God Running

Genesis 16, Hagar slave of Sarai where have you come from and where are you going?, He will be a wild donkey of a man his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, Jesus

Genesis 16:4-6 You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

Genesis 16:4-6

Sarai, feeling anxious about God’s promise not yet coming to fruition, starts in with some drama. She starts with a complaint against God when she says, “The LORD has kept me from having children.” (Genesis 16:2) Sarai decides she needs to take matters into her own hands and offers up her handmaiden Hagar to Abram with the idea that she can build a family through her.

Abram agrees (a mistake on his part by the way, see the previous post on Genesis 16:1-4). Hagar gets pregnant and just as soon as she realizes she’s with child, she cops an attitude, she despises Sarai.

It was her idea in the first place so does Sarai apologize to Abram for pressuring him to take her servant Hagar? No, quite the contrary, Sarai complains to Abram and blames him for his family’s strife. She even brings the Lord into it when she says to him, “May the LORD judge between you and me.” (v.5)

Abram says, basically, what do you want me to do about it? And, “Do with her whatever you think best.” (v.6)

From that point Sarai begins to mistreat Hagar. (v.6)

So Hagar takes the baby and runs. (v.6)

This reads like the script of a chick flick!

With the focus of this chapter mainly on Sarai and Hagar I wanted a woman’s perspective. So I asked my wife Kathy for some insight into Sarai’s behavior in Genesis chapter 16 and received some interesting input:

“I think it’s about women and drama,” Kathy began. “You can just hear Sarai whining to Abram:”

God said that we’d have kids but it’s just not happening. How long has it been? It’s been years since God made you that promise about your descendants. We’re not going to have any descendants if we don’t do something about it! We’re getting older, sooner or later you won’t have what it takes to have kids any more.

“And, she was probably sharing all of these complaints with her handmaidens. You can just imagine Sarai and her handmaidens all emotional and coming up with all these crazy ideas to make something happen,” Kathy said. “One of which was to give her handmaiden to Abram.”

“Why?” I asked. “Why is Sarai stirring up all this drama?”

Kathy: “She has her husband telling her that God promised them all these descendants but she’s not believing. And didn’t she laugh in disbelief when the Angel of the Lord told her she was going to have a son?” (Genesis 18:12)

“Yes,” I answered.

“There you have it,” Kathy said, with an air of finality.

So the root of the drama was Sarai’s unbelief. And as I thought about it, I realized that most of the drama I’ve endured in my own life, and that I’ve observed in the lives of others, has stemmed from an unbelief in God’s word.

Quite often this has been because either I myself or the other people involved aren’t spending time in God’s word, or in church, or both to begin with. When I’m not hearing God’s word I’m not giving myself the opportunity to believe God’s word and I lose trust in God’s plan for my future.

When I’m spending time in God’s word and in church I tend to rest in His plan for my future. I tend to live with the attitude that all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28)

Romans 10:17 says that “…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (KJV)

The bottom line is that you and I will find the emotional drama in our live’s to be inversely proportional to the amount of time we’re spending in God’s word.

So spend time with Him.

Read His word daily.

Pray to Him, converse with Him.

Go to church. For…

…he that believeth shall not make haste.

(Isaiah 28:16 KJV)

Or as the New Living Translation says,

Whoever believes need never be shaken.

“You know, as a man, if I post these thoughts concerning Sarai’s behavior, I could come under some heavy criticism,” I commented to Kathy.

“Yes, I guess you could.”

“What do you think about the idea of me quoting you?”

“Go for it,” Kathy said.

If this doesn’t work out — I sure hope I don’t get blamed for it.

References:

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

Bible Study, Genesis, Marriage

“Do with her whatever you think best”, blame, Christian, Genesis 16:4-6, I put my slave in your arms and now that she knows she is pregnant she despises me, Jesus, love, Then Sarai said to Abram “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering

Genesis 16:1-4 “Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

Genesis 16:1-4

Human beings will let you down every time.

It doesn’t matter who you choose to look to: Brett Favre, or Miley Cyrus, or your husband, or your wife, or your father, or your boss, or your pastor, or your best friend — you’re in for a disappointment.

Last post we looked at Abram’s amazing encounter with God and we spent quite a bit of time exploring the excellent things Abram did with his life that resulted in his receiving God’s best. Abram went where God was, he sacrificed things of value, he waited on the Lord, and he drove away the birds of prey. (see To your descendants I give this land)

Now, here, in Genesis chapter 16, we see Abram’s humanity.

Abram’s 86 and Sarai’s 76. As is nearly always the case, there’s a gap of time between when God gave His promise and the fulfillment of that promise. Thirteen years in this case. Sarai was tired of waiting on the Lord for the promised fruit from her womb. For a barren woman to give a maidservant to her husband in order to have children on her behalf was a common custom in Abram’s time. So Sarai says to Abram, “Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” (v. 2)

Yes it was accepted in society at that time.

Yes it was Abram’s own wife, Sarai, who was admonishing Abram to do this.

Yes it seemed as though this was the only way Abram and Sarai would see any fruit, any family, any children, any descendants.

But in spite of these seemingly compelling circumstances, Abram ought not to have done it. He had a choice and he chose to agree with Sarai. (v. 2) Abram was the leader of his family and part of being the leader is doing what’s best in God’s sight, even when society offers an easy way out. Even when others are telling you to do otherwise. Even if it’s your wife who is doing the telling.

Parenthetically, on the topic of sex outside of marriage, I know of men today who feel that they have valid reasons for engaging in extramarital sex. “Yea but I’m not getting my needs met at home.” or “Yea but this way I don’t have to bother her.” or even one guy I knew who said, “Yea but my wife and I have an arrangement.”

Doesn’t matter. God would have you do the right thing according to His word, whatever your circumstances.

Abram fell. And as we’ll see, this caused heartache, strife, and trouble for Abram, Abram’s family, and Abram’s descendants. In fact Abram’s decision to take Hagar is being felt by Abram’s descendants even today.

Abram provided a great example for us to follow in Genesis chapter 15, but we can’t look to Abram as our complete model of how to live life. We have only to turn the page over to chapter 16 and Abram falls. Like any other person, Abram will let you down every time.

Roger Federer’s one of my favorite athletes. He’s considered by most to be the greatest tennis player who ever lived. In grand slam tournaments, when Roger’s up two sets to zero, his match record is an incredible 178 and 0. That is until last week. Last week he was up two sets to zero, in a grand slam tournament, against a player with a double digit ranking named Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Roger Federer lost.

Only one Person won’t let you down. That person is Jesus Christ.

Look to Him.

God is love. Love never fails.

1 John 4:8 and 1 Corinthians 13:8

References:

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

Bible Study, Genesis, Marriage

"Go sleep with my slave perhaps I can build a family through her.”, Genesis, Genesis 16:1-4, He slept with Hagar and she conceived, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love

Genesis 15:12-21 To your descendants I give this land

white and red house near road — Photo by Matt Hardy on Pexels.com

God Running is a place for anyone who wants to (or even anyone who wants to want to) love Jesus more deeply, follow Jesus more closely, and love people the way Jesus wants us to.

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, “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.”
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”
Genesis 15:12-21

Are you blessed? Have you received abundant blessings from God? In case you’re interested in learning how to receive God’s best, before us we have a case study in Abram on how to do just that. First we’ll look at the five blessings Abram received from God on this day and then we’ll look at four keys to Abram’s life that resulted in his receiving God’s best.

Abram’s Blessings

1) From Abram’s descendants a great nation:

Referring to Israel’s 400 years of captivity in Egypt, in verses 13 and 14 God tells Abram, “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.” (v. 13)

Slavery doesn’t sound like a blessing but if you think about it, Abram and Sarai haven’t even produced one child yet, and God is already providing information about the future of their descendants the nation of Israel. That’s big.

2) God’s protection:

In verse 14 God continues, “But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” God promised Abram that his descendants would become a great nation of people and that He would protect them in the end. Though they would endure a season of difficulty, in the end God promises to rescue them and to bring justice upon the nation that enslaved Israel.

3) Peace and long life:

God promises Abram peace and a long life when He tells Abram that he will go to his ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. (v. 15)

4) Tangible material blessing:

God blesses Abram’s descendants, the nation of Israel, with a very large territory, a vast tract of land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” (v. 18-21) A territory that’s somewhere around 300,000 square miles in size.

Royal Land Grant that God gave to Israel through the Abraham Covenant (courtesy of Files From Toni Blog)

The red line that’s overlaid onto a current map of the Middle East, indicates what the size of the territory that God gave to Abram might look like.

5) A glimpse into the future:

Finally, all of these blessings are given as promises. They’re given to Abram in the form of the prophetic word coming directly from God Himself. Abram receives the rare blessing of an intimate encounter with God Himself, a glimpse into his own future, and the future of his descendants.

Can you imagine!? What must that have been like? Say you’ve purposed in your heart to spend some time alone with God. You find a quiet place. You read a verse from scripture, you pray, you read. After awhile the sun sets and you drift off to sleep. But it’s not a normal sleep. You can tell that something’s different. You feel it. You sense it. And then, you find yourself in God’s presence. He’s sharing with you. He’s talking directly to you. He’s giving you the scoop on the future of your descendants. You’re given a promise by God himself that you’re going to live a long and peaceful life. And finally, God promises you a family ranch that’s larger than the state of Texas.

Abram’s Life

So how did Abram come to experience these tremendous blessings from above. Was he just lucky?

What can you do to experience God’s blessings in the way that Abram did? Below you’ll find five keys to Abram’s life that resulted in his receiving God’s best.

1) Abram went where God was.

Abram was told by God where to go and Abram went.

In Genesis 12 God said, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you…” (Genesis 12:1) Abram was told by God where to go and Abram went there and there, not too surprisingly, he found God.

And that’s how it is for you and for me. When you’re where God wants you to be your chances of encountering God increase dramatically.

So if God is telling you, “Go from the couch, your TV, and your bag of chips to My word and to prayer.” Then go there.

Or if He’s saying, “Go from your Facebook page to your car and head for church.” Then go.

Go where God is and you’ll receive promises, you’ll be blessed. If you’re not where God wants you to be you’re missing out on God’s best for your life.

Go into His word. Go to prayer. Hang out with other Christ followers. Sing praises to Him.

Go to church.

If blessings are being poured out from God’s spout, if you’re not under the spout, you won’t be showered with His blessings.

Go where God is. That’s where the blessings are.

2) Abram sacrificed things of value.

When Abram set up for the covenant he brought a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon. (Genesis 15:9) In Abram’s day these were all things of great value. Heifers provided meat. Goats produced milk. Rams gave wool. Doves and pigeons were food. When Abram brought these to the Lord it cost him something.

When you come to the Lord it costs you something. It costs you your time. It costs you energy. If you invest in His kingdom by tithing and/or giving to your church it costs you money. Sometimes your commitment to Him and His ways may cost you a promotion at work. Sometimes your passion for Him may cost you friends.

Be quick to sacrifice temporal things of value in your life to engage with God. Sacrifice some of your time. Sacrifice some of your money. Sacrifice some of your hobby. Sacrifice some of your time in front of the TV.

The God who created the universe is worth it.

3) Abram waited.

Abram set the stage for the covenant — then he waited. He’s one in a long list of Godly men and women who practiced waiting on God’s timing. The Bible is full of God’s people who have waited. Sarah waited for a son. Moses waited for his people to be delivered. David waited to become king of Israel. Joseph waited in prison for the king’s servant to remember him. Ruth waited for a husband. Noah waited for the flood waters to recede. The list goes on and on.

Wait on God. Be faithful in your waiting. Trust in His timing.

God usually takes longer than I’d like Him to but in the end His timing always turns out to be perfect.

Wait.

4) Abram drove away the birds of prey.

We looked at this in the last post. Abram drove away the birds of prey that descended on the sacrifices laid before the Lord for the making of the covenant. (Genesis 15:11) In your life these birds of prey look like distractions, negative thoughts or feelings, or even family or friends who might begin to feel uncomfortable around you as God grows you into who He wants you to become. See Your very great reward for more on driving away the birds of prey.

I’m not saying that if you practice what Abram did, you’ll inherit a ranch larger than Texas. God blesses each of his children uniquely. What He had in mind for Abram is different from what He has in mind for you. And what He has in mind for you is different than what He has in mind for me.

Intimacy with God results in different blessings for different people.

But to receive God’s best we have to live our lives according to Abram’s pattern.

Do what Abram did — go deep in your relationship with God.

Get radical: fast and pray for a day, read a little bit of God’s word every day for three weeks, write a blog about the Lord, volunteer at your church, help out at the Gospel mission, teach a Bible study.

Do it.

God’s worth it.

You’ll never regret it.

References:

Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, Old Testament Vol. 1, by Jon Courson, Thomas Nelson 2005

Now available on Amazon!

Love Like Jesus: How Jesus Loved People (and how you can love like Jesus)

Love Like Jesus begins with the story of how after a life of regular church attendance and Bible study, Bennett was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. That led to an obsessive seven year deep dive. After pouring over Jesus’ every interaction with another human being, he realized he was doing a much better job of studying Jesus’ words than he was following Jesus’ words and example. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennett’s own moral failures affirm he wrote this book for himself as much as for others.

Love Like Jesus examines a variety of stories, examples, and research, including:

Specific examples of how Jesus communicated God’s love to others.
How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapman’s love languages (and how you can too).
The story of how Billy Graham extended Christ’s extraordinary love and grace toward a man who misrepresented Jesus to millions.
How to respond to critics the way Jesus did.
How to love unlovable people the way Jesus did.
How to survive a life of loving like Jesus (or how not to become a Christian doormat).
How Jesus didn’t love everyone the same (and why you shouldn’t either).
How Jesus guarded his heart by taking care of himself–he even napped–and why you should do the same.
How Jesus loved his betrayer Judas, even to the very end.

With genuine unfiltered honesty, Love Like Jesus, shows you how to live a life according to God’s definition of success: A life of loving God well, and loving the people around you well too.

A life of loving like Jesus.

(Kindle, hardcover, and paperback now available on Amazon.)

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces, Abram fell into a deep sleep and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him, Genesis, Genesis 15, Genesis 15 Bible Study, Genesis 15 Commentary, Genesis 15:12-21, Jesus, Jesus Christ, To your descendants I give this land, You however will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age

Genesis 15:1-11 Your very great reward

Your Very Great Reward (image courtesy of narrowisthepath.com)

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”

But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

So the LORD said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”

Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

Genesis 15:1-11

Abram is spending time with the Lord. He’s experiencing an amazing conversation with the Almighty. The first words out of God’s mouth are:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”

Genesis 15:1

It gives me hope to see that God’s first words to Abram, the father of faith are “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield…” (verse 1)

“Do not be afraid,” God said to Joshua when he began his new job as leader of Israel. (Joshua 1:9)

“Do not be afraid,” the angel said to the shepherds the night that Jesus was born. (Luke 2:10)

“Do not be afraid,” the angel said to a dejected Paul in Acts 27:24.

God knows we have fears. Even Joshua who saw the walls of Jericho fall had fears. Even Paul the great apostle had fears. Even Abram the father of faith had fears.

We all have fears.

God knows this.

Watch what happens next.

Abram fears that his inheritance, the great blessings that he’s received from his God above, will be left to Eliezer of Damascus, the top male servant in his household. This was according to the custom of that time. If a man had no heirs his inheritance would go to his senior ranking male servant.

But even though Abram fears, God reassures. God tells Abram that his fears won’t be realized. He takes Abram outside and together God and Abram look up at the stars. “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” I can only imagine that God said this with a great deal of warmth and with a smile on His face. Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (v. 5)

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (v. 6)

Abram’s fear of losing his inheritance was overcome! Abram’s fear of living a life without children fell away! And not only that, but his belief in God’s words were credited to him as righteousness!

How amazing is that!

But then what happens? God tells Abram that He’s giving him all the land around him, and Abram, the father of faith, who just overcame one fear, moves on to another. (v. 7)

“…how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” Abram asks in verse 8. You can almost hear the whine in his voice. What God does next is incredible. It would seem that a logical reaction to Abram’s questioning attitude might be,

“Hey, I chose you to be the father of faith. But you’re behavior isn’t measuring up. You’re fired! I’m done with you.”

But that’s not who God is.

God is so loving. God is so patient with Abram, and with you, and with me. Instead God says, alright, here’s what we’ll do, I’ll make a covenant with you.

At this time, in this place, a covenant or contract was entered into by splitting an animal in two and sealing the deal by clasping arms while standing in between the two halves of the animal.

So God meets Abram right where he is. You fear I won’t give you this land? You’re familiar with this covenant ritual? Bring back the required animals and prepare them for our covenant.

Abram obeys and sets everything up. And then something very interesting happens.

…birds of prey came down on the carcasses (v. 11)

At first glance this verse seems almost irrelevant. What does this have to do with our story?

Throughout scripture birds represent the enemies of God. Genesis 15:11 is no different. Abram has moved into a place of great intimacy with his Lord. And he is met with resistance from the enemy.

You’ll find that it’s the same for you.

There are birds of prey that seek to thwart any attempt on your part to draw close to your God. But the birds of prey don’t look like birds. They look like the elements of your everyday life.

So what are you and I to do with these birds that look like the elements of our everyday life? What does God’s word say to do? In verse 11 we see that Abram drove them away. And so as Abram did we must also drive them away.

Below you’ll find three categories of birds of prey described, followed by some wisdom to help you drive them away.

1) The birds of prey in your life look like everyday distractions:

These birds look like YouTube videos. They look like Facebook and Farmville. They look like TV and first person shooter games. They look like, dare I say it, shopping.

Though none of the distractions listed are bad in and of themselves, we can, to a large extent, replace our investment in these distractions with greater investment in God. We can replace some YouTube time with time in God’s word. We can replace much of our Facebook and Farmville time with time in prayer. We can replace TV time with time in church. We can replace time shopping with time in service to our God. Invest in God to draw near to God. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:34)

2) Sometimes the birds of prey even look like your family and friends:

A wise man once told me that he wanted to give me a new definition for anger. That new definition, he said, is “violated expectations.” When your new interest in drawing close to your God begins to manifest into investing more of yourself in Him, spending more time in His word, more time and involvement in church, more time in prayer, then some of your friends and family may become uncomfortable because you’re not meeting their expectation of what’s normal for you. In fact, the greater your new found attraction to your God, the stranger some of your friends and family may behave. You may hear them say that “You’ve changed,” or “You’re not the same person you used to be.” They may become moody, even resentful.

When it comes to family and friends, we have to remember that …our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against… …the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12) Though friends and family may become uncomfortable with your drawing closer to your God, the birds of prey are not your friends and family. The birds of prey are the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The birds of prey are the enemies of God Himself attempting to influence you away from Him. They’re principalities and powers. They’re not people. They’re invisible.

You must drive them away by showing Christ’s love to the very people the birds of prey are attempting to use to assault God’s kingdom. As Peter instructed the wives who were married to unsaved husbands, we’re to win our family and friends over by our behavior. (1 Peter 3:1-2) By showing them God’s love. By praying blessing upon them.

You can learn from experience but it doesn’t have to be your own experience. Learn from the experience of my life and others who have gone before you on this same path. Concerning family and friends, to drive away the birds of prey it’s essential that we recognize the following.

Showing family and friends Christ’s countenance and God’s love is where it’s at!

DEBATE IS FRUITLESS!

Praying for family and friends is where it’s at!

DEBATE IS FRUITLESS!

Did I already mention, DEBATE IS FRUITLESS?

It’s the kindness of God that leads people to Him. (Romans 2:4)

Anytime family and friends show discomfort with you, show them Christ’s love.

3) Finally, the birds of prey may come in the form of your own thoughts and feelings:

When you begin to experience intimacy with God you may have thoughts of awkwardness. Feelings of anxiousness. Feelings of discomfort.

When you begin to draw close to God it’s normal to have thoughts that this direction is too strange or too awkward. Martin Luther once said something that speaks to these negative thoughts and feelings. He said,

“You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

It’s the same with your thoughts. Normal thoughts that are negative toward God may enter your mind on occasion but you can choose to think on other things. Positive things. Godly things. Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

When it comes to your thoughts, you have a choice.

As you spend time in intimacy with God through prayer, praise, reading His word, serving in church, you’ll find that living out Philippians 4:8 becomes easier and easier.

So back to Abram. Abram, the father of faith, proves himself faithful on two counts:

1) “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:3, Genesis 15:6)

2) Abram chased away the birds of prey. (v. 11)

We’ve seen how to chase away the birds of prey, but how can we overcome our fears and believe God as Abram did. The key is in verse 1 where God tells Abram one of the great truths of the universe.

God is your very great reward. (v. 1)

God is your very great reward. (v. 1) The great riches that God blessed Abram with, the descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens, the promised land that God gifted to Abram, all of these, as great as they are, are but tiny in comparison to the gift of God himself.

God is your very great reward, Abram is told. (v. 1) Abram’s belief in God’s word came as a result of this gift. Were it not for the fact that Abram was walking with God, investing in God, and experiencing this time of intimate conversation with God, Abram would not have, could not have overcome his fears and believed.

It’s the same for you and it’s the same for me. If you want to overcome your fears. If you want to believe. If you want to experience faith in God. You have to walk with Him, invest in Him, and enter into intimacy with Him. To overcome fear as Abram did Spend time alone with God as Abram did.

Enter into conversation with Him. Listen to Him — read His word. Share with Him — pray to Him. Pray with your Bible open. Read a verse then pray your answer. Pray to Him then read a verse. Converse with Him.

Intimacy with God. That’s the greatest reward you’ll ever experience. Pursue it with all that you have.

You, God, are my God,
   earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
   my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
   where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

While in this portion of scripture it’s impossible for me not to share that, regarding Abram in Genesis 15:6, the words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:23-25) This passage of scripture will reward further study. Paul’s explanation of salvation through Jesus Christ is founded on Genesis 15:6 — see Romans 4 and Galatians 5

If you’re reading this post and you haven’t yet entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ you might be interested in learning how. Go to Join Christ’s Family.

References:

Matthew Henry

Jon Courson

4 Comments

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

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Genesis 14:17-20 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram

Isaiah-David-Melchizedek-by-Ted-CC

After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Genesis 14:17-20

So here’s the scene: After Abram’s stunning and miraculous victory over the armies of four kings. After successfully rescuing his nephew Lot from these four armies, he’s met in the Valley of Shaveh by the king of Sodom and also Melchizedek the king of Salem.

Melchizedek — the king and priest of God Most Most High verse 18 tells us. But that statement creates a problem. Because Melchizedek holds the offices of both king and priest of God Most High, simultaneously? How can that be? Only one person in the Bible holds both of those offices — Jesus.

Some scholars say that Melchizedek was a mere mortal, a man who was an actual king of a literal city named Salem. Other scholars believe that Melchizedek was something more. They believe he was a preincarnate appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Either way, God paints a beautiful Old Testament picture of our New Covenant Lord Jesus Christ in the following ways:

In all of scripture, only Melchizedek and Jesus held both the office of priest and king. (Genesis 14:18, Hebrews 6:19, John 1:49)
Melchizedek and Jesus are both described as having no earthly father. (Hebrews 7:3, Matthew 1:18)
Melchizedek and Jesus both have no beginning of days or end of life. (Hebrews 7:3)
To finish the picture, Melchizedek brings bread and wine out to Abram even as Jesus brought bread and wine out to his disciples at the first communion. (Genesis 14:18, Luke 22:19-20)

Adding to the mystery of Melchizedek is that after Genesis 14 we don’t see him mentioned again until Psalm 110:4. In Psalm 110:4 the author David, seemingly out of nowhere writes,

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

It’s amazing the way the whole Bible fits together to tell the story of salvation through Jesus Christ. This statement four verses into Psalm 110 is completely cryptic as is Melchizedek himself until the book of Hebrews.

In the book of Hebrews, chapter 7, we learn that the Person referred to in Psalm 110 as a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek is Jesus Christ. It’s here in Hebrews that we’re reminded that the lesser is always blessed by the greater. Levi, the father of the Levitical priesthood and Abram’s great-grandson, is yet within Abram’s loins at the time of Melchizedek’s blessing. So Levi is in effect being blessed by Melchizedek. And as we’ll see later, through Abram, Levi pays tithe to Melchizedek as well, which also speaks of Melchizedek’s position above Levi. (Hebrews Chapter 7)

So Hebrews chapter 7 establishes the superiority of the order of Melchizedek over the order of Levi. That is, the order of Melchizedek which speaks of our new covenant priest Jesus Christ is completely superior to the priesthood given by the law, the Levitical priesthood. For without a doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. The Levitical priesthood, while still inside Abram’s body, was blessed by Melchizedek. (Hebrews Chapter 7:7)

I searched high and low while researching this section of scripture and by far the best material I could find on Genesis 14:17-20 came from Hebrews chapter 7.

In Hebrews 7 God tells us of Melchizedek:

This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared:

   “You are a priest forever,
   in the order of Melchizedek.”

The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

   “The Lord has sworn
   and will not change his mind:
   ‘You are a priest forever.’”

Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Hebrews Chapter 7

As the author of Hebrews wrote, the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:19)

That better hope is our Lord.

Glory to Jesus Christ in the highest.

Notes:

Image of Isaiah, David, and Melchizedek via Ted – Creative Commons

5 Comments

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

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Genesis 14:15-16 Partnering with God

My Hand in His (Image courtesy of Spirit of Fire Evangelistic Ministries)

During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

Genesis 14:15-16

As we saw in the recent post on Genesis 14:13-14, Abram was prepared to rescue Lot before it was apparent that Lot needed rescuing as Abram had already trained 318 in his household for war and he had already allied himself with a few of his neighbors. Now obviously Abram couldn’t take Lot’s captors head on. They were a force made up of the armies of four kingdoms and Abram had only 318 men plus whatever number his neighbors threw in. Here in Genesis 14:15 we see that Abram chose to attack at night and to divide his forces, implying that he had devised a strategy to help confound the vastly superior forces of Lot’s captors. Yet in verse 20 we see that it was God Most High, who delivered Abram’s enemies into his hand.

So how does this work? How is it that Abram went to all the trouble to plan, train up a fighting force, build an alliance with his neighbors, and develop strategy yet God gets the credit?

Remember, it’s in him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28) Without Him, no matter how hard we train, no matter who we ally ourselves with, no matter how well we plan, we won’t experience God’s best.

It’s a partnership.

Most of us have a tendency to make two mistakes in this area of partnership with God. We either try to do it completely on our own, without God. Or, we think we’re practicing faith by not doing our part and leaving things completely up to God.

In reality, the way this partnership works is that you and God each have your part. Now by comparison, God’s part is immeasurably larger than your part, or my part, but it’s important to remember that we still have our part.

Abram and his allies didn’t just defeat the armies of the four kings but Abram “routed” them as it says in verse 15. Routing the armies of four kings with 318 plus men absolutely could not have happened without God doing His part.

For you and for me, as it was with Abram’s rescue mission, God’s part is huge.

And as it was with Abram’s rescue mission, our part is tiny by comparison, yet it’s oh so important that we do our part.

For as Saint Augustine said,

Without God I can’t but without me God won’t.

References:

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

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Genesis 14:13-14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan

Abram Rescues Lot (image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

Genesis 14:13-14

I love Abram’s example here in Genesis 14:13-14. These two verses are filled with rich wisdom from our Lord. In this post I’ll share about Abram’s example in three specific areas, riches, readiness, and rescue.

Riches:

I find it amazing that Abram had 318 trained men born in his household. This is an indication of Abram’s tremendous wealth. These were those born in his household and trained for war. How many weren’t born in his household? How many men weren’t trained for war? How many women were a part of Abram’s household? How many children? I work for a Fire Department that employs just 80 people and our budget is around 12 million per year. Today the company Twitter Inc. has 300 employees and it’s worth an estimated 1 billion dollars. I don’t know what Abram’s net worth was but there’s no doubt that God put it way up there. How our culture admonishes us to chase after material things. Yet the key to prosperity, perhaps counter-intuitively, is modeled here for us by Abram. Abram is a great example of living life God’s way for he lived to …seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things were added unto Abram. (Matthew 6:33)

Readiness:

I also find it interesting that Abram, the father of faith, had plans and preparations to the extent that he had trained 318 men for war. I’m often approached by young men who want to establish themselves in a career as a firefighter.

“Pray for me, that such and such fire department will hire me,” they say. That’s a great request and I do pray for friends to be hired. But I often think that those young men should also be praying for God to bless their preparation and their education.

Faith doesn’t absolve us of our responsibility to prepare.

It’s our job to plan. It’s our job to prepare. And it’s also our job to be completely flexible to change the plan when the Holy Spirit directs us to. Dwight Eisenhower who planned the D-Day invasion, the largest invasion of its kind in history, once said:

Plans are nothing; planning is everything.

Rescue:

Finally we see here an opportunity presented to Abram. An opportunity to demonstrate Abram’s God given love for his nephew Lot. It might have been easy for Abram to say, “Well he made some questionable decisions. He decided to hang with the wrong crowd over there in Sodom and Gomorrah. He’s made his own bed and now he has to lie in it.” But instead, Abram seized the opportunity and, against staggering odds, pursued the forces that captured Lot until he was able to rescue him.

One of the biggest mistakes I ever made in my life occurred a number of years ago when a nephew of mine came down with appendicitis. He was in his early 20’s living out an adventure in Mexico at the time. The hospital refused to perform the surgery until he came up with the $3,000 for the operation. He asked for my help but in my heart I questioned whether or not the need was real. I felt that he had made some questionable decisions and I wondered if I would be truly helping if I sent the money. Now of course there are instances when someone is caught up in alcohol or drug abuse or gambling or some other addiction when it’s completely counter productive to help. But in this instance enabling wasn’t a factor. The need for an appendectomy was real. I blew it. Fortunately his older brother was able to send him the money and it turned out well.

Are you someone’s uncle? Someone’s youth sports coach? Someone’s supervisor? Someone’s father or mother? Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as opportunities are presented. When the time comes, when you have the power to help someone close to you, seek the Lord then seize the opportunity!

When I was studying to lead my unit in the war, we were required to read an ancient story about a Chinese general named Wu Chi. One of Wu Chi’s soldiers was suffering from an abscess — Wu Chi himself cared for the wound even sucking out the infection. The soldier’s mother, hearing this, wailed and lamented. Somebody asked her, ‘Why do you cry? Your son is only a common soldier, and yet the commander-in-chief himself has sucked the poison from his sore.’ The woman responded, ‘Many years ago Lord Wu performed a similar service for my husband, who never left him afterwards… And now that he has done the same for my son, he too will follow Wu I know not where.’

As told by the Chaplain in Traveler and the Chaplain

Seize opportunities to help those close to you, in Jesus name, that they might be drawn to Him.

References:

Jon Courson

J. Vernon McGee

Traveler and the Chaplain

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

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Surrender Yourself to God: Joshua 1:1-7

Surrender Yourself to God Tonight was a great night. I attended a State Fire Chiefs Association awards ceremony where one of our crews was recognized for their efforts on the Oak Knoll, Ashland, Oregon Fire. The only problem is that I’m not available to write this week’s post. But God, in His grace, provided someone else to write the post for me. One of the people I admire most on the entire planet.

The following is a guest post by Don Bennett.

Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous…

Joshua 1:1-7

Joshua was truly honored to be chosen to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. What an incredibly strong endorsement. By this time, inspite of wandering in the desert for 40 years, Israel had grown to be 3 million strong. No sooner had they begun their trip to the promised land than they encountered the incredibly powerful fortified city of Jericho. Joshua sent 3 men to Jericho to find out what the situation was there. With the help of a woman who believed that the God of Israel was the true God they found that rather than come out and fight, the people of Jericho were going to hide behind the incredibly strong walls of the city. Most Christians know the story of God’s angel appearing as a warrior to Joshua and giving him instruction to lead the people around the walls 7 days in a row. On the 7th day they were instructed to have the priests blow the ram’s horn and have all of the people shout at the same time. As the song says, “…the walls came tumbling down.”

The next obstacle confronting Joshua and his people was the city of Ai. Without praying or consulting the LORD, Joshua sent several men in to assess the situation. They returned and reported that “This should be easy. They don’t look very strong.” They didn’t know that three Kings, who feared the Israelis, were allied with Ai. Because of this alliance the fighting forces of Ai were much more powerful than they appeared. Perhaps even more powerful than Jericho’s. Again, without consulting or praying, Joshua sent only 3,000 men to engage Ai and they were routed. The survivors came running back and told Joshua that they had been met with a powerful force. Joshua, being a man of the LORD, lay prone on the ground, covered himself with dust, and prayed for GOD’s forgiveness for his, Joshua’s, being so arrogant. God forgave Joshua with a strong warning to remember who the authority was and to check in with the LORD before going off on his own. Obviously, Joshua learned very quickly to respect the LORD and to be grateful for his blessings.

In my life, from an early age, I did not always respect authority, and I always found that there was a price to pay. Growing up in Kansas, sports were always very important to me. In the 8th grade I was the quarterback on our football team. We had a coach named Mr. Burnett. He was young and easy to relate to. In fact at that time, he still often wore his letterman’s sweater from Coffeeville College. One day he asked me to stay after practice to talk.

He first asked me how I was doing.

I answered “I think I’m doing pretty well.”

He asked, “Why do you think you’re doing well?”

I said, “I really don’t know.”

He said, “I know why you are doing well. God gave you the ability to run fast and throw a ball fast, but you have a problem. You will never become a better player and teammate unless you work at improving yourself rather than just relying on your God-given ability.”

I was crestfallen! But I really didn’t learn much of anything from our talk. Because Coach Burnett continued to allow me to play quarterback, I was still getting what I wanted and didn’t learn the lesson that it’s a good idea to pay attention to those in authority.

In Proverbs 24:21 God tells us, “My son, fear thou the LORD and the king…” Coach Burnett was my “king” but I didn’t fear or respect him.

After 8th grade, my father was transferred to Chicago, Illinois. I went out for football. The first day of Freshman practice, Coach Ritchoff blew the whistle and came up to me. “You can’t play quarterback because you’re left-handed.” I informed Coach Ritchoff that that did not make any sense at all. All that earned me was running 10 extra laps and I got switched to running back anyway. Obviously, I had not learned my lesson.

I was very fortunate to be born into a family of good Christians and at the age of 3 I was singing “Jesus loves me this I know because the Bible tells me so” with my Sunday School class. I still think that’s a good song. I have always considered myself a Christian but it was a long time before I got the idea of what it was to be a Christian.

When things were easy, and I did well, I was very quick to feel prideful and superior as opposed to thanking God for my successes. When things didn’t go well, rather than assessing my own performance, I usually blamed my failure on someone else or general circumstances. Obviously, unlike Joshua, I was not quick to understand that my successes were all the result of God’s gifts and my failures came about when I strayed from the word of God.

I have found that when I attend church regularly and continue to read my Bible things go very well for me.

Jesus came and not only died to wash away our sins but was the perfect example of humility and selflessness. It isn’t easy in today’s crazy world to follow the example which Jesus set. When we focus on His example and love God, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves, we find ourselves so busy helping others that we won’t have time to be arrogant.

…I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life… -Deuteronomy 30:19-20

[Image via: Andre Bohrer – Creative Commons]

Bible Commentary, Bible Study

Posted on May 14, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

Authority, Christian living, Humility, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Joshua, Joshua 1, Surrender yourself to Christ, Surrender Yourself to God, Surrender yourself to Jesus

Genesis 14:1-12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom

The person you become is determined by the company you keep.

At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley).  For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim  and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert.  Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills.  The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away.  They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

Genesis 14:1-12

Trouble Seems To Follow Lot

Chapter 14 starts out with a battle. In fact, this is the first mention of war in the Bible. Five kingdoms, or city-kingdoms if you will, were subject to Kedorlaomer the king of Elam. This had been the situation for twelve years until the five kingdoms decided to rebel. Kedorlaomer the king of Elam and three of his allies, the city-kingdoms of Shinar, Ellasar, and Goyim entered into battle against the five rebelling kingdoms, two of which were Sodom and Gomorrah, and defeated them. In the process they also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. (v.12)

Poor Lot. Trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes. Over the years I’ve heard that phrase used concerning celebrities who repeatedly find themselves in trouble, with the law, or in their marriage, or with alcohol and drugs. “Trouble seems to follow him (or her) wherever he goes.” Or does it? When you examine these celebrity’s lives more closely you find that the company they keep includes people who repeatedly get into trouble.

It was the same with Lot. Genesis 13:13 tells us that Lot chose to live with people who were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. Their battles became his battles. Their losses became his losses. Their problems became his problem.

Praying For God’s Crew

I was 22 years old. Kathy was 19, and eight and one half months pregnant. My job at the cabinet shop was cut back from 40 hours a week to 8 hours a week. We were living in a rented 8′ x 28′ trailer on a friend’s property deep in the woods of Oregon. The trailer was heated with a wood stove and was so small that you either boiled in the living room where the wood stove was or you froze in the only bedroom at the other end of the trailer. The shower was so small that if Kathy, pregnant with our first son, dropped the bar of soap, she had to ask me to come pick it up because there wasn’t enough room in the shower to stoop down to grab it.

Growing up I made poor choices when it came to friends. In middle school I hung out with an older boy who liked to burglarize houses which resulted in me getting in trouble with local law enforcement. In high school and college I liked to hang with the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll crowd. So it was as much of a surprise to me as it was to anyone else when, desperate for a job to support my wife and my first born son only a few weeks from arriving, I started going for walks in the woods outside our tiny trailer and praying for a workplace where I’d find Christians to hang with. The amazing thing is, I wasn’t yet a Christian myself. The only explanation I can come up with is that God had His hand on my life in a very intimate and personal way.

At the same time I was praying in the woods outside our trailer, I was applying for jobs — everywhere. The lumber mill, orderly jobs at nursing homes, McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell. The economy was in a terrible recession at the time and I was rejected by all of them, except one. The fire department was hiring and that turned out to be the only job offer I had. The first crew I was assigned to had a firefighter on it who invited me to join a Bible study that the crew held in the station at the end of each work day.

I could hardly believe it.

God used the Christian men I was exposed to on the fire department to completely change who I was. I went from being a burglar who loved sex and drugs to a firefighter who loved Jesus Christ.

Your Ideal You

All this brings us to the question: What is your ideal image of yourself? If someone were describing who you’re ideal self, what would they say?

“He’s a man who loves Jesus so much, he lives to do His will.”

“He’s a man who loves Jesus with everything he has, and loves others as himself.”

“She’s a woman who is a great blessing to her Lord, her family, and her friends.”

“He’s a man full of God’s wisdom.”

“She’s a woman who never says a bad word about anybody.”

“He’s a man full of God’s grace.”

I have a secret: You can become that person.

All it takes is a few simple actions on your part.

1) Petition Jesus to make you into that person — petition Him daily.

2) Find people who fit your description of who you want to become.

3) Find ways to spend time with those people and don’t give up until you do.

You Become Who You Hang With

I once set a goal for myself to become ranked in the top 5 as an amateur tennis player in my age group in the Pacific Northwest. The town I lived in has a good junior program. At the time they had a number of regionally ranked players and even a few nationally ranked players who were bound for division 1 college tennis programs and had a chance to become professionals. At age 43, my strategy was to join the junior tennis program and do whatever they did. When they practiced, I tried to practice. When they took a lesson, I tried to take a lesson. When they played a tournament, I tried to play a tournament. At 43 and working full time I was far from perfect in matching all of the activities of the ranked juniors. I didn’t do it completely but for the most part I prioritized my relationship with Christ, my family, and my work ahead of tennis. But even with these priorities in place, this principle is so powerful that at the end of the year I was ranked #2.

Do you want to follow Jesus more closely? Find people who love him with everything they have and connect with them.

Do you want to spend more time in God’s word? Find people who love God’s word and hang with them.

Do you desire more godly wisdom? Find wise godly people to spend time with.

The Most Important Person

Nothing will influence who you become more than spending time with Jesus.

Spend time with Jesus in prayer, in worship, in his word, in fellowship with His followers both inside and outside of church. Spend time with him regularly. Make your time with him as deep and meaningful as possible. Invest yourself in him, imitate him, and over time, you’ll become more like him.

Shortly after Jesus went up to heaven, Peter and John had to appear before the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law. The Bible says,

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

Peter and John were changed because they had been with Jesus. They were unschooled, ordinary men, yet they demonstrated such courage, and represented Jesus so impressively that they astonished the authorities in Israel. They went on to become great leaders in the early church.

You can have a very similar experience.

Traveler and the Chaplain

References:

Traveler and the Chaplain

Jon Courson

David Guzik

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Posted on May 7, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

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Lot’s Choice: Genesis 13:10-18

…in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6 (photo courtesy of bibleinayearandbeyond.blogspot.com)

Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the LORD.

Genesis 13:10-18

Decisions. I wonder if Lot prayed through his decision to set himself up in the greater Sodom and Gomorrah metropolitan area. I wonder if he sought God’s will for his life before he pulled the trigger on where to move himself and his family.

The plain was well watered. It looked like the garden of the Lord. It looked like the irrigated areas of the land of Egypt.

It looked good. It looked like an obvious choice.

But Lot wound up keeping company with those who were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. (Genesis 13:13)

We do the same thing today. We make decisions, often times important decisions, based on how things look.

“They pay the most,” he says.

“If you work there we won’t have to move,” she says.

“He looks so cute,” she says.

“She’s smokin hot,” he says.

Some people said that he looked a little like Leonardo DiCaprio. He was older, charming, handsome, witty. She was young and impressionable. She liked his good looks and his big personality. He liked her youthful beauty. She went away with him in January of 2004. When she was only 21. He was 33.

“What an adventure this will be,” he said.

“I know he’s much older but we’re in love,” she said, answering her parent’s objections.

And it was a great adventure — at first. He was talented and landed a good job in the first town they moved to. She worked part time to help out. They enjoyed their first few months together. But he lost his job and they had to move again. New town, new job, fresh start, no problem. But less than a year later he lost his job once more. Off they went to another town. He took another job. It was there that she started to learn more about her new husband. As it turns out, he enjoyed gambling.

“This cuts into our budget,” she said.

“It’s just entertainment, what’s the big deal?” he said.

“You’re borrowing money from people at work,” she said.

“This is the last time, I promise,” he said.

Another job, another town. In this town she learned about his addiction to internet porn. She also learned that he can get abusive at times.

She also learned she’s pregnant.

The plain may look well watered, the choice may look appealing, the decision might appear to be obvious, but what does the Lord want?

Think about what you can know about a person. You can know how he or she looks and sounds. You can’t know what’s in his mind. You can’t know her intent. You can’t know what she plans for the future. You can’t know his heart.

But God knows everything there is to know about a person.

Think of what you can know about your environment. You can only know what’s happened in the past based on recorded history and your own memory. You can only know what’s in the present based on your senses — if you’re inside right now, with the drapes drawn, you can only know what’s happening inside the four walls of the room you’re in. And the future — you can’t know for sure what might happen even one second into the future.

But nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13)

Why not tap into that?

Abram did. Abram tapped into that. Abram built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. (Genesis 12:8) And look at the results! God told Abram “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” (Genesis 13:14-15)

And what’s Abram’s response to this news? We see in verse 18 that he builds another altar to the Lord! By the way, nowhere in scripture do we find Lot building an altar to God.

So often when we find ourselves in a position of having to make an important life decision, we do so based on our own impressions. It may feel awkward, it may feel different, but like it did for Abram, it will result in tremendous blessing when we seek the Lord before making important decisions.

The way to do that is to…

Pray for wisdom: Pray through your decision. Pray for the Lord to direct your steps. Concerning wisdom, James 1:5 says that …you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Study scripture: Personally I’ve found that the degree to which I’m immersed in God’s word is the degree to which I enjoy God’s peace about my decisions in life. Keep yourself immersed in scripture for the word of God is living and full of power. (Hebrews 4:12 Bible in Basic English)
Fast: When Paul and Barnabas were deciding who to appoint as elders in the early churches, they fasted and prayed through their decisions. (Acts 14:23) I know of a celebrity that fasts before she makes any major career or life decision. She’s enjoyed amazing success over the years. In most of Christian culture today, fasting is out of fashion. But while under utilized, fasting unto the Lord remains one of the most powerful tools made available to you.
Seek wise counsel: Seeking wise counsel from those who are wiser and more Godly than you are will make a tremendous difference in your life. But even more important than that, seeking wise counsel from God himself, reading his scriptures, fasting unto Him, and praying through life decisions, will make an even bigger difference.
Hang with the right people: In reality, when it comes to relationship decisions, there are only two categories of people to connect with. Irrespective of race, color, religion, age, or sexual orientation, spend time only with 1) Those who will influence you for God’s kingdom, and 2) Those who you will influence for God’s kingdom. And it pays to be conservative when you choose the second category. Lot is spoken of in the Bible as a righteous man, but later we’ll see that he seemed to have had little or no influence for God’s kingdom on the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. (2 Peter 2:7-8)

Study scripture, fast unto the Lord, pray through your decision. Then pull the trigger on your decision and trust the Lord to be with you and to help you and to never forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

(Jeremiah 29:11)

Of course the most important choice you can make is to choose to accept Jesus Christ as your savior. This is the choice with eternal consequences.

Eternity is a long time.

Choose Jesus. (see So Your Life Is Falling Apart)

References:

(The story in this post about choosing a husband without seeking God is based on true events)

JonCourson.com

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Kurt Bennett

Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis

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Stop doubting and believe: John 20:24-29

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

-John 20:24-29

Missing Sunday Meeting

It’s Sunday and the disciples have assembled together. The disciples had met the Sunday before but Thomas wasn’t with them. Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus appeared to them. The disciples shared the good news of Jesus’ resurrection but Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)

Too bad Thomas missed that meeting. Had he made it, he would have experienced the bodily presence of Jesus and believed a week early. His doubt would have been erased and his faith would have been increased. But because Thomas missed that last meeting his doubt endured.

You know, if you think about it, something similar happened when Jesus appeared to the 500 after the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:6 tells us there were 500 present when Jesus commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised… …in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)

Yet in Acts 1:15 it appears that only 120 of them listened and obeyed Jesus’ words. That’s huge! That means 380 missed the meeting in the upper room described in Acts 1:15. That also means 380 missed out on the blessing of the Holy Spirit. 120 had tongues of fire on their heads and spoke powerfully in foreign languages they didn’t know. 120 were used to save the souls of 3,000 people. (Acts chapter 2) 380 were left out–because they missed the meeting.

Verse 24 of John 20 says that Thomas was also known as Didymus. Didymus means twin in the Greek, so who’s twin is he?

He’s the twin of you and he’s the twin of me.

Have you ever missed a meeting with the Lord? I know I have. Missing meetings means missing out. Missing out on experiencing fellowship with the body of Christ. Missing out on believing. Missing out on increased faith. Had Thomas made it to the first meeting he would have seen Jesus and believed. His doubt would have been erased and his faith would have been increased!

That’s what happens to us when we make meetings.

Because Thomas missed the last meeting his doubt endured. It’s the same with you and the same with me. When we miss meetings, when we miss hearing the word of God whatever doubts we have endure.

No doubt Thomas and the 380 had their reasons for missing. They worked hard all week so they were too tired, or they didn’t care for someone who they knew would be attending that meeting, or there was a good game on TV that morning. But whatever their reason, when they missed the meeting they missed out on experiencing the presence of Jesus in a unique way. They missed out on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. They missed out on a tremendous blessing.

Oh twin of doubting Thomas, don’t you see that Thomas didn’t believe until he touched Jesus? Don’t you see it’s the same for you today? You won’t believe until you touch Him.

So touch him. Study Jesus’ life in the scriptures. Encounter Jesus with His believers. Do these things and you too will believe! Like Thomas, you too will find yourself responding to him, saying, “My Lord and my God!”

You’ll never regret it, I promise you!

Make the meeting.

Go to church.

References: