Honoring of Parents gone astray....

Jan 25 [Gen 38-40] Jacob’s Sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah; Joseph.
Even though the Law has not been given at this point in history we know that the principle of which Paul spoke is also true: Rom 2: these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. That means that even apart from the Law we know what God requires and that is why Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God stands as our standard. One of the Ten Commandments is to honor your father and mother. In these chapters we see both the positive and negatives of that commandment in the lives of these sons.
Moses does not give us much detail about the first three sons. We know that Reuben dishonored Jacob by laying with Bilhah. We also know that Simeon and Levi were ruthless and murdered the Shechemites. But other than those brief accounts we have no other details. But now the fourth son, Judah has an entire chapter devoted to him. Why? God has a plan which must be completed for Judah as it will be through his line that Jesus will come. Judah’s greatest need is, as we said about Jacob, forgiveness and reconciliation. But, first we must understand for what he needs those precious gifts and so the Holy Spirit gives us a detailed account of his life.
Judah: Although not willing to stoop to murder, he callously orchestrates the sale of his brother Joseph to the Ishmaelites and also provides the plan to deceive Jacob. When his plan to become the new heir apparent fails and Jacob is inconsolable, Judah, unable to cope, runs away. Like Lot, Judah looks, sees, chooses, and settles away from his father and brothers. He thus dishonors his parent in his choices. Gen 38:1 At that time Judah left his brothers. Truth: We can run away from our sin but as Num 32:23 tells us “know that your sin will find you out.” As the story unfolds we find the consequences of sin continue to escalate. Judah intermarries with a Canaanite, raises three sons, two of whom are so evil God removes them, makes a promise knowing he will not keep it, and finally impregnates his daughter in law unknowingly. When confronted with his sin, he condemns himself with these words: Gen 38:26 ““She is more upright than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” Stay tuned to see how God will break Judah’s spirit.

Now the Holy Spirit turns our attention to the first one that Judah offended: Joseph. Sold into slavery, he rises to prominence only to be unjustly accused and thrown into prison. Joseph, unlike his brothers, has a God-ward focus. Listen to his words when tempted by sin: Gen 39:9 “how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” In prison Gen 39:23 “the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful”. Enter two new prisoners who have dreams that Joseph interprets rightly. To the cupbearer Joseph pleads to be remembered to Pharaoh that he might be released. Gen 40:14 But remember me when it goes well for you, and show me kindness. Make mention of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, for I really was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.” But…..the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him.

What is our “take away” from today’s reading?
1. You may be like Judah, running away from your sin. You are in need of forgiveness and reconciliation. God continues to chip away at the hardness of your heart. Will you allow the Holy Spirit to pierce your heart and to release you from that bondage? Or you may know someone like Judah…will you be ready to forgive and reconcile when God is finished His work of the heart?
2. Joseph paints a picture for us of how to resist temptation: resist and flee which is what he did. If you are confronted with sin today, what will you do?

originally posted on https://www.facebook.com/bible.org

Jan 23: [Gen 32-34] Encounters with God should not only change us but be reflected in our lifestyle but “old ways die hard” and so it is seen in our reading today. The unequal yoke of Jacob and Laban has been severed and the journey back to Canaan has resumed. As we journey with Jacob we note something significant. God spoke to Jacob back in Paddam-Aram and now comes directly to Jacob. Why does God do that? Because Jacob has the greatest need in his life of forgiveness. In hearing of the advancing arrival of Esau Jacob, full of fear, reaches out to God and in turn God responds. Notice the parts of Jacob’s prayer:
1. Adoration: “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac,
2. Confession: I am not worthy of all the faithful love you have shown your servant.
3. Thanksgiving: With only my walking stick I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
4. Supplication: Rescue me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children.
5. Reminding God of our step of obedience and Claiming of His promises: you said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives - I am doing this .’ And you said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count—I am claiming this!
In God’s response we see two things; 1. it is God that comes to Jacob, 2. God wrestles with Jacob. It is not until God struck the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated that Jacob yielded to God and sought His blessing.
Why is this recorded for us? Our greatest need is to meet God and to recognize our need of His forgiveness. God could have responded by just blessing Jacob but instead He provided a reminder of this encounter lest Jacob forget. It was not until Jacob relented that God reminded him: “you have fought with God and with men and have prevailed.” In this Jacob was then set free of the unequal yoke of he and Laban, freed to complete his journey back to Canaan and freed to lead his family in the ways of the Lord. That is the gift God gives to us when we prevail and God forgives and releases us of the past.
There is a now a new responsibility given to Jacob: to lead his family in the ways of the Lord, but old ways die hard. Look at the next chapters and see a man who has the spirit of fear, (I am afraid of Esau) a man of weak faith, (Jacob divides his family and sends gifts to appease Esau) a man who still deceives (tells Esau that he will meet him in Seir but instead goes to Shechem) and a father who does not lead righteously, (daughter Dinah is not supervised, is captured and raped---but Jacob waits on his sons rather than being Dinah’s protector.) Thus in this account we see “like father like son” in that they too deceive the men of Shechem and later murder and pillage. At the end we see Jacob lamenting his loss of prestige instead http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifof seeing how his sons are a picture of his failed leadership.
What are we to learn from this? God expects fathers to lead, live righteous lives and to model righteous living. Perhaps you had a dishonorable father and you can resonate with this story. Seek to forgive that father so that God can bless you. Perhaps you are a father and want to raise godly children. Here are few suggestions: 1. immerse yourself in God’s word, study Proverbs and learn how to raise a wise child, 2. study the lives of godly fathers; Joshua: be strong and courageous, Hosea: a father who lives to restore and reconcile, Boaz; a man of character and integrity. Perhaps you are a man who is not yet a father either by choice or design: live a model life and disciple other young men who are in need of a role model.


originally posted on Facebook for bible.org

Challenges that Grow Us

As I am being stretched to write more and more I find that my mind is being challenged to find new words and new ideas to bridge that gap between what I know and what I need to know. And then as an online missionary with GMO I am finding that those new words that I am practicing to add to my vocabulary are not viable. These are people with limited vocabularies and are just beginning the walk of a Christian. They are the "newbies" ...the babies and they must be fed milk. Two in particular today came across my desk with this request: teach me how to pray. Seems like I remember the disciples asking that very question of Jesus. He taught them the model "disciples prayer"...which we refer to as the Lord's Prayer.So today as I was answering these emails in the quiet of the morning hour God spoke to me and said use the "KISS" method..."Keep It Simple Sweetie"...and so I did. Here's what I wrote to them:
This is a method I have used often using the word ACTS

A= Adore God for who He is. Honor Him by speaking to Him of His love and His provision for you already. Tell God how you love Him. Just as you honor others by speaking their name first in a conversation, use God’s Name first as well. Holy Father, Lord God Almighty and other names.
C = Confession 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we have sinned we can come to Him and He will hear our prayer of confession. You must be clean in your heart and in your mind.
T = Thanksgiving. Thank God for the blessings He has already given to you. Thank Him for this day, thank Him for this new faith you now have.
S = Supplication. Ask Him to provide for your needs and the needs of others. Ask Him to lead you to the church where you can worship.

And so the KISS method is off, now to wait to hear if they will respond back to me.
Today is Sanctity of Life Sunday. Go feed the babies of the Christian community. Ask God to lead you to a "newbie/baby" today. Or come and join me and become an online missionary.

And to my friend Linda...praying for you....

Did you ever have “one of those days”? Today is that. It is “one of those days”. Let me explain what I mean. It is a day in which you cannot focus no matter how hard you try. You sit and stew thinking, what is the next thing I ought to be doing only to draw a blank. It is a day in which no matter what you eat, you want more not because you are hungry but because you are unsatisfied. It is a day in which you just want to be outside because it is sunny and inside it is gray and your desk beckons to be cleansed of its clutter. You can think of a million things to do only to realize that none of them is really what you “want to do”. But, what do you want to do? That is the 64 dollar question with no apparent answer. And so it becomes “one of those” days. You aren’t happy nor unhappy. You are just “here”. You feel like a boxer in a ring bouncing off the ropes seeking a relief from whatever it is and you can’t seem to find the words to explain what “it” is. It just “is”. So what does one do on those days? Get away? Not possible. Go and shop? Not reasonable when the closet is already bulging. Call a friend…now that is a distinct possibility. Write a blog…another distinct possibility. Take a break and just read…another distinct possibility. Sometimes just a different focus for a time will change one’s viewpoint…and sometimes that is just “what the Dr. ordered”.

To all of that…. “see ya later” sounds like a great way to end this blog…

Friends…what are they, what is our responsibility towards them. Today I had two encounters which gave me reason to believe the truth of Pro 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend. A friend then is one who comes alongside no matter the circumstance to do just that “sharpen” or to be sharp, be alert, be keen. That should be our sole purpose in life for another that we are sure those for whom we care are sharp to face the onslaught of the trials of life, the attacks of the world and the ways of the “accuser of the brethren”. Alert means to be on guard, to be watchful. Keen has the idea of having a very fine edge; as a keen razor, or a razor with a keen edge. Note that of the three attributes or characteristics all are active and thus setting aside of personal needs to attend to another’s.

Today in these encounters it became apparent that friendship is not only a two way street but one that is fraught with hazards of overstepping, inserting self where one is not wanted or needed. Thus this sharpening comes at a heavy cost and one not taken lightly. When the person seeks to sharpen his knife he first takes a sharpened piece of the same material and rubs it against the intended implement. What is the bladesmith’s purpose? It is to remove the dross that is hindering the ability to cut with accuracy. That should be our total purpose in life, to be accurate not only with implements but also with words, with thoughts, with our prayers.

May today we be used to sharpen and to be used of the Holy Spirit to cause another to be sharp, alert and keen in the throes of life’s trials and circumstances.

Today began as any other...up at 6 a.m. and off to my Prayer/Reading Chair. Little did I know that within an hour the "accuser" would show up to test my resolve to be as Job who, in all of what life threw him, would be recorded in history as the man who was righteous or as the Bible describes him "blameless". No matter what transpired it was said of him "In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety."
Yet, the "accuser" rests not! He is known as the liar, the father of lies, and the author of strife. Into this blessed time of quiet and peace he would enter with his arsenal of sharpened swords and spears to penetrate the deepest part of my heart. How would I respond? Clearly, as in the case of Job, there was in heaven a discussion brewing between the "accuser" and God over my responses. How would I respond...in my carnality or in my grace given nature? A test! Would I pass or fail? What would be written above in God's journal kept by my angel who is recording each and every word and thought, every facial countenance and expression? If I could see God's face would it shine with the smile of His love or would I see a tear rolling down His face? Would the "accuser" sign another guilt paper and insert it into my book or would my book stay unstained by his signature?
The "accuser" knows his time is short and I am his willing subject when I forget...forget God's promises, God's love, God's testimony of me His daughter, forget who I am in Him.
How did this test go? I sought the help of my blessed husband who gave me the wisest counsel and hug and thus sent the "accuser" into his dungeon to forge more of his skills. Being on my guard is a moment by moment thing.

Jan 3...where has the year gone already?

Today in my reading I was struck by this one word: Remember: To have in the mind an idea which had been in the mind before, and which recurs to the mind without effort.
What things have come into my view this day which have circumvented my "remembering". God's Word says He remembers but I find that I forget. What am I to remember:
1. His promises Jer 29:10 Then I will fulfill my gracious promise to you
2. His love for me Jer 31:3 ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.
3. His plan for me jer 29:11 know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.

But as I look back on just these past few hours I have been so completely immersed in my tasks that I have "forgotten". I have forgotten His love, His promises, His plan. For that I need this reminder to remember. So today as I wrote my post on https://www.facebook.com/bible.org I sought to remind the readers: REMEMBER...Do not forget. Be alert for the enemy comes dragging his worldly treasures to distract you and me with his "deadly d's" of disappointment, distraction, disharmony, etc. etc. I can only be successful as I stay close to Him, so close I can feel His breath, hear His voice and be reminded of His love for me.