Posts Tagged ‘ sin ’

Tweets & Rants 12 March 2013: Matthew 24:36-51; Romans 7:1-25; Psalms 57-58; Numbers 23-27

remains locked in this perpetual internal war between his flesh desires and the will of God. Rom 7:22 @WeeManWest

Matthew 24:37 Am I the only one who finds it interesting that Jesus compares His judgment coming against Jerusalem to the days of Noah and mentions specifically, marrying and giving in marriage? We mustn’t forget the story of the Nephillim and the rebellion against God they invoked among mankind.

The theme here is that life went on as usual without a thought toward God. The focus of existence was on what to do rather than on the worship of God. So it was in Noah’s day, so it was in Jerusalem’s last days.

Matthew 24:41 In Noah’s day, who was taken away from the earth and who was left on the earth? The wicked were taken from the earth in the flood and Noah was left on the earth to repopulate it in his new covenant in which he, in a sense, inherited a new heavens and new earth.

In the coming of the Son of Man in judgment against Jerusalem and Israel the unbelieving among Israel and Jerusalem were taken along with the old covenant system and who was left? The church and the new covenant!

Matthew 24:48 We should live the opposite of the days of Noah. Our existence should be God-centered…though He may tarry…we should live daily with Him on our minds and in our hearts.

Romans 7:4 It’s quite clear that either we are alive under the Law, or we have died and been resurrected into a life that is not under the Law but instead under the Spirit in Christ Jesus.

Romans 7:11 The Law creates our awareness of what is right and wrong. Sin seizes upon the opportunity to lead us into unrighteousness. The Law exposes what sin is already doing in us. In order to be free from both we must die in Christ.

Romans 7:15 We have each been in that place in which we have thought to ourselves, “why in the world did I just do that?” Sin still lurks in our flesh seeking to trap and enslave us to its will.

Romans 7:22 We delight in the law of God and in the goodness of God and yet within ourselves we are at internal war with our flesh that seeks to impose against the good things God is doing in us and turn us to captivity to sin.

Psalm 57:1 Has God truly become our refuge? Are we fully vested in Christ Jesus or are we holding back, still dependent upon our own skill and ability?

Psalm 57:5 In all that we are we should seek that God would be exalted.

Psalm 58:1 Wicked people find it impossible to be righteous in their judgments. We will note, just from the political processes of our day, that instead of justice and equality our leaders instead favor one group over another for political gain.

Psalm 48:11 The reward for the righteous is knowing that one day God will settle accounts with mankind. Justice will come.

Numbers 23:8 God alone has the sovereign authority to bless and curse.

Numbers 23:21 We must keep note of this statement for Balaam was quite certainly paying attention to it when he instructs Balack in order to still turn a profit on this venture.

Numbers 25:3 Israel was to be the covenant executioner of the Moabites for such activities and now instead has joined with them in these activities.

Numbers 25:11 Phinehas was jealous with a godly jealousy for the worship of His name alone and put an end to the plague and as such would secure the priesthood to his family.

Numbers 25:18 The Midianites are to be destroyed for having acting so deceptively among the Israelites.

Numbers 26:2 Now, 40 years later, that all the prior wicked generation has been removed (probably the last vestiges wiped out in the plague), it is time to muster up the army for invasion.

Numbers 27:18 Moses is soon to die and is going to appoint Joshua, a man full of the Spirit, to lead Israel into the promised land. Joshua and Jesus have the same Hebrew name.

Moses (the Law) can only bring us to the promised land, we need Joshua (Jesus) to bring us into the promised land. The Law makes us aware of sin and righteousness, Christ provides our righteousness and deals with our sin.

2013
03/12
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Tweets & Rants 9 March 2013: Matthew 24:1-14; Romans 6:15-23; Psalm 56; Numbers 21-22

thinks Balaam is probably best described as a prophet for profit who made a donkey of himself! Num 22:32 #itscheesyIknow @WeeManWest

believes the context of “these things” is the desolation and destruction of Jerusalem that Jesus had just prophesied. Mat 24:1 @WeeManWest

Matthew 24:3 The “things” the disciples are asking Jesus about pertain to the context. Jesus had just prophesied the blood vengeance upon Jersusalem, its desolation, and the destruciton of its temple. They want to know when it is going to happen.

Jesus’ coming and Jesus’ return are two separate Scriptural concepts of which one cannot differentiate without understanding the writings of the prophets.

Jesus’ coming is about His vengeance, His judgment, which He had just prophesied was going to come to Jerusalem.

Jesus’ return will occur at the last day of His and the Final Judgment will occur at that point.

The end of the age? What age? This is not pointing to the end of time but rather the end of the age they were in that was dominated by the Law and the Temple in Jersualem. When would that age end? 70 AD!

Matthew 24:14 After giving the disciples a series of signs that have been obeserved in every generation since, He gives them a very specific sign. Gospel proclamation in all nations.

The early church was able to achieve this feet, though on a limited scale, as Paul quotes in Romans.

I do believe that before the end of this age, the age that began with the cross, we will again encounter…and hopefully be a part of…a final great movement of the gospel.

Romans 6:16 This rule applies not only in the realm of sin and righteousness but also in the realm of life. Where is your obedience? If you are obeying God you will be clean and clear from obedience to the many forms of idolatry in our day.

We are a slave to whomever we choose to obey. May we choose obedience to Christ.

Romans 6:22 Our life focus becomes Christ Jesus and living out His righteousness in this dark world. Such is the best fruit imaginable.

Psalm 56:1 We desperately need the grace of God at work in our lives. We are trampled and attacked yet God is graciously working out things in this world for our everlasting benefit in the age to come.

Psalm 56:9 What greater assurance can we have than this, that in all the trials we face, God is for us. Even if the trial takes our very lives we know two things: #1 He will have His day of judgment and vengeance; #2 He is our reward.

Numbers 21:5 They loathed the food of God. How rebellious we are?

Numbers 21:9 God allowed a plague of serpents to come among the people. If they were bitten they died. When they plead for mercy God instructs Moses to put a bronze serpent on a staff and to tell the people to simply look upon the bronze serpent when they are bitten and they will live.

We are all bitten by the serpent and sin is killing us. Yet, we simply look to the cross in which Jesus Christ hung the serpent and we will live!

Numbers 22:22 God was angered because Balaam went. Balaam knew that God was not going to allow him to curse Israel. Balaam went because he thought that surely he could turn a profit out of this venture.

Numbers 22:31 Balaam was blind to God’s interference in his journey. God had to allow a donkey to speak to him to deliver him from his maddening quest for wealth. Balaam could now see the angel of the Lord standing with his sword drawn to strike him down.

Balaam had thought his donkey was making a mockery of him, yet his donkey was merely trying to spare his life. It was Balaam who was making a donkey out of himself.

Numbers 22:32 Balaam was a prophet for profit. He was perverse in his quest for wealth.

Numbers 22:35 Balaam was permitted to go, yet he was only allowed to speak to them what he is told by God. Balaam will break this covenant chasing wealth as we will see.

2013
03/09
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Tweets & Rants 6 March 2013: Matthew 23:1-12; Romans 5:1-11; Psalm 53; Numbers 12-14

believes it is difficult to respect authority when that authority isn’t doing right, yet Jesus taught us to respect it. Mat 23:3 @WeeManWest

thinks someone/politicians labeling themselves a “servant” is more than likely trying to prove it to themselves. Mat 23:11 @WeeManWest

believes we should serve in humility demanding NOTHING, waiting patiently for Christ to exalt us in His due time. Mat 23:12 @WeeManWest

is certain that unless we believe we are sinful, corrupt, and incapable of good we will not be ready for Christ. Psa 53:3 @WeeManWest

wastes effort doing things expecting God to join in when instead he needs to join God where His is already working. Num 14:42@WeeManWest

Matthew 23:3 Jesus taught us a respect for authority while recognizing that often those in authority do not practice what they preach. Often those in authority will use their “authority” to create themselves and out clause or to just not abide by the standard they have set for the common person.

Matthew 23:4 So often those in authority use the burden and labor to keep the common man occupied while they themselves become the beneficiaries of the work of the common man.

Matthew 23:5 As Jesus teaches elsewhere so He revisits here, those who do their works to be seen by others are in the wrong. All the pomp and pageantry of this world is vanity. Whether its ceremonial pageantry in religion, industry, or politics you still face the same worthlessness.

Matthew 23:11 Serving others is what truly leads to greatness in the kingdom of Christ. Are we the servant or the served? Our goal should be to humble serve for the honor and will of Christ.

Applying this also to the political realm where our leaders call themselves “servants”. Servants don’t make the rules but rather abide by the rules of their master. When someone is a master, a rule-maker, they are not serving but are being served. Don’t be so easily decieved by the slick words and pageantry of the elites!

Matthew 23:12 If we must exalt ourselves then we are in defiance of Christ. We should serve in humility and demand NOTHING and wait patiently for Christ to exalt us in His due time!

Romans 5:2 We stand by the grace that we have accessed by faith we have received through Christ. Nothing of our salvation is our own it is all God’s and for His glory alone does it come to us.

We rejoice in this hope, that God is not looking at any of our works of which even the most righteous among them are like filthy rags, but rather that God looks at us and sees the works of Jesus Christ which are complete in Him alone.

I add nothing but my own sin to the equation. Yes, my faith leads me to good works that yet are tainted by my own sinful motivations, attitudes, and actions. Woe unto me if I were to think any work of my own added anything to what Christ has done to save me wholly and completely into everlasting life.

Romans 5:3 We rejoice in our sufferings. REALLY?! Last time I checked most of us tend to moan and complain in our sufferings. Paul is describing a faith that embraces our sufferings for the value they will produce in our lives.

Suffering stinks!

Yet suffering is the powerhouse of spiritual production for the life of faith! Suffering produces endurance in our walk. Endurance is beneficial in and of its own because we must endure so much turmoil at the hands of our enemy that we need the ability to endure.

However, endurance that is born through suffering then produces character in our walk. Character/integrity is a solid compass for all of our living. Character then produces hope. Why? Because our character witnesses to us  having been born from our endurance that was forged in our suffering. Our character KNOWS undoubtedly from where it has come and gives us hope of where we are going.

Romans 5:8 Jesus didn’t sit around and wait for us to get things right before He came to die for our sins and reconcile us to God. Jesus knew we would NEVER get things right. Instead, Jesus came at just the right time to reconcile us, the avowed enemies of God, to God. He died for His enemies!

Romans 5:10 How powerful the knowledge that Jesus died for us while we were His enemies in order to reconcile us to God and make us His allies! Why? Because now we can be even more confident that if God would spare not even His only Son on our behalf when we were His enemies how much more can we expect from God in our redemption now that we are reconciled to Him as His allies?!

Psalm 53:1 I’ve heard many a Christian assert that April 1 is National Atheist’s Day on the basis of this verse. Yet, the context here condemns all of mankind for we all live like atheists!

We live as though there is no God or worse yet that our achievements are our god or still even worse yet that our achievements make us a god!

Psalm 53:3 Until we take to heart what this verse says and realize that this verse is saying this about us we will not be ready to truly grow in Christ Jesus.

We are all fallen away and corrupted in this world. None of us are capable of doing anything truly good. We all carry some hidden motive, deep within our being, that taints even the best of our good works.

Numbers 12:1 Moses is catching it from all sides and angles. Not only are the people complaining about everything, but now also his own family is speaking against him. Many are the trials and troubles of the righteous in this world.

Numbers 12:3 Moses was very meek. He was extremely humble, even more humble than all the people on earth. Moses’ humility is what stands out in this episode more than anything.

Moses humbly complies and goes to the tent with Aaron and Miriam. When God has sentenced Miriam, Moses prays for her healing.

Meekness leads to mercy. Yet, neither meekness nor mercy are weaknesses but rather strengths. Humility and mercy are two of the most difficult things for us to do as human beings.

Numbers 13:28 Israel was to inherit the land and the spies’ report of the land was that it was good, it was exactly as God had promised. Yet, the big word is “however”. However shifts the emphasis from the land to its people.

They saw the land to be a good land but saw the task to conquer the land to be a giant task.

Numbers 13:30 Caleb views the land through faith and sees it as their land for the taking. What God has promised He will provide. Faith allows us to see God’s promise as the reality instead of our circumstance.

Numbers 13:32 The other spies lacked faith and instead of trusting in God’s promise as the reality they instead made the circumstances the reality. They told the people that the land would eat them up. Often we will surrender to our greatest fears when we fail to look at our circumstances through faith in God’s promises.

Numbers 13:33 Apparently the land had a population of giants living in it, the Nephilim (Genesis 6) were in the land. Some archaeology is beginning to confirm this fact of history.

Numbers 14:1 This generation shows themselves rejected. They are so trapped in the mentality of the oppressed that they cannot trust God to keep His promise. Rather than rejoice at the opportunity ahead they weep.

Numbers 14:4 After deciding in their lack of faith and in their victim/oppressed mentality that it would be better to either die in Egypt as an oppressed slave or die in the wilderness from old age than it would be to even attempt to conquer the land of promise the Israelites begin searching for a new leader to take them back to Egypt!

No return policy exists for the plan of God. You don’t get to enjoy His deliverance to turn back to the old life.

They were worried their children would become prey, yet their children are the ones through which God will later conquer the land.

Numbers 14:8 The men of faith speak out: Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua. God will bring them into the land. The people of the land are no threat to Israel if God delights in them. Four men of faith speaking to a couple million people who lack faith.

Numbers 14:12 As the people were ready to stone the men of faith God shows up and is ready to disinherit the entire nation due to their unbelief. Yet, humble Moses intercedes again, even on behalf of this nation of people who were ready to stone him to death.

Numbers 14:16 Moses pleads with God on behalf of His own great name. All of this life is about the greatness and glory of the name of God among all the nations.

Numbers 14:28 The Israelites were going to get exactly what they feared, sort of. That generation was going to die in the wilderness with the exception of Joshua and Caleb. I wonder if Moses and Aaron were listening?

Instead God is going to take the next generation, the ones this generation thought erroneously would be prey, they would be the generation to conquer the land of promise.

Numbers 14:34 Certainly I do not ever want to know the displeasure of God. He sentences them to 40 years, a year for every day that the land was spied out, to wander aimlessly in the wilderness until that generation dies off.

How terrible to never get there? They are on the border of the land of promise and yet will never set foot in it.

Numbers 14:37 The men who had lied about the land and led the people into this rebellion against God were struck with plague and died immediately. We should be careful never to be at war with God.

Numbers 14:42 Israel presumed to go into the land anyway, in spite of God’s decree. Moses warned them that God was not with them and that they would be defeated and so they were!

We need God with us in our lives. Therefore, the simplest solution is to watch to see where God is and follow Him into that work. We must be spiritually attentive to the work of God in and around us so that we can join Him in His work and be where He is.

2013
03/06
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Tweets & Rants 5 March 2013: Matthew 22:34-46; Romans 4; Psalm 52; Numbers 9-11

believes faith is fully trusting God to be able to keep His promises, even if things don’t work out like we expect. Rom 4:21 @WeeManWest

is frustrated that faith calls us so often to wait, yet we wait fully trusting in the goodness and ability of God. Psa 52:9 @WeeManWest

needs to be more responsive to the Holy Spirit, yet needs to be aware of the Holy Spirit in order to respond to Him. Num 9:22 @WeeManWest

doesn’t understand why God’s people continually complain about their misfortunes, we forget how valuable He is! Num 11:1-3 @WeeManWest

thinks we complain and despise God’s provision in our lives because we, like Israel, still have too much of Egypt/sin within. Num 11:4-6 @WeeManWest

is ashamed of how often we “church” people make those tasked with caring for our souls feel like Moses. Num 11:15 @WeeManWest

Matthew 22:37 We should love God with all that we are, this is the greatest command. If we love God with all that we are we will naturally obey His commands.

Matthew 22:39 We should love our neighbor, which is broadly defined as anyone God brings into our life. If we love God, who we don’t see, we should love our fellow man whom we do see.

Matthew 22:46 Jesus knew it was time to bring the debate to an end. He had answered their many questions to no avail. So He poses His own and it is a jaw-dropper. They are left speechless.

Romans 4:3 The core difference in the debate between faith and works is this. Those living by works are merely doing what is due, they are not earning anything. Those who live by faith acknowledge that their works don’t earn their righteousness but that they instead need God to make them righteous.

Righteousness isn’t dependent on works but is granted by God by grace through faith. Our works are merely payments on an eternally unpayable debt.

Romans 4:12 Abraham was righteous without the ritual. His righteousness had nothing to do with religious ritual. He believed God. His belief was accounted as righteousness.

We must stop clinging to our religious rituals as though the ritual itself merits us toward God.

Romans 4:13 Abraham inheriting the world has nothing to do with the Law and everything to do with faith. The Law guarantees nothing but sin.

Romans 4:21 Abraham was fully convinced that God could indeed do what He had promised He would do.

How convinced are we? Do we live lives based on this conviction?

Psalm 52:7 How often in this life have we encountered those who were fully confident in their abundance and their riches and their abilities and yet left no place for God only to come to ruin?! Yet so many continue down that path as though they are the one for which things will be different.

Psalm 52:9 Faith often calls us to hurry up and wait for God’s promises. As we wait, we trust in the goodness of God and in His ability to keep His promises.

Numbers 9:14 The Passover was a witnessing tool for Israel to those who were passing through. God gives us the sacraments of the church not only for us to testify through them to His might, but also to provoke questions among the uninitiated.

Numbers 9:22 As long as the cloud remained over the tabernacle, regardless of how long it remained, the people of Israel remained where they were camped. When the cloud moved, the people moved. When the cloud stayed, the people stayed.

We should be as responsive to the Holy Spirit. When He moves we should move and when He stays we should stay. Wherever the Holy Spirit is working so should we be.

Numbers 10:2 God instructs Moses to make silver trumpets. The trumpets were to have multiple uses.

First, the trumpets are to be used to gather either the leaders or the whole congregation. So the trumpets are blown for gatherings.

Second, the trumpets are to be used to break the camp and send each segment of Israel on their march. So the trumpets are blown for marching.

Third, when Israel is at war with oppressors they are to be used so that God will remember to deliver them from oppression. So the trumpets are blown for war.

Fourth, when Israel is making the offerings of the appointed feasts and beginning of months they are used to remind Israel of God. So the trumpets are blown for sacrifices.

Numbers 10:35 May God arise and scatters His enemies from around us that we may be secure in preaching His gospel. May His gospel conquer His enemies.

Numbers 11:1 We are so blessed, Israel was so blessed to be free from slavery and oppression and certain death at the hands of the Egyptians. Yet, they complain about how unfortunate their lives are with God present among them.

Oh how we provoke the anger of a mighty God when we complain about how miserable our lives are when we have His very presence in our lives!

Numbers 11:6 The people despised the manna. They rememberd the foods of Egypt, of Pharoah, and desired those foods over the food of God.

How often do we lament that, “this is ALL we get from God!” and yet we don’t deserve to even have what He has given?

God could have left us in our sin, He could have left Israel in Egypt. Apparently, there was still a lot of Egypt in the Israelites and my hunch is there is still a lot of sin in us. We must deal with our sin if we are going to be able to follow God. Our inner selfishness will come out and it will show up in complaining and despising God.

Numbers 11:15 I hope that we are aware of how often we drive our leaders to this very point. We shouldn’t weary those whom God has placed over us to lead us, most especially those tasked with the burden of our souls. Woe unto us if we weary a faithful leader!

Numbers 11:29 We see the day that Moses hoped would come. The day that God’s Spirit would be upon all of His people. What a glorious day in which we live and yet still too often in our own day we complain bitterly about our life with God.

Numbers 11:34 It seems as though with the meat, God sent a plague, and that plague wiped out those who had succumbed to the “craving” and desired a return to Egypt over a life with God.

2013
03/05
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Tweets & Rants 4 March 2013: Matthew 22:15-33; Romans 3; Psalm 51; Numbers 7-8

believes this is an astonishing teaching, but Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob live as do all who have faith in Christ! Mat 22:31-33 @WeeManWest

is thankful for the abundant love and mercy of God that a sinner like himself can be washed and cleansed of his sin. Psa 51:1 @WeeManWest

Matthew 22:20 Whereas Caesar’s inscription and likeness were on the roman currency and therefore the currency was Caesar’s, God’s inscription and likeness are on every man and we owe God all that we are, our entire being belongs to God.

Matthew 22:31 Jesus is teaching something very interesting here in regard to this question. He begins with, “as for the resurrection of the dead” then goes on to say, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead, BUT OF THE LIVING.”

Jesus is teaching here that the resurrection is not as it was and still is commonly understood. Yes, indeed at the last day Christ will return and the dead will be raised. However, a first resurrection, a first fruits must occur. The resurrection of a man from his dead works to life everlasting in Christ.

This is why the crowd was astonished. Christ was saying clearly that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were living! Yes, they were physically dead but they shared in the first resurrection by faith in Christ so they live and the live still today.

Romans 3:6 Hence we see a common argument that is made. If sin glorifies God and is used by God to further His purposes how then can God inflict His wrath on sinful men? The argument takes the concept of predestination at its root by arguing that men do not have free will to choose sin that instead sin is chosen for them by God.

We are free moral agents and yet God predestines. How hard the two are to interlink in our minds!?

Yet, I take the cop out on this one. I beleive both are true because the Bible teaches that both are true. Yet, I don’t fully understand how they can both be true, nor can I stretch my arm into heaven to mark where the line exists that separates the two in the mind of God. Such is not for mortal man to comprehend, it is God’s.

Romans 3:10 We must comprehend this one truth of the Bible if we are ever to be of any use at all to our Creator. Not a single one of us lives without sin in full righteousness before God. Righteousness is a God thing. Any righteousness we are or that we will have will come from God for His own purposes and glory.

All of mankind has a common need, it is only a matter of us becoming aware of our need. We’re all worthless for the purposes for which God designed us. We don’t naturally look for God but for everything but God. We’ve made a mess of this world and yet are prideful enough to blame God for the mess. What a wretched people we are before a holy God!

Romans 3:20 One of the most difficult conversations to have is the one that explains to a lost soul that no amount of their own good works is sufficient to save them. No one is saved by the Law, or by their good works, for both together are instructive. They make man aware of his own sinfulness.

When we read the Law we become aware of all of the unlawful activities in which we have participated. When we do a good work we remember all the times in which we had the best of intentions and yet lacked the follow through to do the work.

Romans 3:26 God has divinely passed over our sins in the blood of Christ. He does this so that He is just and justifier. Just in that His law has been fulfilled in Christ’s life and in His sacrificial death of atonement. In other words, He doesn’t have to compromise His Law in order to save mankind. He is justifier in that He makes us just by faith in Christ. He knows our hearts. He makes us just by our faith in who Christ is and in what He has done.

Faith no longer looks to one’s ability to keep the law or one’s ability to do good works for their justification. Faith looks to Christ, God Himself, as the only one in history who kept the Law and did the works necessary to bridge the gap between God and man.

Romans 3:31 Faith doesn’t teach a lawless existence but rather an existence in which the requirements of the Law were met, once for all, for all mankind, in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 51:1 The purpose of our salvation is not for our own prideful exaltation but rather that the love of God be exalted in His willingness to show us mercy that we by no means deserve.

Psalm 51:3 We are ever trapped in our sinfulness. Even in forgiveness the stains of our past continue to mar us as we walk into our future. We don’t forget our sinfulness.

Psalm 51:5 We are each infused with a sin nature. Just as Adam was made in the image and likeness of God, so Seth was born in the image and likeness of Adam. Adam passed his sin nature on to his lineage.

Psalm 51:6 Honesty with God in the deepest, darkest, recesses of our being is truly the best policy. Such a level of honesty with God will indeed develop an intimacy with God that is unmatched among any intimacy in this world.

Psalm 51:7 Yes, the very hyssop of the Passover feast, but also the same hyssop of the leper’s cleansing. Sin is a leprosy to our very souls that must be cleansed with hyssop.

Psalm 51:10 We must receive a new heart from God. Our heart is eaten away with leprosy and the decay of our sinfulness. God gives us a new heart in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 51:17 God’s desire is not that we offer enough animals or money to Him in pennance for our sins. God’s desire is that we come to Him in brokenness over our sinful and wretched existence seeking the transformed heart and life that He alone can provide in us through faith.

Are we really broken about our sin today? Does our sinfulness really bother us at all or do we excuse it as just who we are? May we be broken over our sinfulness and come to God for cleansing today.

Numbers 7:11 The altar was to be dedicated to the Lord with 12 rounds of offerings being made to the tabernacle.

Numbers 7:89 The voice of God would speak to Moses from the mercy seat between the two cherubim.

Numbers 8:2 The purpose of the lampstand was to give light…so also is our spirit-filled purpose in Christ!

Numbers 8:11 The Levites were to be offered as a wave offering from among the people of Israel. They were to be set apart to the service of the Lord.

Numbers 8:22 The Levites were assigned tabernacle duty instead of all the firstborn of the Israelites. They were given the ministry of the tabernacle to guard it, keep it, build it, and care for it. They were the keepers of the tabernacle.

2013
03/04
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Tweets & Rants 26 January 2013: Matthew 9:14-26; Acts 13:26-52; Psalm 22:1-11; Genesis 48

wonders how we can reach people who have been hardened by their circumstances and influences to scoff at Christ? Mat 9:23 @WeeManWest

is so thankful that we have a Savior in Jesus Christ who has delivered us from all sin and bondage and legality! Act 13:38-39 @WeeManWest

Matthew 9:14-15 Jesus is questioned concerning He and His disciples lack of fasting. Jesus assures this person that His disciples will fast when He is gone. We should always be joyful to be in the presence of God Almighty.

Matthew 9:16-17 We cannot take old institutions and breath new life into them and expect them to adapt. Preparation has to occur in order for change to be possible. The preservation of God’s work would require a new and adapted/prepared place to grow.

Our societies work in the same manner…one cannot keep the status quo with a tinker or two and expect people to receive it. People have to be prepared for changed.

In Christianity, we are prepared for the Gospel by the Holy Spirit. He works in our hearts to prepare them and make them ready for His message.

In Society, we are prepared/programmed by those with the power to program us through tv, news, internet, etc. to accept the changes they are making to society.

Matthew 9:18-26 First we begin with the faith of this ruler, his heart was prepared for the miraculous. The Holy Spirit had shown this man that Jesus’ touch could bring his daughter back to life.

Second we move to the faith of the woman, her heart was prepared for the miraculous. The Holy Spirit had shown this woman that touching Jesus’ robe would heal her.

Third we move to the crow, their hearts had not been prepared for the miraculous, but instead for morning by the playing of the flute player. Music has a profound impact on our souls and cannot be dismissed so lightly. They were not expecting the miraculous, but instead scoffed at Jesus.

Where do we find ourselves when we encounter Jesus? Are we prepared by the Holy Spirit to hear, see, and believe or have we been hardened by the circumstances and influences of this life to instead scoff at Him?

Acts 13:35-37 Paul expounds upon Psalm 16:10 to explain that it wasn’t referring to David, but instead to Jesus Christ. We serve a risen and uncorrupted Savior in all means.

Acts 13:38-39 Jesus provides us with forgiveness of sins and frees us from all the bondage of the Law. What a glorious truth we have. His law is higher than Moses.

Acts 13:40-41 & Acts 13:44 & Acts 13:50 So often in this life we face scoffers of many kinds. People who see the great things God has done and yet scoff rather than believe. We will always encounter the scoffers at various levels of authority.

We should never be surprised at either the motivations nor the scope to which these scoffers are willing to go in order to silence the Gospel. Eventually their jealousy will be a motivator driving them toward the Gospel, however, in Paul’s day it was a negative motivation for the Gospel was viewed as a threat.

Acts 13:47-49 Since the Jews in this place rejected the Gospel, Paul offers the Gospel to the Gentiles. The Gentiles rejoiced at the Gospel and it spread throughout the region.

Psalm 22:1-2 Jesus cried this from the cross as He died bearing our sin. Have you ever felt as though God has turned away? Jesus felt the same emotion on the cross. He bore that separation for us.

Psalm 22:3 I love the concept of God’s sitting enthroned in my praise. It makes me want to praise Him more so that He has a worthy throne to sit upon.

Psalm 22:4-8 Jesus is experiencing something that God’s people hadn’t really experienced. He was holy, yet He was not delivered. Jesus was abandoned to the cross for our sins. He was the object of scorn and mockery.

Psalm 22:9-11 Jesus’ entire life belonged to God…birth to death. Jesus desired the nearness of God and so should we. Jesus ushered in the era of righteous suffering that we now share in so we need God in our lives.

Genesis 48:17-19 Jacob knew the lesson of blessing. His father had refused to bless him and he deceived his own father into blessing him. Jacob blessed whom God had blessed. Ephraim would be greater than Manasseh by the decree of God.

2013
01/27
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Tweets & Rants 25 January 2013: Matthew 9:1-13; Acts 13:1-25; Psalm 21; Genesis 46-47

believes the points is: Jesus is God and has the authority to forgive us of our sins and command us to show mercy. Mat 9:1-8 @WeeManWest

thinks it tragic that we take pride in being separate from sinners when Jesus took pride in eating dinner with them! Mat 9:9-13 @WeeManWest

believes leading individuals to Jesus Christ, one-by-one, IS the solution to all the geo-political problems we face. Act 13:1 @WeeManWest

is certain as we sell ourselves to our government it will certainly own and claim right to all we are and have. Gen 47:13-26 @WeeManWest

Matthew 9:6 Jesus heals the paralytic to show his authority, not over paralysis, but over sin. Jesus has authority to forgive sin. Such is a prerogative that belongs to God alone. Jesus is God.

Matthew 9:13 We have so strayed in the modern church. We separate ourselves from the wicked. Jesus ate dinner with them! We believe our righteousness is found in our tithe, or in our donated time, or in our good works. Jesus ate dinner with sinners and showed them mercy. God’s greatest desire for us is that we show mercy because we are in the receiving end of so much mercy.

Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 which continues with “the knowledge of God rather than burnt offering”. Jesus isn’t looking for our religious activities, He is looking for us! He wants us to know Him and to be known by Him. His desire is that we enter into a relationship with Him.

Acts 13:1 Antioch was the first mega-church in that it was filled with prophets and teachers and people of influence. Don’t miss that Manaen was a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch. As we have opportunity we should challenge and influence people in power toward Christ. Christ IS the answer to our political problems.

Acts 13:2-3 When we worship we will have God manifest Himself. Here He manifests Himself as the Holy Spirit calling the church to send out Barnabas and Paul. Antioch was committed to God and obeys in sending off Paul and Barnabas.

Fasting is something we seem to avoid in the modern church. However, from reading the pages of Scripture one would have to be blind to miss its importance and spiritual significance in history. Muslims fast for a month at Ramadan yet one can hardly find a Christian fasting at any time. Maybe a challenge for us would be to fast from Ash Wednesday through Good Friday in a sun-up to sun-down fast…

Acts 13:11 This magician, Bar-Jesus (son of Jesus) or Elymas (a wise man), who sought to keep other blind in the darkness is struck with physical blindness to grope around in the darkness. Would that all who sought to keep men blinded from truth be struck in like manner that truth would reign in the earth.

Acts 13:13 John Mark leaves Paul and Barnabas. I guess that he went home. This will come back up later and will actually be a great divide between Paul and Barnabas. I can’t help but wonder if the magician had made him doubt his own willingness to continue?

I went on my first mission trip to Uganda, Africa in October. I encountered a man, while walking the streets and inviting people to church, who was beligerant toward me. He was speaking his native language so I had no clue what he was hollering at me about. I recall that the encounter left me quite freaked out. All I could think about for the rest of the day was home. I imagine that John Mark was battling similar emotions at this point as well.

Yet, we don’t need to lose hope. John Mark makes a great comeback later in Scripture and so can we.

Psalm 21:1-7 We would be so blessed as a nation if our leaders would truly rejoice and trust in the Lord. Yes, many of them give Him lip service, but so few actually serve Him in their hearts. I believe that we would see the Lord’s deliverance Psalm 21:8-12 from our enemies if we were faithful to Jesus but we are not and suffer accordingly.

Genesis 46:3-4 After all these years God manifests Himself to Israel. God could have at any time stepped in and let Israel know that Joseph was indeed alive. Yet, it wasn’t time! Now that it is time, God promises to go with Israel into Egypt and to build him into a nation there.

Genesis 27 Israel is 70 people entering into Egypt. Jesus would send out the 70 two by two. This is ten sevens or ten sabbaths. We’ve already discussed that Noah, was 10th from Adam through Seth, that Enoch was 7th from Adam through Seth…that Abraham was 20th from Adam through Seth and the Isaac was 21st from Adam through Seth which is three sevens or three sabbaths. 70 is a significant number Scripturally. In Gemmatria it would break down to 7 (7+0=7) the number of the covenant.

Genesis 47:1 Here we see pictured Jesus Christ with His people before our Father. What a glorious day that will be!

Genesis 47:7 & Genesis 47:10 Jacob blesses Pharoah twice. Just as Melchizedek blessed Abraham. The believer should bless the unbeliever.

Genesis 47:11 Just as Joseph settled Israel and his brothers into the land of their possession so also will Christ settle us into our possession together with Israel.

Genesis 47:13-26 We see here that the Egyptians eventually sold themselves to Pharoah. While this serves as a picture of what Christ will do in His kingdom, it ought to serve as a lesson when we see leaders who are not Christ attempting the same thing. They are anti-christ, trying to make men depend on them as their savior and lord.

The cycle begins with dependence. The people harvested ALL the grain of which Joseph and Pharoah were in control. It was THEIR grain yet they have to BUY it back from their government. We should take great care and concern when we see similar patterns setting up in our own government. This cycle ALWAYS leads historically to the poverty of the people and their enslavement to the government. This cycle NEVER leads historically to free people!

Jesus Christ is the ONLY one that will hold governance over this structure of government in righteousness and holiness for the sake of the freedom of his people. Men who hold goverance over this structure of government use it to impoverish, control, and enslave the people they govern. I truly wish that people preaching the “social gospel” would take an honest look at this passage and what happens in the passage.

In the end, all the Egyptians and even the free Israelites become enslaved because we CANNOT guarantee righteous people will always hold the reigns of this subjecting form of goverance. Within this construct is ALWAYS the power to become a tyrant.

2013
01/26
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Tweets & Rants 14 January: Matthew 5:13-20; Acts 7:1-38; Psalm 11; Genesis 22-23

must realize how much he needs Jesus if he is going to have any success living a kingdom life in this lost world. Mat 5:13-20 @WeeManWest

thinks one great lesson of Scripture is this: those we reject are the exact ones God will use to do great things. Act 7:1-38 @WeeManWest

believes that God tests us, not for Himself, but for us to see the state our faith is in and where it needs to grow. Psa 11:4-5 @WeeManWest

Matthew 5:13 Jesus’ kingdom and new law requires that we change the flavor of this world and that we create lasting change. We do this by depending on Jesus. Attempting this in our own strength and effort will leave us tasteless and trampled upon. I believe that many churches are struggling in our day because they are built around programs done in our strength rather than in mission that require Christ’s power.

Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus’ kingdom and new law requires that we shine His light through our good works that are done in dependence upon Him. Good works that are done in reliance upon Him will shine and light up this dark world. If He is truly shining in our lives He cannot be hidden or restrained. It is unfortunate that so many of us are not willing for Christ to shine in our lives. We keep Him hidden and in effect cripple our own witness.

Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus’ new law didn’t abolish the old law but instead became the greater fulfillment of that law. Jesus’ law is a higher law, a higher standard, than the law of the Old Testament. Jesus’ law in His kingdom isn’t as much about keeping every jot and tittle but instead about moving past checking every iota and dot. In other words, Jesus’ law isn’t about a tooth for a tooth, but instead is about turning the other cheek!

How drastically different Jesus’ kingdom is from this world and from our natural tendencies as human beings?! We must see and realize just how desperately we need Him in every moment to walk in this world living according to the statutes of His kingdom.

Acts 7:1-38 Stephen lays out the pattern in his speech that God seems to chose the one that the Israelites have rejected to bring deliverance to the Israelites. Joseph’s brothers rejected him and sold him to slavery and yet it was he whom God used to deliver them from famine and provide them a place in Egypt.

Moses was rejected by the Israelites, having been raised as a prince of Egypt, when he attempted to stop Israelites from fighting with one another after he had prior slain an Egyptian for harming an Israelite. Moses fled to the wilderness for 40 years before God called him to use him to deliver Israel from Egypt.

This pattern hold throughout Scripture, often those we men reject are the exact ones that God will use to bring about our deliverance and His great works.

Psalm 11:3 A common theme for life itself, if the foundation for a dwelling is destroyed how will the house stand. When the wicked remove the foundations of a society the righteous are put in peril. The wicked destroy foundations for the sake of defeating the righteous, never for the sake of protecting the masses. History has so often repeated itself on this principle.

Psalm 11:4-5 God is enthroned in His temple. He is in full control of everything that happens. He allows the events and circumstances of this life to test His people. His testing is not so much for Himself, but moreso for us to see how solid or weak our faith really is. His tests are designed to draw us closer to Him if we are willing but to endure for a time the wickedness of the wicked upon us.

Genesis 22:1 God tests Abraham. God isn’t testing like a school teacher who is trying to assess the level of a student. God is testing as an omnipotent God, who already knows the outcome of the test. God tests Abraham so that Abraham can see the state of his faith, and by extension the level of his relationship with God.

How we miss the opportunities to grow our faith when we refuse to see God’s tests as opportunities for growth rather than unfortunate circumstances that we must endure.

Genesis 22:2 God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac the child of promise. The child through which God has promised him that all his children will be born. It’s not certain how old the boy is at this point. Many point to him being 33. Scripture doesn’t seem to indicate. One thing I will note is that Abraham doesn’t discuss this with Sarah. Whether he was keeping it from her, or whether she had already passed away. She would have died when Isaac was 27 years old.

Genesis 22:5 Abraham seems to be trusting that though he sacrifice Isaac, God will raise him from the dead. Such is also stated in Hebrews 11:17-19 that Abraham trusted in God’s ability to resurrect Isaac. He believed they would indeed both be coming back.

Genesis 22:8 & Genesis 22:14 Abraham trusted God to provide, either through resurrecting Isaac, or through some other means. God provides the ram for the offering. Here we see that God provides on His mountain and it is believed by many that this is the very mountain upon which Christ would be crucified.

The story of Abraham’s sacrifice is the story of sacrifice and resurrection. It’s about having faith in God’s ability to bring His word to pass even though it seems to us humanly impossible for such to occur. As Jesus taught, what is impossible with man is possible with God. Then He proved it by getting up out of the grave on the third day.

Genesis 22:21 Here we see that Aram is the close relative of Abraham.

Genesis 23 Abraham mourns for Sarah after her death. He buys a cave from the Hittites and pays full price for it. This place was ease of Hebron.

2013
01/15
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Tweets & Rants 13 January 2013: Matthew 5:1-12; Acts 6; Psalm 10; Genesis 18-21

is thinking, Sarah must have been a knockout, bombshell of a woman to still be getting king’s attention at age 90! Gen 20:1-13 @WeeManWest

is just like Lot’s wife; clings to this life and turns away from God’s will; is unworthy of mercy. Gen 19:26; Luk 17:32-33 @WeeManWest

believes that Jesus is the greater Abraham, interceding for His people and all the nations which He will inherit. Gen 18:22-33 @WeeManWest

Matthew 5:1-12 Jesus lays down the law of His kingdom. The characteristics Jesus describes aren’t bound by a law, nor are they subject to a law, even the OT law. Jesus call is for His followers to be counter-cultural. In basic terms, we should have the opposite of every natural human response.

We aren’t going to be able to manufacture these responses. God’s Spirit works in us to produce them. We will have to rely and depend on God to become a part of His counter-cultural kingdom.

This passage deserves far more time devoted to it than I will devote this morning. Maybe I will return to it soon. When we understand that Christ’s point was to drive home the fact that our acceptance is a heavenly, age to come, kind of thing we will be able to submit to the injustices of this age and the unfairness of this age.

How often do we sound like children? That just isn’t fair! I agree, it’s not fair, but we must wait by faith for God to set things aright in the age to come.

Matthew 5:5 What does it mean to be meek? I found an online hebrew/greek dictionary tied to strong’s numbers and this was an additional note to its definition. I believe this note sums it up very well. See below:

Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept

His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or

resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather

than their own strength to defend them against injustice. Thus,

meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the

injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and

that He will deliver His elect in His time. ( Isa 41:17, Lu 18:1-8 )

Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and

self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over

the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all.

This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will. ( Ga 5:23 )

Matthew 5:6 What do we want from this life? What are the things that drive us or have the ability to take away our happiness. The only hunger and thirst that Christ promises to satisfy is for righteousness. We tend to get so angry at God for not giving us all of our desires, yet, according to Christ, those of us who follow Him should have one motivating desire and that is for righteousness.

God alone can replace all your desire with this one desire, but you have to be willing and submissive to allow Him to do so.

Matthew 5:7 One thing I’ve notice in Scripture is that often times lists will have a centerpoint. In other words, this passage has 9 blessings. This places blessing number 5 right in the center. What do we find in the center of Jesus’ discussion on His new law for His kingdom? Mercy!!!

Jesus’ kingdom’s central theme is mercy. Mercy comes from God alone and flow through us by God alone. We have been shown great mercy and should walk in great mercy. Jesus even told parables that focused on the need for us to both receive and give mercy.

Matthew 5:9 I believe this is one is probably one of the most difficult for Americans. We are, almost by nature, a violent and defensive people. We will vehemently fight for the preservation of our rights. Yet the sons of God are to be peacemakers. I’m sorry, but I struggle to see how bombing people into submission makes us “peacemakers”! I realize that only the Holy Spirit can make true peace within as and between us and our fellow man.

We should be more apt and spend more money sending the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the “enemy nations” so they can be converted rather than to send bullets, bombs, and drones to wipe out people who don’t believe like we do. We, as Americans, have so much innocent blood-guilt on our hands…just as the Romans did.

Matthew 5:12 Herein we see the crux of the matter. In order to live in Jesus’ new law we must have faith to believe that our reward is waiting for us in the age to come. In our fleshly mindset that is a tough pill to swallow. We don’t get ours in this life, in this age. We get ours in the age to come. Unfortunately, we are much more satisfied to have ours in the here and now.

If we read Hebrews 11 we find the common theme among the heroes of faith is the common belief that they were not building a kingdom for this age, but for the one to come.

Acts 6:5 We are introduced to the first deacons. Yet, I’m more drawn to the way Scripture draws out a couple of them from the group.

First, Stephen is drawn out by his description as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”. Then the text mentions five others. Second, Nicolaus is drawn out by his description as “a proselyte of Antioch”. As we read further we will see why these two are important.

Stephen will soon be martyred at the feet of Saul, who will become an apostle. Antioch will soon become the central sending church of the era as it sends Paul and Barnabas out on the first mission trip.

Psalm 10:1 Abandonment is a common human emotion, especially when it seems that those who should care and should be actively involved are instead aloof and distant. I’ve felt like this way too often in my relationship with God. Have you?

One thing that is so hard to understand is that sometimes we are victims of evil because God gives us over to the evil to reveal what is in both of our hearts. The righteousness of the righteous will shine in persecution, but the wickedness of the wicked will be exposed in persecution.

We often watch in helpless anticipation as the wicked go seemingly unpunished in this life. Yet, our gaze must be to the age to come and the judgment that is coming in which we trust that God will make things right.

Genesis 18:1-8 Abraham’s hospitality is a testimony to his faith. People of faith will be people of hospitality.

Genesis 18:9-15 Abraham and Sarah learn of their coming child. Sarah laughs, the modern equivalent would be a “yeah, right!”. Maybe she didn’t fully realize whom they were entertaining. I’m certain the realization hit her when the LORD quoted her.

Genesis 18:22-33 Abraham pictures for us what the greater and more perfect Abraham does for us at the right hand of God as Christ sits daily interceding for His people and interceding for the nations. The nations are His inheritance. He prays for them. We should pray for them as well.

Genesis 19:4-10 Note what is pictured here in comparison. Abram was hospitable to these men, Lot was hospitable to these men. The men of Sodom were not but sought rather to have them for their own desires. The sin of Sodom was far greater than a single sin of homosexuality. Sodom piled sin upon sin upon sin. You learn this when you read the prophets as they depict Sodom’s sin Jeremiah 23:14; Amos 4:1-11; Ezekiel 16:49-50 .

Nations/cities/communities/individuals that pile sin upon sin upon sin will eventually reap the harvest of sin.

Genesis 19:14 Lot’s prophetic word was spurned by those he knew. His witness among this people was so damaged that he couldn’t even convince those closest to him to leave. I’m afraid my witness may be closer to that reality than I want to honestly admit.

Genesis 19:16 How often do we, like Lot, try to linger among things that are leading to our own destruction. We play around with sin, walking as close to the edge of the cliff as we can without falling off and then are suprised when our destruction comes.

Genesis 19:18-22 Lot bargains for Zoar, if you recall Zoar was one of the five kings of the first world war (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar). These five were marked for destruction, yet Lot convinces them only to destroy the four of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.

Genesis 19:26 Remember Lot’s wife. Jesus said so Luke 17:32-33 . She was a child of Sodom. She wanted to return to Sodom. She wanted to preserve the life she had instead of escaping to the new life she could have. We are so much like this nameless woman in Scripture. Our tendency is to return to the old life. Our tendency is to cling to what we have or have built in this age. God calls us to turn from it and RUN and not look back.

We are collectively and individually so absolutely unworthy of His kingdom.

Genesis 19:30-38 Lot’s daughters engage in a detestable act, brought on by Lot’s fear of Zoar. I only speculating that he left Zoar because he saw the same sin there that he saw prevalent in Sodom. Since he and his daughters were the only survivors of Sodom I would almost deduce that they were persecuted in Zoar.

Moab and Ammon are born from this unfortunate situation.

Genesis 20:1-13 My wife watched the Miss America pageant last night which is a showcase of beautiful women. Yet, I can’t help but wonder what kind of a bombshell Sarah must have been that at the age of 89 she is still so attractive that a young king sought to add her to his herum. WOW!

Genesis 21:4 Abraham makes Isaac the first child of the covenant. The first child circumcised on the 8th day. He is the heir of God’s promises.

Genesis 21:10-14 Herein we see the comparison between Hagar/Ishmael and Sarah/Isaac. Ishmael was the child of a slave woman whereas Isaac was the child of the free woman born fully under the covenant. We see contrasted those who live by law versus those who live by faith according to Paul (Galatians 4:21-31).

Genesis 21:21 Here we see that Ishmael’s descendants are noted to come from his wife, an Egyptian.

Genesis 21:33 We are introduced to God as the Everlasting God. Abraham had seen God’s faithfulness through many years, now in bringing the promised heir.

2013
01/14
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Rants 11 January 2013 Matthew 4:18-25; Acts 5:17-42; Psalm 9; Genesis 16-17

feels as though he has left so little to follow Christ, wonders how much he’s willing to leave to follow Christ. Mat 4:20&22 @WeeManWest

believes that men need to spend more time listening to God than to anything else as we wait for God’s timing. Gen 16:2 @WeeManWest

Matthew 4:20 & Matthew 4:22 Jesus called His disciples and they each had to leave something to follow Him. What are we willing to leave in order to be obedient?

Acts 5:28 The Jewish leaders were concerned about being found guilty of the blood of Christ. Maybe they knew their guilt and hence persecuted the church to keep it quiet. I am drawing from this that some may have been very well aware of the reality of who Jesus is.

Acts 5:33 How sad a state it is for one to be found that even the very Gospel of their deliverance drives them to rage and murderous intentions.

Acts 5:39 What wisdom to see that God’s hand may very well be in the events of the early church. Yet, it was unheaded wisdom. How often have we, through our pride or selfishness, stood directly in the path of what God was trying to do?

Acts 5:41 The disciples rejoiced because they were considered worthy enough to suffer for the Gospel. What does that say about the church today?

Psalm 9:7-8 God is always on His throne. He is in control. He will be the final judge of this world. We can trust that in the end He will make things right. No matter the difficulty or trouble of our circumstance, He will be the final judge.

Psalm 9:18 We need to understand that we are indeed needy before God. Our spiritual poverty is the greatest prison in which we reside.

Genesis 16:2 Abram, the man of faith, is tempted as Adam was tempted. His wife comes to him with a solution to their problem. A solution that will not require them to wait around in dependence on God. Why not just use the means at you disposal, the plans you’ve imagined, to make things happen on your own schedule? Why should they continue to wait around for God’s schedule when it is apparent to them that Sarai is the problem.

We seek our own human, fast, solutions when God has told us simply to wait for His timing. Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. He gave in. Satan seems often to attack the woman, for she is the quickest path to perverting the heart of a man.

Genesis 16:9 The angel of the LORD finds Hagar as she is afflicted and driven to the wilderness. Christ will always find us in the wilderness if we are willing that He come into our lives.

Genesis 16:13 God sees. Isn’t this such a comforting thought in the midst of our afflictions? God sees our afflictions. In our every affliction we must look to Christ. Instead, we look to the world and its ways and methods for our deliverance.

Genesis 17:11-13 God institutes circumcision. Such is a picture of what God desires to do in our hearts. God desires to circumcise our hearts so that they will be tender and receptive to Him. Circumcision is to occur on the 8th day, which is the 1st day of a new week. 8 is the number of new beginnings. Circumcision is to be an 8th day thing.

Some believe the 8th day is significant for other reasons. They believe that Adam and Eve sinned on their first day in Eden, which would have been the 7th day. Thus the 8th day was inaugurated with the sacrifice that gave them new clothing.

We are a new creation in Christ Jesus, hence a new beginning, the 8th day for our life.

All of God’s covenants have accompanying signs. God’s covenant with Abraham had circumcision as its sign.

Genesis 17:5 & Genesis 17:15 God adds an “h” or the Hebrew letter “hey” which is considered a breath. Some say this passage, this renaming, is God breathing into the lives of Abraham and Sarah. Even in the Hebrew, the one letter makes a difference in the meaning of their names.

Abram meant exalted father while Abraham means father of a multitude. Sarai meant princess while Sarah means noble woman.

God’s word makes a difference in this world. It’s what we learn in Genesis 1 with the Creation story. It’s what we learn in every story of the Bible.

2013
01/13
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