The Book of Judges & the Cycle of Sin

Today I was crying out to the Lord and asking why is it so easy to fall away? How is it that one week I can be so strong, walking in faith, loving my intimate time with Him, praying, seeking and how is it the next week I can be struggling, feeling far from Him, really having to force myself to read and pray.

Well, the answer came almost immediately! The amazing thing is I am in the book of Judges right now and what this problem I am facing is the cycle of sin!

All through the book of Judges this happens over and over again.

In other words there was a repeated cycle throughout the entire book – a cycle of sin, bondage, repentance, devotion, followed by sin and bondage again. When there was a leader Israel would follow the Lord but when there was no one there to remind them they fell back into their old ways and sometimes worse then before. They started worshipping false gods and doing all kinds of evil. Then God would allow them to be captured by their enemy and only through that bondage would Israel turn back and cry out to God for help. Then God would raise up another leader for them to follow and the cycle would begin again.

You may think...yeah but that was before redemption through Jesus.

But we all fall into this trap, even today! I know I have one area of of weakness that constantly drags me down and back into bondage. When I compromise or give into that temptation I find myself falling back into old habits. Then I feel like my Christian walk goes up and down like a yoyo. But the cycle of sin can be broken! After all, Jesus died on the cross so it would be broken.

Judges is a book that teaches us both how they became captive to the enemy, and also how they got out of that bondage. And in doing so, it then teaches us how to break the cycle of sin. Looking over your past as a Christian, have you seen this in your own life? Has your Christian walk been a cycle of victory and defeat? Do you see the cycle occurring in your life? If we are honest, the message of Judges is a wake up call for each of us. It is a warning of what can happen once we become comfortable and begin to compromise with the enemy. It is guardrail, and a danger signal of the traps that can lie ahead in our Christian lives.

Now, when we fall into this cycle of sin God doesn't raise up a judge these days. But, He does send us amazing Christian leaders, pastors, and other Christian friends who help point the way and help us draw back to Him. And sometimes He needs to allow us to be in a time of desperation so that we will call out and realize we need Him. God doesn't want us dependent on other people. He only wants us dependent on Him!

The key is to only depend on God, pray, stay close to His Word, flee from sin and NEVER compromise!

No wonder Paul warned us to pray without ceasing. What He meant was never break your communication with God.

We are no different then Israel was. We have the same weakness. So, we must stay on track. Stay rooted and grounded in His Word. That and prayer are the most powerful weapons we have been given.

Don't let your guard down!

Joseph and the Storm of Waiting

Recently one of the pastor's at my home church spoke on storms. There are many storms that come into our lives such as physical, emotional, relational, financial. But when she spoke on storms I realized there is another storm. The storm of WAITING. It seems so fitting that I am reading about Joseph right now as I finish up the book of Genesis. Because most of Joseph's life was spent waiting.
I was thinking about Joseph a lot this morning. Especially when his brothers cast him into that deep, dark hole. Can you imagine the hurt? Having your family reject you that way. Not caring if you live or die? I also wonder if the thought came into his mind that his father knew. I could see so easily how the enemy would project thoughts into his mind that his father sent him out there knowing what his brothers would do. Maybe he dismissed it but I know I would have struggled with that thought. Aside from losing a loved one there can be no greater hurt then to be rejected by your own family. Then Joseph was sold. Another deep hurt. To be sold as if you are a "thing". As if you are not human almost. Just a piece of property with a price tag. Then he went to work for Potiphar. He worked for him without pay. And I was thinking it must have been very difficult at first because he spoke the Hebrew language and now he was in Egypt. He had to learn a whole new language and that couldn't have been easy. And talk about culture shock! Yet, Joseph never forgot who he was, his heritage, or His God. Nothing is said in the Bible about all those in between years. But it couldn't have been easy. And all that time Joseph just had to WAIT. He was waiting for the dream, waiting for it to get better. Wondering if it ever would.
In my own life right now I can so relate. I am waiting. Waiting for the right job, the right ministry, waiting for a husband, for the vision God gave me 16 years ago to be fulfilled. And this waiting can be such a storm. The doubts that come in, trying to hang on to faith, the many obstacles and temptations that get in the way.
Then I think of Joseph again. He was tempted by Potiphar's wife and I am sure there were many other temptations not recorded throughout his stay there. But Joseph endured and He stood on faith and what he knew was right. And what was his reward for all that?
Years in prision! Thrown into another deep, dark hole. He did nothing wrong. I hang onto that because when bad things happen it's so easy to think we did something wrong or that God is punishing us. But, that is not the case. God placed Joseph at Potiphar's house to train him to rule over little things so he could be a ruler over many things, and he placed him in jail so he could meet up with the source that would bring him before Pharoah.
Now, I don't think God wanted Joseph's brothers to reject him and sell him. That was their choice and I'm sure it broke God's heart. He most likely had a different plan in mind to bring Joseph's dreams to pass. But God was able to take that tragedy and turn it into good. Nothing is impossible for God!
20 years later Joseph meets back up with his brothers and sees the dream fulfilled. And then we see one of the greatest lessons of forgiveness. So much hurt, so many deep wounds but Joseph forgave them and saw what God was able to do through the whole ordeal and give God the glory.
So, as I am in this season of waiting I will keep Joseph in mind. For if his story teaches me anything it is that if God puts a dream or vision in your heart He will fulfill it. It will come to pass. And during the storm of waiting I can find peace in standing on His Word and thank Him for all He is preparing me for.

But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31

Who is This King of Glory?

Always left out, ignored, and neglected. The lonliness shatters my soul.
The gifts I can give are always rejected. Like Joseph, cast in a deep hole.
But yet there is one who sees worth in me. He loves me and calls me by name.
He was beaten and scorged then He hung on a tree. He suffered to take my shame.
Who is this man that would do this for me? Why would He endure so much pain?
For even the world sees nothing in me. What did He have to gain?
This man who died was God's own son. The one who created all things!
But why for me? Why was this done? For He is the king of all kings!
I am nothing but sin formed from dirt. But He gave me the breath of life
He covers my sin, takes away all my hurt. He carries my pain and my strife.
He calls me beloved, calls me His bride. I am the apple of His eye.
He calls me His jewel. Wants me by His side. But I keep asking - why?

Who is this king of Glory?

I think it is so incredible that we serve a God who sees in us what we can never see. The world only cares about people who are popular, wealthy, attractive, or who have power. But the Lord, the creator of EVERYTHING is not that way. The world saw Gideon as a coward but God saw Him as a mighty man of valor. Moses was a murderer and ran away but God saw in him someone who would be a great leader and help free all of Israel from slavery. Joseph's family misunderstood him and rejected him but God raised him up to be 2nd greatest to Pharaoh and helped save all lands from famine. Jesus used 12 uneducated men to turn the world upside down.
How incredible is this God we serve? He sees worth where no one else does. All those peole that get left out, are overlooked, are made fun of, are rejected - God sees great worth!!!

God sees great worth in you today - even if others don't. And does that matter? If the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator, God Almighty Himself see worth in YOU then who cares what others think?

Be of good courage. You are not alone, you have worth, and you are loved.

A Time of Waiting

I started on the Joseph story today. It seems fitting because it's really a story of waiting, of endurance, of fighting temptation. And that is the season I am in now.

Joseph had some amazing dreams. God given dreams! But all Joesph could see was his dreams led him into a dark pit, rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery in Egypt, thrown into prison. Years of waiting! Years! All of his youth..
And he was tempted. Potiphar's wife tempted him over and over to sleep with her. But he overcame that temptation and told her it was sinful. And because he did what was right what was his reward? He was falsey accused and  thrown in jail! Joseph overcame temptation, he endured, he waited...

I can understand some of what Jospeh went through. Having been falsey accused myself, losing my job, and now just waiting, and waiting. Not knowing what God's plan is in all this. But just having to wait. Having to trust. And wait..and having to overcome the temptations of sliding back into habitual sin. Learning to endure.

God has given me a vision. A dream.
Just like Jospeh, I too must go through a preparation time. When Joseph was serving Potiphar and when he was in jail he was put in charge. He oversaw Potiphar's house. He oversaw the jail. God was preparing him to one day oversee all of Egypt.

Does it seem like your dreams are gone? Does it seem like God has forgotten you?
Well, be of good cheer because your dream is not dead and God is with you. If your dream or vision is from the Lord then He will finish what He started. We can't always understand the plan but know that God is in the midst of it all and He is preparing you.

I know He is preparing me. So, I must endure. I must be patient. I must overcome.

I must wait.

The Horn of My Salvation

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. - Psalm 18:2

When I was reading Psalm 18 in verse 2 it talks about how God is the horn of my salvation. So, I asked myself...what does that mean? Why did the Psalmist use a reference to a horn?
I do know that horns were used in battle back in the day. Even thinking about scenes from "Lord of the Rings" where when people were in trouble they would sound the horn and everyone would come to their aid. I am sure at the time the old testament was written  horns were a symbol of salvation especially when used in a battle.
I was doing some research on it and find one article that really caught my attention. I loved it so much I just have to share!

The Horn of My Salvation
By James Macpherson

If you’ve studied entomology you’d be aware that different groups of creatures have different names. For instance, a group of fish is called a school. Ants are called colonies and bees are called a swarm. Cattle are herds, birds are flocks, and a tribe of lions is a pride. For what it’s worth, a group of buzzards is called a committee!
Did you know a group of rhinos is called a crash?

The amazing thing about Rhinos is how fast they can run. Believe it or not, a rhino can run about thirty miles per hour which is pretty amazing considering how much weight they are carrying! They are actually faster than squirrels which can run about twenty-six miles per hour.

Here’s the bizarre thing. Rhinos have terrible eyesight. They can only see about thirty feet in front of themselves. So they are running thirty miles an hour with no idea what’s at thirty-one feet!

You would think they’d be timid creatures because they can’t see very far in front of themselves. But God, in his amazingly creative foresight, gave rhinos a big horn on the front of their head. The Rhino may not know what's ahead, but he does know the horn will be his salvation.

Sometimes I wonder if we need a 'Crash' of Christians! Yes, the future is uncertain. But we need to charge ahead with new and daring initiatives anyway.

Too many leaders are too afraid to have a go because of all the unknowns. But there is a future to be created and a city to be reached. Instead of worrying about all the things we don't know, it's time to crash through to new levels because of what we do know!

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for He has visited His people and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David." - Luke 1v69

The Bible calls Jesus "the horn of salvation", raised up for us! It's time to crash through into the unknown!

Ehud & Eglon

Sort of excited about this one! I started the book of Judges yesterday and I read an account today I have NEVER heard of or read before. So, that's exciting. I guess for whatever reason this judge that God rose up by the name of Ehud never seems to make it into sermons. Well, at least not in any I have ever heard in the past 15 years. And well, I myself never read the whole book of Judges before so I was quite surprised to find it.
But as I am in a season of trial I find it exciting!!!
So, if you don't know (like I didn't)

Judges 3:12-14,17
 Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years... Now Eglon was a very fat man.

So here we have the people of Israel, because they did evil in the Lord's sight, given over to the enemy. Interesting to note that the Moabites were descendants of Lot. If you recall Lot's daughter got him drunk and laid with him and became pregnant after the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah. (Genesis 19:30-38)
Moab was physically related to God’s people, yet had no connection spiritually, and was in fact an enemy of God’s people. So it is that people can attend church and outwardly look ‘Christian’, yet never come to know Jesus as their own Lord and Saviour.
You see, even as a true Christian it is easy to simply ‘go through the motions’ so we all have to be on our guard. It speaks to us of those times when, having departed from our first love, we carry on through the motion of being a ‘good Christian’, yet we have no relationship with the Lord. Eglon, the king of Moab is a warning for all of us to guard against this. In this regard it is also interesting to note that Eglon’s name is derived from the root word meaning ‘circle’, and in the meaning of his name we are given this same thought once again of someone going round and round, through the motions, without ever getting anywhere! There is however deliverance from this enemy and here comes our hero now!

Enter Ehud the Left-Handed Benjamite!

Judges 3:15
Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite.

(Okay...start playng the Rocky theme!)
 Our hero, Ehud, means ‘I will give praise’, or ‘I will give thanks’. Now, we are going to have a quick look at the power of praise because it is taught consistently throughout the word of God,
But there is a power in praise and gratitude, and its importance in our lives is taught consistently throughout the Bible.  All of us will be tested on this! There will always be times when trials and darkness surround you and praise is slow in coming. It is then, at that very moment, that you need to make a conscious decision to lift up your shield of faith and praise God despite how your circumstances seem.

Judges 3:16-21
Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man… Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly.

Well, the king died. Ehud escaped and led the Israelites out of bondage from Mohab. Woo Hoo!

There is a type here of the warfare that New Testament believers encounter and engage in. Our double-edged sword is not man-made but has been given to us from above.

Heb 4:12 ‘For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit.’.

Eph 6:17 ‘Take the… sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’

And finally, we see from this passage in Judges that the enemy is defeated as the double-edged sword is thrust into the enemy’s side. For us, (and especially when trials arise) this means using the word of God as Jesus did to defeat the enemy when He was being tried in the desert. It means declaring the truth of the word, declaring the promises of God. It means using the truth of God’s word as your basis of praise and thankfulness to Him. It means renewing your mind with its truth when the arrows of doubt from the enemy flood in.

Submit yourself to God, resist the enemy (with the use of your sword!) and he will flee from you!

In this manner the cycle of sin is defeated and the enemy of empty profession is destroyed. 


 How cool is that? I like Ehud and this victory over Mohab. It shows me that the Word of God truly is sharper then any two-edge sword and I can defeat the enemy with praise, thanksgiving, and the Word (my sword!)

haha...wow, I LOVE the Word of God!

1-18-11

I haven't posted in a while but I have been reading and doing a lot of seeking. I finished Joshua and am now finishing up reading about the life of Jacob in Genesis. So, I guess today I'll talk about Jacob.

Jacob was a schemer. He schemed his way into getting Esau's birthright, his blessing. He schemed for Rachel. he schemed with Rachel's father. He even tried scheming with God. Through all of this we see that Jacob struggled his way to faith. God had promised Rachel before Jacob was born that the older would serve the younger. The birthright and blessing were already Jacob's. Essentially he schemed for what God was already going to give him. If Jacob had just trusted God he would have had less conflict in his life. He wouldn't have had turmoil with his family, with his in-laws. It shows me that we must always trust God and not get ahead of His plans. Now, even when we mess up and forge ahead in our own plans God still extends mercy and blessing. But what we can save ourselves from is a lot of unnecessary heartache. I don't want God's permissive will. I want His perfect will!
God is showing me more and more how important it is to wait on Him. To trust Him. In my human nature I want to try to fix things. I want to forge ahead with "my" plans or what I think is right. But God is teaching me "Be still and Know". BE STILL. WAIT. SIT AT MY FEET.
He has a perfect plan for my life but it must be His timing and not mine.
Jacob wrestled with God and walked with a limp for the rest of his life. I think sometimes I wrestle more with myself. I definitely do not want to wrestle with God. Submit! Now that's a better word.

May God give me the strength to submit every day.

The significance of the first miracle Jesus did

The first miracle we see is Jesus turning water into wine. The first miracle we see Moses do is turn water into blood. Blood signifies judgement where wine signifies celebration and joy. We see with Moses came the law and judgement but with Jesus comes celebration and joy for He brought grace and mercy!

I love this story of the first miracle. Weddings were a big deal in this time. They would last sometimes 3 days to a week. After the initial wedding everyone would gather into the bride's house for blessings on her and toasts, etc. Then they would go to the groom's home where the party really began. Running out of wine at these parties was not just embarrasing but a big offense. It simply did not happen. So, when Mary sees this she takes her concern to Jesus and submits to Him by telling the servants whatever He tells you, do it. These servants were the ones who were blessed to be part of this first miracle. Everytime they dipped there serving instrument into the pot full of water they saw it turn into wine. Over and over again. They received that blessing because they were obedient to do what they were told.
I LOVE how Jesus chose the servants to witness and be a part of this first miracle. And the symbolism of the celebration and joy to come.

This was a  miracle of creation. Jesus shows us He is Lord over nature and He is Lord over time. It reminds us that God is the creator.

This was also a miracle of transformation. Jesus changed things.

Jesus wants to change things in your heart. ♥

I heard a quote today that really summed it up
If Jesus could turn water into fine wine surely He can make fine wine out of the tap water of my life. Even if the wine skin is getting old.

Are you walking in the victory of Jericho or the defeat of Ai?

Well, here are the children of Israel basking in their victory over Jericho and they come to a little place called Ai.
Joshua again sends two men into the city to spy it out. These two men came back and said,

“Oh, Joshua, you don’t need to send many folks against these people. Just send in a couple or three thousand men and they’ll make short work of them and we’ll just go in and take over Ai and
that’ll be it!”

But, what happened?

Joshua 7:4-13…
God had told the children of Israel to utterly destroy Jericho…(Joshua 6:18-19) They were NOT to take anything under the ban for themselves and God said to Joshua, “Israel has sinned, Joshua, they have stolen and deceived and unless you deal with this, I won’t be with you anymore!”

I believe it’s interesting to note that Joshua prayed AFTER their defeat. Don’t you believe if Joshua had prayed BEFORE they went into Ai, that God would have said, “Joshua, don’t go against Ai right now…there’s sin in the camp and you must deal with that first!!”

How often has this happened to us? We experience an amazing victory with the Lord and then forge ahead in our own plan without consulting Him first? Joshua was an amazing leader and when it came to Jericho he did everything right. He followed God's plan and didn't take a step without His direction. But when they came to Ai, he forged ahead without going to the Lord first. Well, Joshua was only human like we are. And we can learn from his mistake.
Many men's lives were lost in Ai that day. The men of Ai overpowered them and defeated them. Later, when it was God's plan and timing they defeated Ai.

What Ai is in your life? Is there something you forged ahead with without consulting God? The enemy waits to overpower you and defeat you. But when we go to God about every step of our lives we can avoid those traps and be victorious over our enemy.

Take everything to prayer. Let God have control over what doors are to be open or shut. Even when it seems like something good, like a ministry or helping someone out. Only God can see the bigger picture and what lies ahead. That is why we must trust Him with all our heart, even when what He tells us doesn't make sense at the time.

Be blessed today. ☻☺☻☺

1-8-11

I have been so enjoying the book of Joshua. It is a lot like reading "Lord of the Rings". Great battles taking place and such..

Now since I am reading about Abraham right now in Genesis I am seeing how God's promise came to pass in Joshua. God said to Abraham

"Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” (Genesis 15:12-15)

Now of course the 400 years is in reference to Egypt. We'll be getting to that once I am in the story of Joseph and in Exodus. But what really stood out to me was how God said the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached it's full measure. I use to wonder how God could allow one nation to come in and wipe out all these other nations. For Joshua and his men killed not only the men but the women and all the children, too. But here we see that God allowed 440+ years (just as with Jericho) for these people to repent. But they never did, even after hearing of the miracles God was performing freeing the Israelites from Egypt, parting the red sea, and all the miracles he performed in their 40 years in the desert. God had to wipe them out because the evil and sin was spreading at a rapid rate. These people were sacrificing and killing children and it was spreading from country to country. It would be like if we had allowed the Natzi's to overtake the world, God knew they wouldn't repent or change but He still allowed 440+ years for them to have that opportunity.
So now in the next several chapters of Joshua we see God fulfilling His promise to Abraham as Joshua & the people of Israel start wiping out these nations. Sin is a big deal to God and we must NEVER think lightly of it. We see even in the case of Achan. He stole and kept for himself some of the forbidden loot from Jericho. He and his entire household were killed and burned. Because of his hidden sin many men in Joshua's army fell to the sword in battle because of this sin.
That is why I am so grateful for the blood of Jesus!!! Without His blood and Him making intercession for us we would be lost. For who can live a sinless life? All throughout the old testament we see man trying to live by the law and failing. That is why God sent us a savior. God is patient with us. He waits for us to turn our hearts to Him and repent. He waits patiently but soon Jesus will be coming back. We know not the time or hour. There may not be a tomorrow so if you do not know Jesus...now is the time!
Do not put if off even another hour. This is life and death.

Today's proverb is 3:7-8

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.

Comparison of Prophecies in the book of Joel and book of Revelation

Book of Joel	Event	Book of Revelation
1:1-4	Locust, Plagues in four stages; The four seals	6:1-8
1:5-6	Great Tribulation; Fifth seal	6:9-11
1:8-20	Warning of the Day of the Lord; Hold seventh seal until "I seal the servants"	7:1-14
2:1-11	Signs of the Day of the Lord; Seven trumpets	8:1-10:11
2:12-17	Call to repentance; Preaching of the two witnesses	6:16-17; 11:3-8
2:18-27	God speaks to Israel, protection to repentant; Sealing of the 144,000	7:3-14
2:28-29	Outpouring of God's Holy Spirit; God’s people to return to Christ	2:1-3:22
2:30-31	Heavenly signs; Sixth seal	6:12-15
2:32	Protection from God, especially from God's judgment at Armageddon	6:17-7:3
3:1-8	Final battle at the Valley of Jehoshaphat; God's judgment of the nations at Armageddon	16:16; 14:14-20; 19:1-21
3:9-16	Call to final war; Christ judges and makes war	19:11-20
3:17-21	Redemption of children of Israel; Millennium	20:2-6
3:21	God dwells in Zion; New Heaven and New Earth	21:1-7; 21:22-27

Proverbs 2

Characteristics of The Lord:  He gives Wisdom to those who seek it and who fear Him.  He protects and makes victorious those who are blameless and faithful.  Knowledge and understanding come from Him.

Wisdom Defined:  comes from the Lord, must be sought, may enter your heart (become part of you), has the power to protect from other's wickedness

How to receive the understanding of the LORD and find the knowledge of GOD

• accept His words
• store His commands within you
• turn your ear to wisdom
• apply your heart to understanding
• call out for insight
• cry aloud for understanding
• look for it as for silver
• search for it as for hidden treasure

1-5-11

I'm not behind on my reading but a little behind on my blog. However, I will catch up by the end of the week.

For right now I will share on Genesis 12

God calls Abram

This chapter is about God's call on our life and how we choose to respond to it. First we must know if it's God calling or not. Well, if we follow this chapter we know that when God calls its;

1 - Person to person.
2 - Clear direction
3 - A Powerful Command
4 - There is an awesome promise
5 - There is instant change

If you receive a call and there is no promise with it it most likely isn't God. There will always be a promise. God doesn't say there won't be hardship or difficulty but He will give us a promise.
When God told Abram to pack up and leave his country and go to one he didn't know he was 75 years old. As any of you know who have moved it's not any easy process. It's always hard to go forward with out looking back. And especially hard when we are going somewhere you have never been or that is strange to you. Abram was not only leaving his family but his comfort zone. He has lived there 75 years. That is almost a lifetime to most of us. Most people I know that are 60 or over are very set in their ways. He had to move to a strange country, different culture, different languages. But Abram obeyed! But God gave him a promise. He told him he would bless him, give him a son, and that he would be the father of many nations.

When God calls us to do something it may be strange, difficult, or hard but we must focus on the promise that He gives us. It may not be instantaneous, after all Abram waited some 20 years for the promise to take place, but we can rest assure that God WILL come through.

The Stones

Joshua 4

The Stones

This is the chapter that talks about the stones. After God dried up the Jordan and Israel crossed Joshua was instructed by the Lord to pick up 12 stones. One stone for the 12 tribes of Israel. They picked them up and set up a monument.
So...why?
Well, the stones were to remind them of what God had done. So, generations after Joshua was gone the Israelites could remember that the mighty hand of God was with them. So, during the difficult times, the hard times when it would seem God was not doing anything they could look back and remember that God was in there midst.
It's so important that we reflect on what God has done in our lives. The enemy certainly loves to remind us of what he has done in our lives. The enemy works hard to make us live in regret and shame. But when we focus on what God has done it overpowers that! The big miracles are not everyday but those mountain top experiences are to help us when we are in the valleys. We can look back and remind ourselves that God is for us, with us, and most importantly that He is HERE!

Let us reflect on what God has done, what He is doing, and what He will do! That is how we keep our thoughts heavenward ☺

1-4-11

Genesis 11

The story of Babel.

And they said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth

The builders of the tower were in open defiance of God's command (Genesis 9:1) (53).

In the ninth chapter of Genesis, God commands Noah and his sons to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth" . On the fifth day of the creation of the Earth, God gave this command to the birds and fishes (Gen. 1:20-23). On the sixth day, and to man and woman (Gen. 1:26-28).

The other point was man was being prideful in his heart thinking they could be like God. So, God divided their languages so they would be forced to be scattered.  

A parallel can be drawn between Genesis 11:1-9 and Acts, Chapter 2. In Acts, the disciples of Jesus are at work bringing converts into the Christian church. Jesus Christ's promise of the Holy Spirit to the believers (Luke 24:49; John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7; Acts 1:5, 8) is about to manifest. When the Holy Spirit came all the disciples received tongues of fire and started speaking in different languages. All that heard the disciples speaking in these other languages were amazed. For they said, how is it they speak in our foreign tongue? Because of this sign and Peter's message 5,000 were saved! 

And not only were their spirits united, but the language barrier was broken. The disunity initiated by the scattering at the tower of Babel has begun to be reversed and this time God got the glory!

Wow! Pretty incredible!

1-3-11

Genesis 6-10

The story of Noah.

This is a true story of faith, trust, and endurance! When God came to Noah and said build an ark I am sure Noah thought...what's an ark? He lived in the desert and they had NEVER seen rain. Until the flood came water came up from the ground like a midst. So, here is Noah...in the desert..building an ark and telling people it's going to rain for like 100 years! That is some endurance of faith!!! Not only did he endure 100 years building it but then after they boarded the ark they had to wait 7 days before it rained. Then 40 days and nights while it rained and then 150 days after that. Then it was 2 more weeks before they could set foot off the ark.  They were on that ark for over a year. Noah was the first sailor to ever live.
But one thing that stood out to me today was we see in the genealogies that Noah's father and grandfather were still alive when the flood came. Noah had to board that ark knowing they would die in the flood. I am sure Noah had other family members left behind as well. It must have been so hard but yet he trusted God and he endured.
Whenever I face a challenge I think of Noah. It sorts of makes my problems seem very small!!!

Joshua 3

On the third day of camping on the banks of the river, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were told to move out. At the very brink of the water the faith and courage of their leadership would be tested. God had planned for the waters of the Jordan to part, allowing free and easy access to the Promised Land. However, He also purposefully designed that the separation of the waters would not occur until the soles of the priests' feet touched the water. They were commanded to march directly into the waters of the swollen Jordan. Obedience would take more than raw courage. It would take an absolute trust in the promises of God.
As Christians we are to display that same trust in God. Frequently the Lord God will place before us a seemingly impossible task. We must seek His will, which may mean hours on our knees. We must be sanctified for the task.  As necessary as these things are, however, there must come a day when we are willing to get our feet wet. Before we can have miraculous spiritual victory we must be willing to trust God and march directly into the face of the impossible . The priests of Israel confidently set foot in the water, and a great miracle of God followed. Their faith should be our example.


Isaiah 3:13-15.

This is a picture of a courtroom, with God as judge, as well as the prosecuting attorney, with the people of Judah the plaintiffs, as well as the victims. Notice that though all the people of Judah are on trial, it is the leaders and the elders that are held primarily responsible '" the ones that God condemns. ("With great power comes great responsibility", to quote Spiderman's Uncle Ben.) What are these leaders accused of?

Ruining God's vineyard
Plundering the poor
Crushing & grinding the faces of the poor

These show that we can come under judgment for how we treat other people. If we are in positions of authority over people, we are responsible for what happens to those people who are under us. We can see that God clearly cares very much about the poor and needy. The leaders were clearly taking advantage of their positions by treating the poor unfairly, ignoring them, and allowing them to suffer. God is telling them that the weak and helpless will always Him as an advocate.

learly cares very much about the poor and the needy '" this is a common theme we have seen in Isaiah. The leaders were clearly taking advantage of their positions by treating the poor unfairly (deliberate selfishness and greed) and probably simply ignoring them and allowing them to suffer (indifference and apathy). God is telling them that the weak and helpless will always have Him as an advocate.

1-2-11

Day Two.

I posted separately what I gained from Genesis 2-5 because it was quite lengthy. The rest of my reading today was Joshua 2, Psalm 2, Proverbs2, Isaiah 2, John 1:6-34, and Acts 2

In Joshua chapter 2 we find the account of two men who came into Jericho to spy out the city. They are hidden and protected by a prostitute named Rahab.

Jericho had already been declared condemned by God and it was just a matter of time before His final judgment would be executed against it. Whether the people in Jericho “felt” condemned or not did not matter because everything and everyone in the city would be destroyed. However, they were aware that something was not right and did not feel fully confident nor peaceful, and yet did nothing to change their spiritual circumstance. Although they sense the end was near, they remained hardened until the very end.

God first spoke of the judgement of Jericho more than 470 years earlier. (Genesis 15:13-16). This included the 430 years Israel lived in captivity in Egypt and the additional 40 years Israel wandered in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. Rahab says the people of Jericho admit they heard about the Exodus from Egypt that took place some 40 years prior. In fact, Joshua 4:19 and 5:10 indicate that there were even a few additional days of waiting leading up to the final week when Israel would march around the city providing an additional opportunity for them to repent. Rahab represents the remnant, the few who respond the right way to the signs of God and repent, whereas the others typify the condemned who steadfastly refuse to change their ways even though presented the opportunity to do otherwise time and time again.

The great thing about Rahab is she had great faith in God. She believed Him to be Lord. She turned aside from the word's view, away from idols, and the what was popular. And because of her faith not only was her life spared but her entire family. And on top of that God blessed her to be part of the direct line of Jesus. For we read in Matthew 1:5 that Rahab gave birth to Salmon who was the father of Boaz. Boaz & Ruth had Obed who gave birth to Jesse. 

God will always bless us when we apply faith and trust in Him. Fittingly the last verse in Psalm 2 that I read today says;

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Rahab certainly did take refuge in Him!

Isaiah 2

In Chapter 2 we are still focused on the great sin taking place in the hearts of God's children and the warning of judgment that will fall.  I read it several times in NIV, NKJ, and the Message and the verse that kept standing out to me was the very last. Verse 22 says: Don't put your trust in mere humans. They are as fail as breath. What good are they? Seems simple but I am always caught up in wanting to please people. Wanting to gain some sort of status or popularity. This verse jumped out at me for that reason. God is whom I am to put my trust and in Him alone. Just as Rahab did. She did not get caught up in pleasing her people, her king. She didn't get caught up in being popular. I am sure if she had turned the men over to the king she would have been honored and praised. But she gave that up and trusted God alone. She put her trust in the one who had the power to give life or destroy it.

Help me Lord to always trust in You and You alone!

Genesis 2-5

Genesis 2-5 (The account of Adam & Eve and their family)

Sin entered the world when Eve and Adam disobeyed God. Eve chose to listen to the serpent and allowed doubt to come in. She chose to believe the lie that she wouldn't die but rather become like God. And Adam followed, too. such a sad moment really. There they were in perfect fellowship with God. He came to them every day in the cool of the garden to speak with them. And now, after eating the forbidden fruit and breaking God's law they were ashamed and they hid from God. Fellowship was broken. But God in His loving kindness did two amazing things for them. First He provided clothes for them to cover their shame and two He banned them away from the garden. For God said they have eaten from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and they must not eat from the tree of life. For God knew if they eat of the tree of life they would live in their physical bodies forever. But who wants to live forever in sin?
Now that Jesus has come to restore us back to fellowship with God we will eat of the tree of life once we are perfected in Him. And right there in that moment when God brought the curse upon them He also gave the first prophecy of His great salvation plan. In Genesis 3:15 when God cursed the serpent He made a promise

I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel.

God spoke to satan of the coming of Jesus. The messiah would be born through Eve's bloodline. That indeed satan would wound His heel (speaking of the cross) but that Jesus would crush His head (speaking of the resurrection when Jesus would take back the keys to death and hell)

Later we see that sin spread through Adam's family with Cain taking Abel's life. The first murder caused by a sinful, jealous heart but before that happened we see the faith of Abel.
Abel was giving his best. He gave the best of his flock. It was a sacrifice. Cain was giving some of his harvest but it wasn't his best.  The first faithful man was the first faithful martyr. He was murdered because Cain was jealous of the relationship Abel had with God. He was murdered for worshiping God. However, centuries later Abel's faith still speaks.

Chapter 5 of Genesis gives us the start of this incredible family tree. I found this information online

GENEALOGY OF JESUS

Section One - Adam to Abraham

The dating system starts with the creation as year zero. See the introduction to Jesus' genealogy to learn more about the dating system.

FIRST GENERATION
1. The earth was created on 25 March, 4001 BC. Adam was created on Saturday the first day of Nisan in the year zero which was 31 March 4001 BC. Eve was more "made" than created so her date is unknown. She could have been formed on the sixth day or later but it is not worth arguing about. Adam and Eve were married that year in the Garden of Eden. Having been created by God to be perfect and to live for eternity they lost that position when they disobeyed God’s command. Because of their sin they were condemned to die. Adam and Eve were 130 years old when Seth was born. Adam died at the age of 930 years in the year 930. Adam and Eve had the following sons plus other sons and daughters:

    2 i. Cain. He killed his brother Abel and was banished. He married one of his sisters.
   3 ii. Abel. Dates for Cain and Able are unknown.
 +4 iii. Seth.

SECOND GENERATION
4. Seth was born in 130 and died in 1042. He was 105 years old when his son Enosh was born and he died at the age of 912 years:
  +5 i. Enosh.


THIRD GENERATION
5. Enosh was born in 235 and died in 1140. He was 90 years old when his son Kenan was born and he died at the age of 905 years:
  +6 i. Kenan (Cainan).


FOURTH GENERATION
6. Kenan (Cainan) was born in 325. He was 70 years old when Mahalalel was born and he died in 1235 at the age of 910:
  +7 i. Mahalalel.


FIFTH GENERATION
7. Mahalale was born in 395. He was 65 when his son Jared was born and he died in 1290 at the age of 895.
  +8 i. Jared.


SIXTH GENERATION
8. Jared was born in 460. He was 162 when his son Enoch was born and he died in 1422 at the age of 962.
  +9 i. Enoch.


SEVENTH GENERATION
9. Enoch was born in 622. He was 65 when Methuselah was born and he did not die but was taken up into heaven in 987 at the age of 365 years.
  +10 i. Methuselah.


EIGHTH GENERATION
10. Methuselah was born in 687. He was 187 years old when Lamech was born and he died in 1656, the year of the flood, at the age of 969 years.
  +11 i. Lamech.
NINTH GENERATION
11. Lamech was born in 874. He was 182 when his son Noah was born and he died in 1651 at the age of 777 years.
  +12 i. Noah.

TENTH GENERATION
12. Noah was born in 1056. Noah was 502 years old when Shem was born and he died in 2006 at the age of 950 years. During the time from Adam to Noah there was a tremendous increase in wickedness in the world. God decided to destroy the civilization of that day and build another one from Noah’s family. God commanded Noah to built a three deck boat to save his family and animals from the world wide flood. Only Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives were saved. The flood occurred in the year 1656 when Noah was 600 years old. According to Jewish tradition, Noah was married to Naamah the daughter of Lemach and Zillah, of the descendants of Cain. Her brother was Tubal-Cain a worker of bronze and iron. Noah and Naamah had the following children:
  +13 i. Japheth.
  +14 ii. Ham.
  +15 iii. Shem.

ELEVENTH GENERATION
13. Japheth, the first born son of Noah, had the following children. His birth and death dates are unknown.
  16 i. Gomer.
  17 ii. Magog.
  18 iii. Madai.
  19 iv. Javan.
  20 v. Tubal.
  21 vi. Meshech.
  22 vii. Tiras.

14. Ham, the second son of Noah had the following children. His birth and death dates are unknown.
  23 i. Cush, the father of Nimrod.
  24 ii. Mizraim.
  25 iii. Put.
  26 iv. Canaan.

15. Shem was born in 1560. Shem was 98 at the time of the flood. He was 100 when Arphaxad was born and died in 2160 at the age of 600 years. He had the following children:
  27 i. Elam, born in 1658.
  28 ii. Asshur, born in 1659.
+29 iii. Arphaxad.
  30 iv. Lud.
+31 v. Aram.


TWELFTH GENERATION
29. Arphaxad, the son of Shem, was born in 1660 in Shinar. He was 35 when his son Shelah was born and he died in 2098 at the age of 438 years.
  + ** Cainan
  +45 i. Shelah.
31. Aram, the son of Shem, had the following children: His birth and death dates are unknown.
  46 i. Uz.
  47 ii. Hul.
  48 iii. Gether.
  49 iv. Meshech.

THIRTEENTH GENERATION
** Cainan is listed in Luke’s genealogy as the son of Araphaxad and the father of Shelah but he is not listed in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. He is listed in the Septuagint Version which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament. At the present time it is impossible to know how this name came to be listed. Was it accidentally added or dropped by the copiers of the text?

45. Shelah was born in 1695 in Shinar. He was 30 when his son Eber was born and he died in 2128 in Shinar at the age of 433 years.
  +52 i. Eber.


FOURTEENTH GENERATION
52. Eber was born in 1725 in Shinar. During his life time God confused the languages and the people were divided. He was 34 when Peleg was born whose name means divided. The word “Hebrew” comes from Eber for he was the father of the Hebrew race. He died in 2189 in Shinar at the age of 464 years.
  +53 i. Peleg.
  +54 ii. Joktan.


FIFTEENTH GENERATION
53. Peleg was born in 1759 in Shinar. He was 30 when Reu was born and he died in 1998 in Mesha at the age of 239 years. Peleg's birth in 1759 dates the tower of Babel.
  +55 i. Reu.
54. Joktan had the following children: His dates of birth and death are unknown.
  56 i. Almodad.
  57 ii. Sheleph.
  58 iii. Hazarmaveth.
  59 iv. Jerah.
  60 v. Hadoram.
  61 vi. Uzal.
  62 vii. Diklah.
  63 viii. Obal.
  64 ix. Abimael.
  65 x. Sheba.
  66 xi. Ophir.
  67 xii. Havilah.
  68 xiii. Jobab.


SIXTEENTH GENERATION
55. Reu was born in 1789 in Mesha. He was 32 when his son Serug was born. He lived for 239 years and died in 2028 in Mesha.
  +69 i. Serug.


SEVENTEENTH GENERATION
69. Serug was born in 1821 in Mesha. He was 30 when his son Nahor was born. He lived to be 239 years old and died in 2051 in Mesha.
  +70 i. Nahor.


EIGHTEENTH GENERATION
70. Nahor was born in 1851 in Ur of Chaldea. He was 29 when Terah was born and he lived to be 148 years old and he died in 1999 in Ur of Chaldea.
  +71 i. Terah.


NINETEENTH GENERATION
71. Terah was born in 1880 in Ur of Chaldea. He was 70 when Abram, his youngest son was born. He lived to the age of 205 years and died in 2085 in Ur of Chaldea. He had the following children.
  +72 i. Haran.
  +73 ii. Nahor.
  +74 iii. Abram (Abraham).
    75 iv. Sarai (Sarah).

Terah Chart

Because of the many intermarriages within Terah's family it is difficult to follow the relationships between his descedents. This chart shows the marriages between the various members and how they are related. The names in red are the ancestors of Jesus.

1-1-11

In the beginning...

Genesis 1
Seems like a good place to start for a new year, a new beginning. As I read through this chapter today some things really stood out to me.

God is in the beginning of my day, my life, my everything
As I read this chapter, I noticed the power in - God said. He said it and it happened! God created everything out of nothing. He created everything by His word. He spoke it into being. God’s Word is powerful!!!
Just as God's Word started the world, God’s Word should start my day.
Another key point is - God rejoices in what He has made. So, God rejoices in me! He made me and he rejoices. ☺
It also stood out that we were created to reflect God’s image. We were created in His image. Spiritually we were made in His image and we were created to rule over God’s creation. I’m to care for this creation.

5 Foundations were set up for a purpose driven life in Genesis 1

1. God at the beginning of everything
2. God’s Word to start each day
3. God’s joy to end each day
4. God working through the process of my life
5. God has created me in His image

Pretty incredible! How many times have I ignored God's Word or didn't start the day with Him? Well, my new year's resolution is to change that! God is here. He is with me. He is at the beginning of my day and at the end of it and He rejoices over me!

John 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (verses 1-5)

I decided to start with the gospel of John because of how it parallels Genesis 1. He wrote in the beginning as well but he wrote in the beginning was the Word. Jesus is the Word. So, we know that Jesus was in the beginning with God and all things were made through Him. It is very clear even reading Genesis because it says - Let US make man in OUR image. God is three in one. God the father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit. Together they made the world and the beauty of it was they formed a salvation plan from the very beginning. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness.

Joshua 1

After reading this chapter what stood out to me was an amazing promise that God made in verse 5. I will never leave you nor forsake you
That is such an incredible promise!!! To know that there is someone who will never walk out on me, never leave me, never give up on me. He will always be there no mater what! That is an incredible promise!!! Something else that really jumped out at me was in verse 8

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Again we see the importance of God's Word. For it will make us prosperous and successful. So from Genesis 1 we see how God's is to be at the beginning of our day but how we also need to meditate on it day & night. For indeed if we do God has promised to prosperous us and make us successful!

Psalm 1
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

So interesting an amazing to me that God keeps showing me a central theme here of the importance of studying His Word! Here it says in verse 2: But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
His delight!

And then it says we shall be like a tree planted by the water.

(1) A tree has deep roots and is usually very sturdy. A tree portrays stability and the capacity to withstand the storms of life. It’s the picture of mental, emotional, and spiritual stability in every kind of situation.

(2) It also pictures the concept of growth and time. As it takes time to produce a huge sprawling oak, so it takes time to grow and mature in the Word. The problem, especially in our ‘instant tea’ society, we want and expect an overnight transformation and change. But true spiritual strength comes from a long-term, established relationship with God in his Word.

(3) It also pictures ministry. If a tree is a fruit tree, it gives fruit. If it is an oak, it gives shade. God has given us His Word that we might become fruitful trees in His service and in ministry to others.

“Planted” is a participle of the Hebrew verb sh`t~l. This verb actually means “to transplant,” not merely “plant.” This is rich and significant. “To plant” means to cause to take root, to become firmly established for the purpose of stability, nutrition (food and water), growth, and eventually production.

Water to me here is refreshing. God will give us times of refreshing. mmm...I love that! And then of course it says we will produce fruit, will not wither, and whatever we do will prosper! Amazing promises. Of course the next part of the psalm talks about what we should beware of. It tells us the key to being a successful Christian

The key to a successful Christian life is to be in the world and minister to the world but not get sucked in by the world. Instead of listening to the counsel of the wicked, we should be proclaiming the light and the salt of the gospel. Instead of standing like sinners, acting like sinners, and talking like sinners, we need to be speaking the good news. Instead of relaxing with the scoffers and mockers, we should be pointing others to the God who loves them.

Isaiah
There are 66 chapters in Isaiah and 66 books in the Bible. There are 39 books in the old testament. 39 chapter in Isaiah talk of the law and government of God. There are 27 books in the new testament and 27 chapters in Isaiah talk of God's grace and salvation.

I LOVE the book of Isaiah so I am most excited to study it out.

Isaiah 1
Chapter 1 finds us understanding how upset God is. he says His children have turned away from Him. He is sick of religion, the assemblies and prayers that mean nothing. He doesn't want their works...He wants their hearts! He wants their worship! Note that the people were attending worship services, the attended regularly, they sacrificed regularly, they sent incense (prayers) heavenward. Yet in their hearts, they were hypocrites in worship only going through the motions and not letting God change their hearts and lives. One critical lesson for us here is that obedience must come before worship can occur.
Referring to rebellion, God illustrates His point showing them that even dumb oxen and stubborn donkeys know their masters mangers yet His people don't know Him. He desires for us to know Him! To know His heart!

May I never stray from God's heart! May I always make it a priority to seek Him out daily and worship Him with all of my heart, mind, and soul.

Acts 1

Something I read in this first chapter today that stood out to me was it says Jesus appeared to the disciples over a period of 40 days. I guess I never took notice of that before. The rest of this chapter speaks of Jesus telling the disciples to be ready for the coming of the Holy Spirit and the men voting on Matthias to take the place of Judas among the 12.

As I said before..the overall theme I felt from the Lord today is the importance of His Word and His longing for me to know Him, know His heart. His desire is for me and not my works.

Praise God! He is here! And thank you Lord for Your blessings on 2011.

Purpose of this blog

I decided to go through the Bible in a year. I made up a reading plan for myself where I will study a chapter a day from each section of the Bible. A chapter a day from the books of Moses, books of history & records, the songs, major & minor prophets, the gospels, & the epistles . As I read them and study them I decided to take notes via this blog.
I don't really expect comments..it's more for me but if anyone wants to share in the journey or share ideas they are more then welcome.

Welcome 2011 - May it be blessed!