we are not perfect, we are going to do a lot of things that He will shake His head to. And while we may see some repercussions of our actions, thanks to His mercy, if we are saved, we never really get what we deserve. “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” - Psalms 25:10.
As we get closer to the return of Christ things on earth are going to get more corrupt and wicked. Thanks to the courts changing laws that allow marriages of all sorts, we are going to see our nations one by one be destroyed through wicked and immoral acts of man. The great thing about the Bible is that while a majority of it explains the Jews relationship with God, it gives a lot of insight on the rest of the world, and state of our world today. If you think that what we are dealing with is bad, think about how bad it was in Sodom and Gomorrah for God to want to destroy it. God promised Abraham that He would not destroy it if anyone righteous (saved) was there, and that is exactly what He did. He sent His angels to warn Lot and his family to get out of there, out of an entire city, only Lot and his two daughters were able to escape.
“And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” - Genesis 19:14-16,24-26.
“And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand,” Sadly, there are a lot of worldly Christians who are going to lose everything they have, including friends and loved ones because they lingered in the world and never told them about Christ. While they will be pulled to safety, anyone not saved with them will not. When Christ returns only those who are saved will be pulled to safety from the fire and brimstone that will destroy the entire earth, those who are not saved will become a pillar of salt just like Lot's wife. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” - 2 Peter 3:10.
Regardless of how many see God as ruthless and merciless (thanks to all these stupid films and religions trying to portray Him as such), He truly is merciful, and gives all a chance to escape His judgments. After Abraham sees the smoke filled city, he leaves town and settles in Gerar for a while. It was there that the king of Gerar, Abimelech took Sarah, being led to believe that she was Abraham's sister, and later got a visit from God.
“And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.” - Genesis 20:2-7.
“Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart;” While Abraham was certainly in the wrong by saying that Sarah was his sister, it is the great mercies of God that He warns us ahead of time not to commit sin, and He is the same to all people. If we ignorantly have done wrong, we have a chance to correct the situation before things get out of hand. If we knowingly persist in following through with it than we have only ourselves to blame for the consequences that result from it. Those who do wrong, whether they are a king or a beggar, shall receive punishment for the wrong they have done unless they repent and obey God. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - 1 John 1:8-10.
It is God's mercy that also brings Him to still use us and fulfill the promises that He had given us. God promised Abraham that he would have a son with Sarah, the miraculous thing was that Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah was ninety. “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.” - Genesis 21:1-6.
“so that all that hear will laugh with me.” The name Isaac means laughter, Sarah laughed when she heard that she was going to have a baby, perhaps she thought that is was simply impossible for her to have a child at such an old age. Nothing is impossible with God, when He says He is going to do something He does. The majority of the time we do not see miracles because we cannot see beyond human comprehension, once we get pass that and look to God, by faith, nothing is impossible. Do not be surprised if God does not produce them in a way that brings laughter to us as well for doubting Him in the first place. The birth of Isaac was the loving and gracious expression of the sovereign power of God but, more important, it was the fulfillment of His Word and proof of the His faithfulness to us even when we are not the best Christians. It is not enough to know who God is, we must be willing to accept Him into our lives, which can only be done by accepting Jesus Christ as our Saviour. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” - Colossians 3:23,24.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercy and grace to save a sinner like me. Lord, I want to live my life with You in it, even if that means I have to give up some things or even separate myself from friends and family in order to do that. I know that all the things I do not only impact my life, but others as well, help me to be a godly influence and a testimony of the great life that can be lived by living to please You and not the world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Date: Thursday, January 07, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 19-21
Message: Genesis: The Mercies Of God
Hello My Friend,
Mercy, to treat an offender better than he deserves. Not one person on earth is good all the time, we all have a little bit of evil in us, and given the right circumstance and emotion we will reveal it. As much as we try to live the way God wants us to live we are not perfect, we are going to do a lot of things that He will shake His head to. And while we may see some repercussions of our actions, thanks to His mercy, if we are saved, we never really get what we deserve. “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” - Psalms 25:10.
As we get closer to the return of Christ things on earth are going to get more corrupt and wicked. Thanks to the courts changing laws that allow marriages of all sorts, we are going to see our nations one by one be destroyed through wicked and immoral acts of man. The great thing about the Bible is that while a majority of it explains the Jews relationship with God, it gives a lot of insight on the rest of the world, and state of our world today. If you think that what we are dealing with is bad, think about how bad it was in Sodom and Gomorrah for God to want to destroy it. God promised Abraham that He would not destroy it if anyone righteous (saved) was there, and that is exactly what He did. He sent His angels to warn Lot and his family to get out of there, out of an entire city, only Lot and his two daughters were able to escape.
“And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” - Genesis 19:14-16,24-26.
“And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand,” Sadly, there are a lot of worldly Christians who are going to lose everything they have, including friends and loved ones because they lingered in the world and never told them about Christ. While they will be pulled to safety, anyone not saved with them will not. When Christ returns only those who are saved will be pulled to safety from the fire and brimstone that will destroy the entire earth, those who are not saved will become a pillar of salt just like Lot's wife. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” - 2 Peter 3:10.
Regardless of how many see God as ruthless and merciless (thanks to all these stupid films and religions trying to portray Him as such), He truly is merciful, and gives all a chance to escape His judgments. After Abraham sees the smoke filled city, he leaves town and settles in Gerar for a while. It was there that the king of Gerar, Abimelech took Sarah, being led to believe that she was Abraham's sister, and later got a visit from God.
“And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.” - Genesis 20:2-7.
“Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart;” While Abraham was certainly in the wrong by saying that Sarah was his sister, it is the great mercies of God that He warns us ahead of time not to commit sin, and He is the same to all people. If we ignorantly have done wrong, we have a chance to correct the situation before things get out of hand. If we knowingly persist in following through with it than we have only ourselves to blame for the consequences that result from it. Those who do wrong, whether they are a king or a beggar, shall receive punishment for the wrong they have done unless they repent and obey God. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - 1 John 1:8-10.
It is God's mercy that also brings Him to still use us and fulfill the promises that He had given us. God promised Abraham that he would have a son with Sarah, the miraculous thing was that Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah was ninety. “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.” - Genesis 21:1-6.
“so that all that hear will laugh with me.” The name Isaac means laughter, Sarah laughed when she heard that she was going to have a baby, perhaps she thought that is was simply impossible for her to have a child at such an old age. Nothing is impossible with God, when He says He is going to do something He does. The majority of the time we do not see miracles because we cannot see beyond human comprehension, once we get pass that and look to God, by faith, nothing is impossible. Do not be surprised if God does not produce them in a way that brings laughter to us as well for doubting Him in the first place. The birth of Isaac was the loving and gracious expression of the sovereign power of God but, more important, it was the fulfillment of His Word and proof of the His faithfulness to us even when we are not the best Christians. It is not enough to know who God is, we must be willing to accept Him into our lives, which can only be done by accepting Jesus Christ as our Saviour. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” - Colossians 3:23,24.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercy and grace to save a sinner like me. Lord, I want to live my life with You in it, even if that means I have to give up some things or even separate myself from friends and family in order to do that. I know that all the things I do not only impact my life, but others as well, help me to be a godly influence and a testimony of the great life that can be lived by living to please You and not the world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
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Copyright © 2016 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Genesis: Nothing Is Too Hard For God
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 16-18
Message: Genesis: Nothing Is Too Hard For God
Hello My Friend,
Miracle, a deviation from the known laws of nature; a supernatural event. Miracles happen every day, but even Christians have a hard time believing that God can do something that goes against the laws of nature. While millions of us believe that Jesus died to save us, and He alone keeps us out of hell, very few of us see the great potential of God. It's sad to think of all the opportunities I lost and what Jesus will reveal to me when I stand before Him, but it's never too late to see God do something miraculous in our lives, the key, never giving up on Him. “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” - Luke 1:37.
Part of the reason why we do not see miracles is that we think with our own reasoning. God does not need us to help Him figure out how to do things, He needs our faith and trust and for us to follow His commands. We not only hinder God when we do things our own way, we cause problems that can effect everyone else as well. At the age of seventy-five, God promised Abraham that He would make him a father of so many that it would be like trying to count the stars in the sky. Now, here he is, twelve years later, and still no son, while he had the utmost faith in God, he couldn't help wonder where the promise would come from. Seeing his distraught, his wife, now in her seventies, came up with an idea for him to have a son.
“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. And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” - Genesis 16:2-7,11,12.
“And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” Abraham knew God would give him at least one son, but instead of letting God make the decision as to who would bare him, he chose to listen to the influence of his wife. 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? I know that Sarah meant well, but deep down, she knew it was wrong, which is why she despised her after she conceived. And that child, Ishmael was and still is very great, thanks to that act of disobedience we have those radical Muslim's who are slaughtering people left and right for their Allah. Ladies, we have some major power over men, but that does not mean we are to use that power to influence them to do wrong. It is very important that we realize we are to be a help to men by being the godly women we supposed to be. “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” - Proverbs 31:10,30,31.
The amazing thing about God is that even when we come up with some crazy ideas to help Him out and fail, He still uses us for fulfilling that promise. After that ordeal, God was ready to fulfill His promise to Abraham. “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. And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.” - Genesis 17:1-4,18-21.
“As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee,” God did not make His covenant with some ordinary person, He made it with a believer. God makes a covenant with each and every person that believes in His Son, Jesus Christ. If we believe that He came here through the birth of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died to be the atonement sacrifice needed to redeem us, was buried in a tomb, and three days later arose from the dead than God makes an eternal life covenant with us. “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:22,23.
God makes things happen, it may take days, weeks, months, or like Abraham, twenty-five years for Him to fulfill those promises, but He never goes back on His promises. Quite often, the reason God makes us wait so long is that we get in the way of His plan or try to rush Him along. Every time we walk out of His will, He takes a step back and makes it look absolutely impossible. Why? To show that with man some things are impossible, but with God all things are possible. God told Abraham that Sarah would have a child, he laughed, and so did Sarah when she overheard Him speaking to Abraham.
“And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.” - Genesis 18:9-15.
“Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” When things look impossible to us they are possible to God. God really does not want to see us suffer, He will do anything for anyone as long as they are willing to let Him guide them. He knows we are going to fall from time to time, but He is right there with His hand ready to pull us back up. I imagine sometimes we wonder if God even hears us, but He always hears us, He hears our praises, prayers, complaints, and even our pleas. So God asks you, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” With God all things are possible, to key to seeing God do the impossible is believing. We may not understand how God makes things possible, but as long as we believe it will happen. “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” - Mark 9:23.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for promises, they are the hope of every one of Your children, for truly we perish without them. Part of seeing those promises come to pass is waiting on You, You know exactly when we are ready to receive the things You promise as well as the things we are in need of, and as long as we keep standing on Your promises, we will see them. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me the patience to wait for You, the strength to keep from making foolish decisions that will hinder You, and the discernment to know whether or not any decision I make is something that You are happy with. I ask these things in Jesus' name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
Like I'm Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2016 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 16-18
Message: Genesis: Nothing Is Too Hard For God
Hello My Friend,
Miracle, a deviation from the known laws of nature; a supernatural event. Miracles happen every day, but even Christians have a hard time believing that God can do something that goes against the laws of nature. While millions of us believe that Jesus died to save us, and He alone keeps us out of hell, very few of us see the great potential of God. It's sad to think of all the opportunities I lost and what Jesus will reveal to me when I stand before Him, but it's never too late to see God do something miraculous in our lives, the key, never giving up on Him. “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” - Luke 1:37.
Part of the reason why we do not see miracles is that we think with our own reasoning. God does not need us to help Him figure out how to do things, He needs our faith and trust and for us to follow His commands. We not only hinder God when we do things our own way, we cause problems that can effect everyone else as well. At the age of seventy-five, God promised Abraham that He would make him a father of so many that it would be like trying to count the stars in the sky. Now, here he is, twelve years later, and still no son, while he had the utmost faith in God, he couldn't help wonder where the promise would come from. Seeing his distraught, his wife, now in her seventies, came up with an idea for him to have a son.
“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. And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” - Genesis 16:2-7,11,12.
“And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” Abraham knew God would give him at least one son, but instead of letting God make the decision as to who would bare him, he chose to listen to the influence of his wife. 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? I know that Sarah meant well, but deep down, she knew it was wrong, which is why she despised her after she conceived. And that child, Ishmael was and still is very great, thanks to that act of disobedience we have those radical Muslim's who are slaughtering people left and right for their Allah. Ladies, we have some major power over men, but that does not mean we are to use that power to influence them to do wrong. It is very important that we realize we are to be a help to men by being the godly women we supposed to be. “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” - Proverbs 31:10,30,31.
The amazing thing about God is that even when we come up with some crazy ideas to help Him out and fail, He still uses us for fulfilling that promise. After that ordeal, God was ready to fulfill His promise to Abraham. “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. And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.” - Genesis 17:1-4,18-21.
“As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee,” God did not make His covenant with some ordinary person, He made it with a believer. God makes a covenant with each and every person that believes in His Son, Jesus Christ. If we believe that He came here through the birth of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died to be the atonement sacrifice needed to redeem us, was buried in a tomb, and three days later arose from the dead than God makes an eternal life covenant with us. “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:22,23.
God makes things happen, it may take days, weeks, months, or like Abraham, twenty-five years for Him to fulfill those promises, but He never goes back on His promises. Quite often, the reason God makes us wait so long is that we get in the way of His plan or try to rush Him along. Every time we walk out of His will, He takes a step back and makes it look absolutely impossible. Why? To show that with man some things are impossible, but with God all things are possible. God told Abraham that Sarah would have a child, he laughed, and so did Sarah when she overheard Him speaking to Abraham.
“And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.” - Genesis 18:9-15.
“Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” When things look impossible to us they are possible to God. God really does not want to see us suffer, He will do anything for anyone as long as they are willing to let Him guide them. He knows we are going to fall from time to time, but He is right there with His hand ready to pull us back up. I imagine sometimes we wonder if God even hears us, but He always hears us, He hears our praises, prayers, complaints, and even our pleas. So God asks you, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” With God all things are possible, to key to seeing God do the impossible is believing. We may not understand how God makes things possible, but as long as we believe it will happen. “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” - Mark 9:23.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for promises, they are the hope of every one of Your children, for truly we perish without them. Part of seeing those promises come to pass is waiting on You, You know exactly when we are ready to receive the things You promise as well as the things we are in need of, and as long as we keep standing on Your promises, we will see them. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me the patience to wait for You, the strength to keep from making foolish decisions that will hinder You, and the discernment to know whether or not any decision I make is something that You are happy with. I ask these things in Jesus' name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
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Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Genesis: Waiting To See God's Promises
KJB
Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, January 05, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 13-15
Message: Genesis: Waiting To See God's Promises
Hello My Friend,
As Christians, it can get pretty discouraging to see the world prospering as well as worldly Christians. Here you are trying to do everything in your power to keep your head above the water of life when others seem to have everything handed to them. Can I tell you that your time is coming? As long as we keep doing what God tells us and have faith in Him, He will keep His promise and not only give us what we desires, but what He desires from us as well. “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” - Hebrews 10:36.
“after ye have done the will of God,” The will of God, it seems like his will for us is pretty cut and paste, but apart from salvation, the truth is, God's will for you is not the same as His will for me. I will never understand why I am not able do some of the things I know are not sinful, while others can. I do understand that God has something great planned for me. When God spoke to Abram he had everything he needed as he came from a very wealthy family, but He had better plans for him, plans that did not include his family. Abram did something he shouldn't have, he took his nephew Lot with him. Now, since Abram took care of Lot as a son he thought there was no harm in bringing him along, but soon found out that it was best they separate. Abram told Lot to choose which side of the land he wanted to dwell, and he would take the opposite.
“Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. 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. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” - Genesis 13:11-17.
“after that Lot was separated from him,” God waited until Abram separated himself from Lot before He revealed to him His plan for him. You see, while everything we do is not sinful, it may not be the right decision for us. God has a much bigger and better plan for us, He sees the overall picture of our lives, including people and things that will cause a problem in fulfilling His plan. Keep in mind that God will always fulfill His plan for us, it's what we do in between that hinders him, but He is patient to wait for us to get back in His will to proceed further. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” - James 1:3,4,12.
Let me tell you, even when everything looks right, it is best to seek God's guidance to make sure it is what He wants for us before we take further action. We must take two things in account when we make decisions: 1) Does is sound too good to be true? 2) Does it go against anything that God disapproves of? Most likely if it sounds too good to be true or goes against God, it's probably not Him. Lot probably thought that God blessed him with that beautiful land, he soon found out that that it was no blessing at all, it was full of corruption and wickedness. Now, Sodom was in the middle of a war, he and several others were captured, Abram, hearing of this, gathered an army together to go after them.
“And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” - Genesis 14:14-20.
“Blessed be Abram of the most high God,” While God did choose to make Abram's seed to be the seed of His promise, there were some out there who followed Him. While God often separates us from those who hinder Him from His plans for us, that does not mean He does not give opportunity for us to love them, care for them, and show them Christ through us by being there for them in times of distress. Showing kindness to others is always one of the best opportunities to show the existence of Christ, and what He has done in our lives. Jesus gave His life for us, the best thing we can ever do is show that love by being there for those who need us. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.
Sometimes when we are in the will of God it can seem a bit scary, especially if He uses us to so something to help the lost. After Abram rescued his neighbors, perhaps he got a little scared about retaliation, but was also excited about such a great victory. It was then that God spoke to him.
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” - Genesis 15:1-6.
“And he believed in the LORD;” This is what God is looking for, faith. If we believe that He will fulfill that promise, He will, and He will always be there to protect us, even if we hinder Him in the process. Can you imagine the things God can do for us if we believe more than what we actually do? This is why we are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else, He counts our belief in His Son as righteousness. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” - Romans 10:9-11.
Today's Prayer: God, The moment we are conceived, You have a journey for us, sometimes we take a turn and get lost, never to return, but some of us get on the right track and find You. Thank You for loving us, and never giving up on us, for being there when we need You, even when we hinder You, and for always seeing better things of us that we see in ourselves. Lord, I want to walk my path with Your Son, keep me looking to Him, and let me not veer off path in my attempts to rush and or seek other means to get what I desire in life. Give me Your power, wisdom, and discernment to know where You want me to go, the patience to wait for Your promises, and remind me that You always have something better in store for me even when You take things away from me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
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Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Date: Tuesday, January 05, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 13-15
Message: Genesis: Waiting To See God's Promises
Hello My Friend,
As Christians, it can get pretty discouraging to see the world prospering as well as worldly Christians. Here you are trying to do everything in your power to keep your head above the water of life when others seem to have everything handed to them. Can I tell you that your time is coming? As long as we keep doing what God tells us and have faith in Him, He will keep His promise and not only give us what we desires, but what He desires from us as well. “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” - Hebrews 10:36.
“after ye have done the will of God,” The will of God, it seems like his will for us is pretty cut and paste, but apart from salvation, the truth is, God's will for you is not the same as His will for me. I will never understand why I am not able do some of the things I know are not sinful, while others can. I do understand that God has something great planned for me. When God spoke to Abram he had everything he needed as he came from a very wealthy family, but He had better plans for him, plans that did not include his family. Abram did something he shouldn't have, he took his nephew Lot with him. Now, since Abram took care of Lot as a son he thought there was no harm in bringing him along, but soon found out that it was best they separate. Abram told Lot to choose which side of the land he wanted to dwell, and he would take the opposite.
“Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. 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. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” - Genesis 13:11-17.
“after that Lot was separated from him,” God waited until Abram separated himself from Lot before He revealed to him His plan for him. You see, while everything we do is not sinful, it may not be the right decision for us. God has a much bigger and better plan for us, He sees the overall picture of our lives, including people and things that will cause a problem in fulfilling His plan. Keep in mind that God will always fulfill His plan for us, it's what we do in between that hinders him, but He is patient to wait for us to get back in His will to proceed further. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” - James 1:3,4,12.
Let me tell you, even when everything looks right, it is best to seek God's guidance to make sure it is what He wants for us before we take further action. We must take two things in account when we make decisions: 1) Does is sound too good to be true? 2) Does it go against anything that God disapproves of? Most likely if it sounds too good to be true or goes against God, it's probably not Him. Lot probably thought that God blessed him with that beautiful land, he soon found out that that it was no blessing at all, it was full of corruption and wickedness. Now, Sodom was in the middle of a war, he and several others were captured, Abram, hearing of this, gathered an army together to go after them.
“And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” - Genesis 14:14-20.
“Blessed be Abram of the most high God,” While God did choose to make Abram's seed to be the seed of His promise, there were some out there who followed Him. While God often separates us from those who hinder Him from His plans for us, that does not mean He does not give opportunity for us to love them, care for them, and show them Christ through us by being there for them in times of distress. Showing kindness to others is always one of the best opportunities to show the existence of Christ, and what He has done in our lives. Jesus gave His life for us, the best thing we can ever do is show that love by being there for those who need us. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.
Sometimes when we are in the will of God it can seem a bit scary, especially if He uses us to so something to help the lost. After Abram rescued his neighbors, perhaps he got a little scared about retaliation, but was also excited about such a great victory. It was then that God spoke to him.
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” - Genesis 15:1-6.
“And he believed in the LORD;” This is what God is looking for, faith. If we believe that He will fulfill that promise, He will, and He will always be there to protect us, even if we hinder Him in the process. Can you imagine the things God can do for us if we believe more than what we actually do? This is why we are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else, He counts our belief in His Son as righteousness. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” - Romans 10:9-11.
Today's Prayer: God, The moment we are conceived, You have a journey for us, sometimes we take a turn and get lost, never to return, but some of us get on the right track and find You. Thank You for loving us, and never giving up on us, for being there when we need You, even when we hinder You, and for always seeing better things of us that we see in ourselves. Lord, I want to walk my path with Your Son, keep me looking to Him, and let me not veer off path in my attempts to rush and or seek other means to get what I desire in life. Give me Your power, wisdom, and discernment to know where You want me to go, the patience to wait for Your promises, and remind me that You always have something better in store for me even when You take things away from me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Copyright © 2016 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Genesis: Preserved Life
KJB
Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Monday, January 04, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 10-12
Message: Genesis: Preserved Life
Hello My Friend,
Human life is very important to God, after all, He created us in His image, meaning we are the only living beings with a soul. Eternal life is also very important, after all, He sent His only begotten Son to die for us so that all who believe in Him can live with Him forever. It's depressing to see the way people disregard, as if it means nothing. God created each and every one of us for a reason, and we have no right, whether it be in or out of the womb, to take a life, and those who do will be accountable.
“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” - Psalms 139:13-17.
“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me,” Yep, God had a plan for each and every one of us. Sadly, we are the ones who hinder Him from fulfilling it. Do you think He finds joy is seeing the creation He made in His own image die and end up in hell? No, He does not. Do you think He wanted to destroy the earth with the flood along with millions of people? No, He did not, if any of them would have believed, they too would have been saved. However, only eight people did, and it was those eight people that God used to preserve life.
“Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.” - Genesis 10:1,2,22,32.
“and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.” Japheth's descendants make up those of European descent, these would be the generations that follow the Jews in seeking a relationship with God. The descendants of Ham, these would be of African descent, also Canaan, who was cursed by Noah to be servants. The descendants of Shem make up what is known as the Israelites or Jews. God's emphasis was in the lineage from which the Jews, particularly Arphaxad came, as they would not only become His chosen people, but Jesus would be incarnated from them as well. God will use any believing soul to preserve life, and He will continue to create and sustain life until the very last soul to believe in His Son is saved.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” - 2 Peter 3:9,10.
So many people believe in heaven, and even believe that they will be there when they die, but they do not want to do it God's way. The truth is there is only one way to get to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ, but sadly, people make up their own beliefs. Now, with eight people seeing the miracles and wrath of God you would think that there was some fear in them to live right and trust only God. However, once Noah died, all that changed as they scattered the earth and began establishing their own beliefs, including building a tower to reach heaven.
“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. 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. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.” - Genesis 11:1-8.
“and there confound their language,” God gave them different languages so they could not understand each other. Did you know that God has a language all of His own? He does, and the only people who understand it is those who are saved and following His Word. Theologians claim they know the Bible, but cannot explain the simplest things from it, scholars claim to know history, but cannot explain the miraculous things that happened over time, scientist claim to know everything, but cannot explain simple creation. God makes everything simple, trust me, believe in my Son, and live in my Word, man makes everything complicated.
“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” - Romans 1:22-25.
You know, before the Bible was penned down, people did not have a book to guide and teach them about God. Instead they had to rely totally upon their faith, and the few people He spoke through. Of course, they made mistakes along the way, but it was through sin, trial, and error that they learned to not only trust God, but believe in His Son as well. Now, we begin the lineage from which the Jews would descend and who God would preserve the lineage from which Jesus would descend.
“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. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.” - Genesis 12:1-7.
“and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” In reality, the generation of God, is not a particular race or religion, it is a generation of believers, those who believe in and receive God's only begotten Son as their only way to heaven and eternal life. Being a child of God does not mean we will never make mistakes, it does mean we have a great and merciful Father, who will love us, chasten us, and grow us into the image of His Son, if we come to Him. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:10.
Today's Prayer: God, As Your children, 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 actions caused a great deal of loss, life-long regret, and emotional pain, not only for themselves, but others as well. Help us avoid the traps Satan has set for Your children by not only reading Your 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 before You as a living sacrifice, holy, upright, and honorable to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
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Copyright © 2016 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Date: Monday, January 04, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 10-12
Message: Genesis: Preserved Life
Hello My Friend,
Human life is very important to God, after all, He created us in His image, meaning we are the only living beings with a soul. Eternal life is also very important, after all, He sent His only begotten Son to die for us so that all who believe in Him can live with Him forever. It's depressing to see the way people disregard, as if it means nothing. God created each and every one of us for a reason, and we have no right, whether it be in or out of the womb, to take a life, and those who do will be accountable.
“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” - Psalms 139:13-17.
“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me,” Yep, God had a plan for each and every one of us. Sadly, we are the ones who hinder Him from fulfilling it. Do you think He finds joy is seeing the creation He made in His own image die and end up in hell? No, He does not. Do you think He wanted to destroy the earth with the flood along with millions of people? No, He did not, if any of them would have believed, they too would have been saved. However, only eight people did, and it was those eight people that God used to preserve life.
“Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.” - Genesis 10:1,2,22,32.
“and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.” Japheth's descendants make up those of European descent, these would be the generations that follow the Jews in seeking a relationship with God. The descendants of Ham, these would be of African descent, also Canaan, who was cursed by Noah to be servants. The descendants of Shem make up what is known as the Israelites or Jews. God's emphasis was in the lineage from which the Jews, particularly Arphaxad came, as they would not only become His chosen people, but Jesus would be incarnated from them as well. God will use any believing soul to preserve life, and He will continue to create and sustain life until the very last soul to believe in His Son is saved.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” - 2 Peter 3:9,10.
So many people believe in heaven, and even believe that they will be there when they die, but they do not want to do it God's way. The truth is there is only one way to get to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ, but sadly, people make up their own beliefs. Now, with eight people seeing the miracles and wrath of God you would think that there was some fear in them to live right and trust only God. However, once Noah died, all that changed as they scattered the earth and began establishing their own beliefs, including building a tower to reach heaven.
“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. 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. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.” - Genesis 11:1-8.
“and there confound their language,” God gave them different languages so they could not understand each other. Did you know that God has a language all of His own? He does, and the only people who understand it is those who are saved and following His Word. Theologians claim they know the Bible, but cannot explain the simplest things from it, scholars claim to know history, but cannot explain the miraculous things that happened over time, scientist claim to know everything, but cannot explain simple creation. God makes everything simple, trust me, believe in my Son, and live in my Word, man makes everything complicated.
“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” - Romans 1:22-25.
You know, before the Bible was penned down, people did not have a book to guide and teach them about God. Instead they had to rely totally upon their faith, and the few people He spoke through. Of course, they made mistakes along the way, but it was through sin, trial, and error that they learned to not only trust God, but believe in His Son as well. Now, we begin the lineage from which the Jews would descend and who God would preserve the lineage from which Jesus would descend.
“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. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.” - Genesis 12:1-7.
“and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” In reality, the generation of God, is not a particular race or religion, it is a generation of believers, those who believe in and receive God's only begotten Son as their only way to heaven and eternal life. Being a child of God does not mean we will never make mistakes, it does mean we have a great and merciful Father, who will love us, chasten us, and grow us into the image of His Son, if we come to Him. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:10.
Today's Prayer: God, As Your children, 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 actions caused a great deal of loss, life-long regret, and emotional pain, not only for themselves, but others as well. Help us avoid the traps Satan has set for Your children by not only reading Your 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 before You as a living sacrifice, holy, upright, and honorable to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Sunday, January 3, 2016
Genesis: God's Promise
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Sunday, January 03, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 7-9
Message: Genesis: God's Promise
Hello My Friend,
Did you ever notice that the world corrupts everything that is holy to God? The rainbow, a symbol and promise of God taken and turned into something that now symbolizes homosexuality. I can go on about the cross, marriage, Mary, and even Jesus. Now, if you want to live a lifestyle that goes against the principles of God, by all means that's your choice, and God loves you still by the way. What this really is about is the devil and his attempt and great success at turning everything that God abhors into something acceptable, and everything He loves into something wicked. However, if we follow him we are literally digging our own graves. “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;” - 2 Peter 2:12.
People can deny the existence of God, reject Him, or even change His word to try and make it look like He is okay with all the corruption going on in the world today, but He's going to do what He wants anyway, He doesn't need our approval to bring peace or wrath upon the earth. Just as God commanded, Noah, his sons, and their wives built the ark that would save all who entered it from the flood that would destroy the earth. In a time when there was no such thing as rain, God was about to use it to destroy every living thing on the earth.
“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.” - Genesis 7:1,7,8,22,23.
“and they that were with him in the ark.” You would not be human if you did not feel sorrow over the thought of millions of lives being lost. You know the truth is, more of those lives could have been saved, but none of them believed that God, whom there were well aware of, was capable of doing such a thing. Can you imagine water so high that it covered the mountains? And scientist wonder how fossils that high up have been found in tact? God loves every single soul He creates, He would have saved any of them had they believed and gotten into that boat. I guarantee you that when the floods were coming the people were banging on the door trying to get in, but once the door was shut it was too late for them to be saved. The same is true today, only it's not an ark we need to get on, it's a Saviour, one Jesus Christ, and if we do not get aboard Him before we die it will be too late. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:23.
While God does get angry and His judgments are just, He does give ample warning before He does anything so we can make the right decisions, and He never leaves one of His people behind. Noah and his family did not know what was going to happen to them, but they knew that God was with them and protecting them in that ark. One year after the rain began and the flood destroyed the earth, the land was dry, and life was sustainable once again. God commands Noah and his family to come out of the ark and begin living on earth once again.
“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.” - Genesis 8:1-4.16,17.
“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing,” God never forgot His promise to sustain life with those who believe in Him. God's remembering Noah was the return of His mercy and grace to mankind, when we are in the midst of judgment it can seem like years, but once days pass, the believer will find themselves safely in a better world. God blesses the earth more than ever, and makes a new covenant with man.
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” - Genesis 9:1-6,14-16.
“And surely your blood of your lives will I require;” Blood is very important to God and us, it sustains us and is made as the atonement for the soul, the life of the sacrifice was accepted for the life of the sinner. Blood must not be looked upon as a common thing, but be poured out before the Lord, which is why Christ became the ultimate sacrifice that would bring redemption to all who believe in Him. The blessings of God is the cause of our following His commands, some people have such a hard time following commands of any kind, they have this mentality that they are above the law, whichever it may be, and can do what ever they want and get away with it. It is no wonder why God gets so angry? God preserved mankind simply by one man following one command. God preserves life through one man, His Son, Jesus Christ, He truly is our life preserver. Once you get on Him your life is preserved, never to be destroyed. “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” - 1 John 5:12.
Today's Prayer: God, In a world full of doubt and fear, turn my eyes upon You, and let me see that all things are truly possible when I look to You. Lord, give me Your power, strength, and courage to keep living according to Your will for me, and not give up on Your promises. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Date: Sunday, January 03, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 7-9
Message: Genesis: God's Promise
Hello My Friend,
Did you ever notice that the world corrupts everything that is holy to God? The rainbow, a symbol and promise of God taken and turned into something that now symbolizes homosexuality. I can go on about the cross, marriage, Mary, and even Jesus. Now, if you want to live a lifestyle that goes against the principles of God, by all means that's your choice, and God loves you still by the way. What this really is about is the devil and his attempt and great success at turning everything that God abhors into something acceptable, and everything He loves into something wicked. However, if we follow him we are literally digging our own graves. “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;” - 2 Peter 2:12.
People can deny the existence of God, reject Him, or even change His word to try and make it look like He is okay with all the corruption going on in the world today, but He's going to do what He wants anyway, He doesn't need our approval to bring peace or wrath upon the earth. Just as God commanded, Noah, his sons, and their wives built the ark that would save all who entered it from the flood that would destroy the earth. In a time when there was no such thing as rain, God was about to use it to destroy every living thing on the earth.
“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.” - Genesis 7:1,7,8,22,23.
“and they that were with him in the ark.” You would not be human if you did not feel sorrow over the thought of millions of lives being lost. You know the truth is, more of those lives could have been saved, but none of them believed that God, whom there were well aware of, was capable of doing such a thing. Can you imagine water so high that it covered the mountains? And scientist wonder how fossils that high up have been found in tact? God loves every single soul He creates, He would have saved any of them had they believed and gotten into that boat. I guarantee you that when the floods were coming the people were banging on the door trying to get in, but once the door was shut it was too late for them to be saved. The same is true today, only it's not an ark we need to get on, it's a Saviour, one Jesus Christ, and if we do not get aboard Him before we die it will be too late. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:23.
While God does get angry and His judgments are just, He does give ample warning before He does anything so we can make the right decisions, and He never leaves one of His people behind. Noah and his family did not know what was going to happen to them, but they knew that God was with them and protecting them in that ark. One year after the rain began and the flood destroyed the earth, the land was dry, and life was sustainable once again. God commands Noah and his family to come out of the ark and begin living on earth once again.
“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.” - Genesis 8:1-4.16,17.
“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing,” God never forgot His promise to sustain life with those who believe in Him. God's remembering Noah was the return of His mercy and grace to mankind, when we are in the midst of judgment it can seem like years, but once days pass, the believer will find themselves safely in a better world. God blesses the earth more than ever, and makes a new covenant with man.
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” - Genesis 9:1-6,14-16.
“And surely your blood of your lives will I require;” Blood is very important to God and us, it sustains us and is made as the atonement for the soul, the life of the sacrifice was accepted for the life of the sinner. Blood must not be looked upon as a common thing, but be poured out before the Lord, which is why Christ became the ultimate sacrifice that would bring redemption to all who believe in Him. The blessings of God is the cause of our following His commands, some people have such a hard time following commands of any kind, they have this mentality that they are above the law, whichever it may be, and can do what ever they want and get away with it. It is no wonder why God gets so angry? God preserved mankind simply by one man following one command. God preserves life through one man, His Son, Jesus Christ, He truly is our life preserver. Once you get on Him your life is preserved, never to be destroyed. “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” - 1 John 5:12.
Today's Prayer: God, In a world full of doubt and fear, turn my eyes upon You, and let me see that all things are truly possible when I look to You. Lord, give me Your power, strength, and courage to keep living according to Your will for me, and not give up on Your promises. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
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Genesis: The Desire To Sin
KJB Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Saturday, January 02, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 4-6
Message: Genesis: The Desire To Sin
Hello My Friend,
Desire, An emotion or excitement of the mind, directed to the attainment or possession of an object from which pleasure, sensual, intellectual or spiritual, is expected. We all desire things, and that is actually a good thing, but like every good thing can be turned bad so can the things we desire. Desire becomes bad when it turns into lust, which is the root of sin to begin with, remember when Eve saw the forbidden tree as something to be desired that is when lust kicked in, and she not only ate of it, but influenced her husband as well. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” - James 4:2,3.
God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, and they did, there were so many that as they grew older they began to scatter all over the earth. To human reasoning the thought of all mankind coming from one man and one woman is something disgusting and incestuous, but in those days things were different, God used them to procreate, and in the process of time created different races as well. While Adam and Eve had many children, as you piece things together you realize that they did not all worshiped their Creator, in fact, very few did. We learn of this with Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer, and took care of the crops, while Able was a cattle rancher, and took care of the cattle and sheep. They both brought an offering to God, but only one was accepted.
“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 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. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” - Genesis 4:3-8.
“And unto thee shall be his desire,” The amazing thing about living our lives for God is that He does give us our desires when we love Him with all our heart, but we must love Him wholeheartedly to be accepted of Him. If we come to Him halfheartedly and are not careful in how we do things to get what we desire, sin creeps in and it will literally be what we desire. Of course, we don't always give God a hundred percent of our heart, but God knows our true heart, when we come to Him halfheartedly He will not respect our offerings. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” - 1 John 5:14,15.
Cain began the genealogy of what was known as the sons of man. The genealogy of Adam, and the eventual lineage of where Jesus would descend continued through a third son, Seth, known as the sons of God. “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed. And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” - Genesis 5:1-3,28-32.
“And he called his name Noah,” Noah means rest, he was the tenth in descent from Adam, who would literally be where all of us would descend from. Life is so precious to God, that He will sustain it through one soul if it loves Him, and while He desires every soul to love Him, many will reject Him. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” - Romans 8:29,30.
Yes, we are all predestined to be children of God through His Son, Jesus Christ, but not all of us will believe in Him, therefore, not all will be justified. While all life is precious, God will not stand for sin. The more people that reject Him for sin, the more His wrath kindles, and before you know it, judgment comes, not only to one life, but all. When the sons of God began having children with the sons of man, very few recognized God, in fact, they were down right rebellious of God. There was so much wickedness and immorality in the world that He repented for having made life on earth. He was so disappointed and angry that He chose to destroy the entire earth. However, He did find one man, Noah, who was not like the rest, and He chose that one soul, along with his three sons and their wives to sustain life.
“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” - Genesis 6:5-9.
“and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Fornication, adultery, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, same sex marriage, polygamy, these are some of the things that made God repent of creating man, and He still hates them today. Some people to do pretty wicked things to their bodies, and if we think we have seen in all, imagine what God saw that caused Him to wipe everything off the earth. When we leave things to our own reasoning we desire the things of the world, I was there, at one time I thought it was okay to live with a man as long as you were faithful to each other. When we receive Christ as our Saviour and begin to grow as a Christian we learn that many of the things we see a normal and good are not good for us at all. When we learn to desire the things of God, that is when the desire to live in sin becomes less and less. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” - Galatians 5:16,17,24.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for giving me life, and for the life that You have given me. While I do not always understand the trials and obstacles that You place before me as I walk the path You have chosen for me, I do understand that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and that I am Your precious child. I do want to live my life to please You, I want to value my life by living it guiding by Your Word, and walking side by side with Your Son. Lord, give me Your power to love life, no matter where You place me, and give me the strength to sustain life by being a witness and testimony of how living a moral and just life leads to Your Son. In the prescious name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Date: Saturday, January 02, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 4-6
Message: Genesis: The Desire To Sin
Hello My Friend,
Desire, An emotion or excitement of the mind, directed to the attainment or possession of an object from which pleasure, sensual, intellectual or spiritual, is expected. We all desire things, and that is actually a good thing, but like every good thing can be turned bad so can the things we desire. Desire becomes bad when it turns into lust, which is the root of sin to begin with, remember when Eve saw the forbidden tree as something to be desired that is when lust kicked in, and she not only ate of it, but influenced her husband as well. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” - James 4:2,3.
God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, and they did, there were so many that as they grew older they began to scatter all over the earth. To human reasoning the thought of all mankind coming from one man and one woman is something disgusting and incestuous, but in those days things were different, God used them to procreate, and in the process of time created different races as well. While Adam and Eve had many children, as you piece things together you realize that they did not all worshiped their Creator, in fact, very few did. We learn of this with Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer, and took care of the crops, while Able was a cattle rancher, and took care of the cattle and sheep. They both brought an offering to God, but only one was accepted.
“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 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. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” - Genesis 4:3-8.
“And unto thee shall be his desire,” The amazing thing about living our lives for God is that He does give us our desires when we love Him with all our heart, but we must love Him wholeheartedly to be accepted of Him. If we come to Him halfheartedly and are not careful in how we do things to get what we desire, sin creeps in and it will literally be what we desire. Of course, we don't always give God a hundred percent of our heart, but God knows our true heart, when we come to Him halfheartedly He will not respect our offerings. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” - 1 John 5:14,15.
Cain began the genealogy of what was known as the sons of man. The genealogy of Adam, and the eventual lineage of where Jesus would descend continued through a third son, Seth, known as the sons of God. “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed. And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” - Genesis 5:1-3,28-32.
“And he called his name Noah,” Noah means rest, he was the tenth in descent from Adam, who would literally be where all of us would descend from. Life is so precious to God, that He will sustain it through one soul if it loves Him, and while He desires every soul to love Him, many will reject Him. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” - Romans 8:29,30.
Yes, we are all predestined to be children of God through His Son, Jesus Christ, but not all of us will believe in Him, therefore, not all will be justified. While all life is precious, God will not stand for sin. The more people that reject Him for sin, the more His wrath kindles, and before you know it, judgment comes, not only to one life, but all. When the sons of God began having children with the sons of man, very few recognized God, in fact, they were down right rebellious of God. There was so much wickedness and immorality in the world that He repented for having made life on earth. He was so disappointed and angry that He chose to destroy the entire earth. However, He did find one man, Noah, who was not like the rest, and He chose that one soul, along with his three sons and their wives to sustain life.
“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” - Genesis 6:5-9.
“and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Fornication, adultery, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, same sex marriage, polygamy, these are some of the things that made God repent of creating man, and He still hates them today. Some people to do pretty wicked things to their bodies, and if we think we have seen in all, imagine what God saw that caused Him to wipe everything off the earth. When we leave things to our own reasoning we desire the things of the world, I was there, at one time I thought it was okay to live with a man as long as you were faithful to each other. When we receive Christ as our Saviour and begin to grow as a Christian we learn that many of the things we see a normal and good are not good for us at all. When we learn to desire the things of God, that is when the desire to live in sin becomes less and less. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” - Galatians 5:16,17,24.
Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for giving me life, and for the life that You have given me. While I do not always understand the trials and obstacles that You place before me as I walk the path You have chosen for me, I do understand that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and that I am Your precious child. I do want to live my life to please You, I want to value my life by living it guiding by Your Word, and walking side by side with Your Son. Lord, give me Your power to love life, no matter where You place me, and give me the strength to sustain life by being a witness and testimony of how living a moral and just life leads to Your Son. In the prescious name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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