I probably won't post my thoughts on here. I have to mull things over.
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I take up compassion and surrender my excuses. I stand against injustice and commit to live out simple acts of God's love. I refuse to do nothing. This is my resolve. I AM THE LOVE REVOLUTION.
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Recovery Team Moderator
Jesus, I plead Your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation. God, end abortion and send revival to America. Amen.
My post is so long! I'm sorry, but I pray it offers you something. I'e enjoyed reading everyone's responses. It's interesting to see the similarities and differences in readings. I did decide to turn this into a blog. Just hit the blog link if you would rather read my post there.
Well, I decided that I was going to start getting up at 4:30, so I would have ime to get my reading for the day done in the mornings. There are a few problems I am starting to see with this strategy. 1) It took me an hour to get through 12 chapters because I had to grab a composition book and start writing things down. It would have taken longer, but I kept looking at the clock and tried to make myself speed up. 2) It is now 11:05 and I didn't finish reading the other chapters until about 10:00 pm. I try to tell myself that Mondays are my crazy days, but pretty much everyday is.
So, maybe I will make it up at 4:30 on some days. It was awesome doing that this morning, but I've accepted I don't have superpowers and may have to deal with 20-30 minutes in the morning and finish the rest later. I have so much I want to talk about, but I will post the things that hit me the hardest or interest me the most.
God's Creative Power - I love that Godspeaks everything into existence, but then molds man out of dust. This always makes me think of my words, the creative power that they yield, the things I write and speak. The power of life and death is in the tongue, but so often we dismiss, yet the God of the universe spoke things into existence and we are made in His image. I don't know how far we can take this connection, but it is a definite connection.
Be fruitful, subdue, and rule - This was God's command to the man and the woman. I thought about how we fulfill these commands today in a spiritual sense. We are be bear fruit in Christ and subdue our flesh and have dominion over sin. God never changes.
I also made a little note about man being cursed to work the ground can be metaphorically symbolic of man disciplining his own body to rule over is sin nature.
The Ground is No Longer Cursed - In Genesis 8:21, the Lord declares that the ground is no longer cursed. I find this quite amazing. I wonder how many people realize we no longer live on cursed ground. This restoration continues into chapter 9 as the Lord blesses Noah. Then, with the blessing and new portion of food given also comes accountability from both man and animals, particularly concerning murder. This is no coincidence I am sure, but I don't have the energy to expound or contemplate this point much, yet. However, I will say that our lifeblood is the blood of Christ and this connection is what makes us responsible for one another as brothers and sisters in Him.
The BIG one for me right now -I noticed something that I've never noticed before. Right before God gives Eve to Adam, he gives Adam the command not to eat of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil with a warning -if you do it, you will surely die. I never saw this before. I usually look at this as a command and a consequence. This time I saw it as a warning. God was about to bless Adam with something amazing, and in order to enjoy it to the fullest and fulfill God's purposes, Adam needed to heed God's command. God knew that Adam was about to sin (Eve was not created just, yet) and I think He was warning him of this, telling him not to stumble when He was tempted. Then if we skip over to Cain and Abel, we see that God warns Cain before he commits sin and kills his brother (4:6-7). God tells Cain that temptation is coming and tells him not to fall prey to it. Both Cain and Adam fall anyway. I think it is a very similar pattern to what God was doing with Adam.
So, what does this have to do with me? Besides the general idea that God warns us before we are tempted by sin, there is a specific thing that God has told me is necessary in my life lately. God told me that my relationship with my husband (whoever he may be) must be sexually pure before we get married. I assume after as well, but I struggle in this area a great deal, not with actually physically having sex, but I am far from sexually pure at this point in my life. It would be very easy for me to brush this off and say it is only human for me to perhaps push boundaries, but I feel intently that God is warning me that I will really regret it if I do not become obedient in this area.
Not that I want to present myself as anything special or my relationship with whoever my husband may be as something special besides the norm, but for whatever purpose God wants to accomplish in me, I need to get this under control and keep it there. It is almost a sense of losing everything when I think about it. Losing everything over this particular sin. And to be certain, it is the sin I have struggled the most with. When God told me this, I began to cry because, in truth, I felt that I could not do this. I could not be obedient in this area. Since God told me this a few months ago, he has been building my faith, showing me that He will accomplish in me what I cannot accomplish. If He says that this is necessary, then He will empower me to overcome and to be obedient.
However, I felt the warning sink into my spirit that God gave Cain. "But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." If I do not do what is right, then sin may devour me and leave me ineffectual and powerless to do the work God has set before His children. But by faith, I believe God will empower me to overcome through the Holy Spirit and that He will be glorified through all the work He has done. So, I am definitely on my guard and pressing forward in faith.
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Less Hate, More Frolicking
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The only souvenirs here are bloody knuckles and broken bones.
- Kung Fu Panda
The only emperor is the emperor of ice cream.
- Wallace Stevens
To love at all is to be vulnerable.
- C.S. Lewis, "The Four Loves"
What's easy really is often the enemy of what's best and most fulfilling.
-Latteda
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I did my reading. I will cover the parts that stick out for me.
The story of Noah has always amazed me. The fact that people can become so wicked to the point where God decides to wipe them all out really scares me. I'm kind of curious about the part that says "the sons of God lay with the daughters of men." The phrase "sons of God" consistently refer to angels in the Bible. Does this mean that demonic spirits had sex with human females? Is that what created the giant monsters described in this book? Or am I reading it wrong?
Abraham kind of made me upset when he lied about Sarah being his sister. He did it because he thought pharoah would kill him and take her for his own. He was willing to lie and allow his wife to be raped by a heathen king rather than tell the truth. And while Sarah was with pharoah, Abraham prospered and was showered with gifts. Absolutely amazing. I have some cute sisters but I wouldn't sell any of them to Obama for a life of prosperity and ease. But God got venegence and sent plagues to pharoah. Pharoah was furious that Abaraham didn't tell him Sarah was his wife. I'm kind of wondering what Sarah said to Abraham when she was returned to him. What would the average wife say to her husband if he did this? Was Abraham given an ear full? Did he have to sleep on the couch?
And after this episode, Abraham messes up again. Sarah is unable to conceive so she gets this wacky idea that Abraham should sleep with her servant girl in order to have a child. What wife does this? I mean, I know they were desperate for a child but this showed a complete lack of faith in God and what He said about her conceiving a child. And ol' Abraham was all too eager to sleep with the servant girl. I mean, what would we call this? Consensual adultery? It's amazing the things we as humans will do when we try to take matters into our own hands and trust in what we can do instead of believing God's promises. God said "Sarah will conceive." Abraham said "I'ma screw the servant girl." Complete lack of faith. This lack of faith in God's promises resulted in the birth of a child that would turn his hand against his brothers for years to come. Some have speculated that the Arab people are descendents of Ishmael. I don't know if this is true, but if you look at the constant conflict in the Middle East involving the Muslims and Jews, it makes sense. (Note: I have mad respect for Abraham and these things just go to show that even those who God has justified can make mistakes. So we shouldn't be so quick to judge.)
My favorite part of the reading is God's promise to Noah to never flood the earth again and the "bow" He set in the sky to remind mankind of His promise. Every time I see a rainbow in the sky, I think of that promise. I think it is beautiful reminder that God is a God who keeps His promises and He can be trusted. I love rainbows.
Goodness, I hope this made sense.
__________________ Will EVERYBODY be allowed to break into people's homes on Christmas Eve, or just the fat white men in red suits????
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Eve, i think you're dead on about Sarai. God promised Abram several times before she made that decision that Abram's descendants would be so numerous that they would be like the stars in the sky or the dust of the earth, yet she doubted those promises. It wasn't just some half-hearted "oh yeah you'll have a kid - count on it!" promise either. They made a strict and binding covenant with the sacrifice of animals - back in those days that sort of covenant was so binding that if one person broke the covenant they would be killed. She and Abram both knew that if God failed to make good on His promise, that He would have been as good as dead to them. it would have been worse than betraying their trust in Him, it was unthinkable. And still she chose to doubt and find her own way of making God do good on her promise. That came with consequences she should have seen coming but i believe her pride and her pain clouded her ability to see all that.
after reading Wiley's post on this it made me think a little more. Its interesting that only God passed through the two pieces of the animals when the covenant was made. Had Abraham walked through those pieces with Him and chosen to go ahead and make Gods promise come true on his own terms that most likely would have broken the covenant. Yet God took it all on Himself because He knew that He alone would be faithful.
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L'Eternel est ma force
Le sujet de mes louanges
C'est Lui qui m'a sauvé
Je Le célébrerai
-Luc Dumont
The story of Noah has always amazed me. The fact that people can become so wicked to the point where God decides to wipe them all out really scares me. I'm kind of curious about the part that says "the sons of God lay with the daughters of men." The phrase "sons of God" consistently refer to angels in the Bible. Does this mean that demonic spirits had sex with human females? Is that what created the giant monsters described in this book? Or am I reading it wrong?
Thats one common interpretation of that passage. Although Matthew Henry believed that the sons of God were Seth's descendants who married ungodly women and the giants were oppressive and violent warriors that came from those marriages.
: The sons of God (that is, the professors of religion, who were called by the name of the Lord, and called upon that name), married the daughters of men, that is, those that were profane, and strangers to God and godliness. The posterity of Seth did not keep by themselves, as they ought to have done, both for the preservation of their own purity and in detestation of the apostasy. They intermingled themselves with the excommunicated race of Cain: They took them wives of all that they chose. But what was amiss in these marriages? (1.) They chose only by the eye: They saw that they were fair, which was all they looked at. (2.) They followed the choice which their own corrupt affections made: they took all that they chose, without advice and consideration. But, (3.) That which proved of such bad consequence to them was that they married strange wives, were unequally yoked with unbelievers, 2 Co. 6:14. This was forbidden to Israel, Deu. 7:3, 4. It was the unhappy occasion of Solomon’s apostasy (1 Ki. 11:1-4), and was of bad consequence to the Jews after their return out of Babylon, Ezra 9:1, 2. Note, Professors of religion, in marrying both themselves and their children, should make conscience of keeping within the bounds of profession. The bad will sooner debauch the good than the good reform the bad. Those that profess themselves the children of God must not marry without his consent, which they have not if they join in affinity with his enemies.
Verses 4-5 We have here a further account of the corruption of the old world. When the sons of God had matched with the daughters of men, though it was very displeasing to God, yet he did not immediately cut them off, but waited to see what would be the issue of these marriages, and which side the children would take after; and it proved (as usually it does), that they took after the worst side. Here is, I. The temptation they were under to oppress and do violence. They were giants, and they were men of renown; they became too hard for all about them, and carried all before them, 1. With their great bulk, as the sons of Anak, Num. 13:33. 2. With their great name, as the king of Assyria, Isa. 37:11. These made them the terror of the mighty in the land of the living; and, thus armed, they daringly insulted the rights of all their neighbours and trampled upon all that is just and sacred. Note, Those that have so much power over others as to be able to oppress them have seldom so much power over themselves as not to oppress; great might is a very great snare to many. This degenerate race slighted the honour their ancestors had obtained by virtue and religion, and made themselves a great name by that which was the perpetual ruin of their good name.
I cannot tell you guys how proud and amazed I am of yall. I don't have anything of substance to post here, I just want to let you know I've been reading all your posts and it's teaching me so much! It's just amazing to me what I kind of missed, or what I didn't think about much that you guys have pointed out and talked about, and you're really bringing me a lot of clarity here on things I didn't even realize I wasn't all that clear about! I am so glad for you guys and I'm really looking forward to the next 89 days! <3
__________________ Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.
"This is my prayer in the desert. When all that's within me feels dry. This is my prayer in my hunger and need, my God is the God who provides. This is my prayer in the fire. In weakness or trial or pain. There is a faith proved in more worth then gold, so refine me Lord through the flame!" Hillsong United - Desert song
Regarding the inadequacy of Cain's sacrifice, I would offer Hebrews 9:22b
"without shedding of blood is no remission"
God Bless!
__________________ "Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly" -Sanctus Real
I just wanted to let you all know that I did today's reading as well. I just don't have any clever thoughts right now - I'm over excited and exhausted at the same time.. Oh well, I guess I'll have to get through the chapters again later on. Your thoughts have been really edifying as well, and I think I understand the story of Cain and Abel a little better now.
__________________ Rom.6:20-23 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I have not read these passages *recently, although I have read them. The things that stick out in my mind, especially with referrence to the first few chapters are these:
Everything created in the first 6 days was "good" and God's Rest day - the 7th, is blessed. There is no mention of sin or Rebellion during the first 7 days of Creation, and although it is not mentioned, since there is no Temptation of Man during this time, all of the Angels are probably also "good" - even Lucifer.
The very next thing mentioned is the temptation and fall of man
Since the fall, the Tree of Life is un-available to Adam and Eve and presumably everyone else who eats of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This was, in my understanding, done in mercy - so that man does not live forever in sin. (Gen 3:22)
The flaming sword and Cherubims which guard the enterance to Eden and the Tree of life is placed on the East side of the Garden (Gen 3:24)
Cain the murderer, must live "east of Eden" 4:16
Lot and Abram split, and Lot goes East to Sodom and Gomorrah(13:11)
The "tree of life" is mentioned:
3 times in Genesis 2:9,3:22,3:24
4 times in Proverbs 3:18,11:30,13:12,15:4
1 time in Psalms (as an analogy) Psalm 1:2-3
3 times in Revelation 2:7,22:2,22:14
The direction "East" has significance throughout the Bible...some examples of many:
Men from the East see a Christ's Star and go West
The Angel in Revelation rises from the East 7:2
The Lord,"the prince" walks through the East-facing Gate(going West) Eze 44:1-3, 46:1-3 into His house
Israel is punished because they "replenish from the East" Isaiah 2:6
And significantly, the ancient city of Babylon(located in Iraq) and home to the Chaldean false religions, lies to the East of Israel.
I know this is a section study, but I wanted to point these things out, as the bible is meant to be understood with itself as it's own interpreter.
__________________ אחת השבתות
=
μια των σαββατων
Central to the covenant of I AM.
John 8:24 for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Light. It illuminates a path. It can blind. Three in Scripture are defined by it. Lucifer -"light bringer", the law(Proverbs 6:23), and Jesus Christ. Whom will you trust?
Hmmm all I could think of was the wonderful family relations going on.I think I have just read a years worth of Days of Our Lives scripts. Ok so here are the main key family relationships (I have put and in to seperate parents and children) -
Abraham, Sarah and Isaac
Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael
Abraham, Kenturah and Zimrah, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah
Isaac, Rebekah and Esau, Jacob
Easau, 2 Hittite wives, Ishmael's daughter
Lot, his wife and his 2 daughters
Lot, his daughters and their children (yeah that isn't very nice)
So in these chapters there is lying, deceipt, marriage, remarriage, blessings, money, birthrights and incest. And that is just the beginning.
The interesting things that I found out -
(1) Abraham sent his sons from his second wife away with a legacy so that Isaac could be fully blessed by the Lord. Smart move.
(2) Isaac repeated his father's sin of lying about his wife by saying she was his sister. Not smart.
(3) Esau, after being cheated twice by his younger brother, realised that he should not have married Hittite women and went and married Ishmael's daughter. Not sure if that was smart or not.
Sorry just had to clear my head a little but my favourite part about all this was the story about the promise of Abraham's servant to get a wife for Isaac. What makes it so amazing is that the servant, upon reaching his destination, prays to God asking for God to show him today who was to be Isaac's wife. Not only that, he asked for specific signs to be shown. The servant attitude is amazing. He is like ok I am here. I have done my part now God it is your turn. I don't wanting to be sitting around waiting. Show me what you want. So he prays and then this girl comes down to the water. Here is the next amaxing part - the servant doesn't wait to strike up a casual conversation. Instead he runs to her and asks for some water. Then he watches her as she gets all the water that is needed for the camels. Then he goes to the family and explains everything. At this moment he realises that she is the one so the next morning he gets up and says I want to deliver on my promise right away. He doesn't stop here and have a holiday. He is straight up the next morning ready to take his master's wife to him.
So what are the key points for me -
pray expecting an answer. Of course the servant had a back up plan in case his prayer wasn't answered but prayed with authority expecting an answer.
After praying, we just don't sit around waiting for something to happen. Sometimes we need to run with anticipation to what could be the answer to our prayer
If we do think that it is the answer to our prayers, observe it very carefully. The servant watched Rebekah to make sure she did what he had prayed her to do. Also he asked questions and discussed his prayer with those it included. Make sure the answer you have is the real deal.
When you have the answer and you know it is the real deal, go for it. Don't wait around. Just because you have the answer doesn't mean it is all over and it is time to relax. Don't rest until the promise is completed.
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