DECISION TO SEPARATE

Posted on October 4, 2024 by randscallawayffm

“This town ain’t big enough for the both of us!”  This is the line shouted by the “bad guy” to the “good guy” in most westerns right before a gun battle ensues between them.  The good guy doesn’t want to shoot it out with the bad guy but is ready to do so to protect himself, his town, and his family.  We watched and cheered for the good guy to win the battle. In the old westerns, the war between good and evil was nearly always won by the heroic good guys by the end of the movie.  All the quarreling, harassing, and fighting over possessions was solved when the good guy defeated the bad guy.  The towns people cheered and the world was set right once more—all in an hour and half. 

Truly the area in which Abram and Lot pitched their tents, raised stock, and invested in silver and gold, which provided wealth for their families was becoming too crowded!  But look what God is doing in Abram!  Abram is developing wisdom as he walks in faith with the Lord.  Notice what Abram did first—he went back to the place where he had met the Lord earlier and bows in front of an altar he had built to worship God. Could his prayer to the Lord have been about the overcrowding situation?  Did he ask God for how to solve the issue with his nephew, Lot? Could he have prayed, “Lord, he’s family, what do I do that will be best for all concerned?”

How many times have we bowed in an altar of prayer, asking the Lord to give us wisdom in family issues, quarrels, and misunderstandings?  God will provide help when we ask Him.  The answer might not be what we think should happen, if fact,most times it is not, “for God’s thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

But when we ask for wisdom, with a sincere heart and listening ears, God will answer with the right solution at the right time in the right Spirit.  I can testify of how God has done it over and over for me!

Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

10 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.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.

14 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. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 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. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

18 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.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

  • Abram consulted God in prayer.  Abram’s relationship with God is growing his faith.  God is pleased and blesses Abram with wisdom for the journey.
  • Abram listens to God’s wisdom with a solution for the overcrowding problem that has cause an outbreak of quarrels among the family who fight for and defend their territory.
  • Abram set aside his own interests and gives Lot the honor to choose.  Lot looked around and chose what was best for him.  “Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.”
  • Abram is blessed by God for his obedience to God.  “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.”  ALL belongs to God.  ALL we need in the eyes of the Lord is given to us by God in His timing for our good. To God be the glory!
  • Abram moves on with God in the lead.  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.

PAUSE TO PRAY AND REFLECT–

What family issue is troubling with seemingly no clear solution?

What financial dilemma looms in the horizon that seems impossible to resolve?

What do we do in the wait for resolution and peace?

Have we cried out for wisdom, insight and understanding—with willing hearts ready to receive it from God?  (take a deep dive into Proverbs 2)

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Lord,

Your story strengthens our faith as we read and watch how Abram’s faith and focus on you grew on his journey.  Abram’s faith led Him to seek your wisdom in a troubling family situation.  Abram then willing set aside what he wanted for what you told him to do—give Lot the honor of choice.  When we trust and obey, you provide the way to peace.  Give us wisdom, Lord for our journey today.  Guide us in all we think, say, and do.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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GO—WITH PROMISES!

Posted on October 3, 2024 by randscallawayffm

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you
So let’s just praise the Lord

Admit it, if grew up in church you just sang those words and now the tune will be stuck in your head all day long!  But the truth is, God called Abram, gave him a new name Abraham, and then did exactly what the song said—God made Abraham the Father of the nation of Israel! “Many sons had Father Abraham…”

But first, Abram had to do his part, obey God’s call. Abram had to leave all he knew and go with God.  “So Abram went…”.  God blessed Abram to be a blessing as he trusted and obeyed God. But in his human nature, there were “hiccups” of faith following along the way.  May we learn from Abram as we read with hearts, minds, and souls guided by God’s Holy Spirit who leads us to all that is true.

Genesis 12

The Call of Abram

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”[b]

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.

9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

Abram in Egypt

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17 But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Randy and I understand the call of God to leave home and all that you have known.  We have learned that life is harder not doing what God says because HE knows what lies ahead and we do not.  We “fly blindly” into the work if we only answer God’s call but do not consult God at each step of the journey.  The “call” includes surrender to God to trust and obey—wherever HE leads. 

We’ve all heard what other believers have experienced, “God does not call the equipped but equips the called.”  We must be careful not to use this as an excuse when we fail to follow God in all the details of life and throw up our hands with “oh, well”.  These words come from the mistakes we make on the journey of “GO” when we do not allow God to do what God does best—lead the way!  Humbly seek God, as Abram did.

Abram obeyed by faith (Hebrews 11:8). True faith is based on the Word of God and leads to obedience. God would not bless and use Abram and Sarai unless they were in the place of His designed Will for them.  This is still true for us today!  Are we where God wants us to be?

God called Abram out of unrighteous living.  God called and then began to work in Abram’s life. Salvation and rescue from evil to all that is God happens when grace is offered to sinner who respond in faith! (See Ephesians 2:8) God called Abram out of idolatry.  Abram was living in Ur of the Chaldees, a city devoted to Nannar, the moon-god. Abram did not know the true God, and had done nothing to deserve knowing Him, but God graciously called him. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16).

God called Abram by name to be what he was not—yet!  The remarkable thing about God’s call of Abram and Sarai was that they were childless!  Abram means “exalted father,” but he wasn’t a father at all! They were the least likely candidates to have a family and build a great nation. But God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8, 9), and by calling and blessing a barren couple, the Lord revealed the greatness of His power and His glory. Abram would be named “Abraham,” which means “father of many nations.”

God called imperfect people.  Imperfections do not negate the call of God.  Abram and Sarai were not perfect, but their walk was generally characterized by faith and faithfulness. When they sinned, they suffered for it; and the Lord was always ready to forgive when they repented.  Our imperfect lives are filled with a series of “new beginnings” by our gracious Father who perfectly forgives us in Jesus Name when we repent.  Accept failures as lessons on the journey with God.  Even though we fail him at times, He never fails us.  It is not in His nature or character.

God’s Mission will be accomplished and His Promises fulfilled.  It is not up to us but up to God who is always faithful.  Warren Wiersbe writes; “God did not give Abram reasons or explanations; He simply gave him promises: “I will show you . . . I will make you . . . I will bless you . . . I will bless those who bless you.” God promised to show him a land, to make him into a great nation, and to use that nation to bless the whole world. God blesses us that we might be a blessing to others, and His great concern is that the whole world might be blessed. The missional mandate of the church does not begin with John 3:16 or Matthew 28:18–20. It begins with God’s covenant with Abram. We are blessed that we might be a blessing.” –Wiersbe Study Bible

Abram’s Response to God

There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.  Abram learned to worship God while seeking His direction.  More than once, when God speaks; Abram learns to stop, listen, trust, and obey. 

When God intervenes in our lives—is it not monumental? When seeking God’s will for the next step, it is not wise to go to an altar of surrender and ask what HE wants, letting go of what we think?  I have found it helpful throughout my life to build a place in our home where I can commune with God.  I cannot do life without Him!  Only then can I stand on the promises of God—the greatest promise being, “I will be with you always.”  Always and forever.

Lord,

There is much to learn about YOU and your character from the life of Abram. Thank you for helping us grow closer in our walk with you reading about the faith of our “fathers”. 

I surrender this morning.  I give all of me to all of you.  Forgive me of my sins as I forgive others who have sinned against me.  Lead me to turn from evil and run to You.  Guide my thoughts by renewing my mind.  Thank you for saving me and setting me free from all that hinders our relationship.  Make me a blessing to others.  To you be the glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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THE DANGER OF UNITY

Posted on October 2, 2024 by randscallawayffm

Wait, what?  Yep, if you are lifer in the church, you have seen it happen more than once.  God works within the Body of Christ to grow and mature the people from the inside out and outside in.  People come because they are drawn to the smiling faces who are in awe of what God is doing in their church.  All kinds of people come because of who they first see when they arrive.  They see Jesus on the faces and feel the positive energy of the staff and volunteers—all of God’s work among them.  Let’s admit, there is great strength and encouragement in numbers. With the growing numbers of people attending come more opportunities to join God in the work He is doing among His people.  Lost people find Jesus who bring other lost people who are seeking what they are missing, too. 

The Enemy of God hates it when unity with God and with His people happens.  So, the old tricks of deceit and manipulation of how to think about God are pulled out the bag he continues to use.  Same bag, same tricks.  While God is work doing great things; the people become arrogant and believe the work being done is because of their efforts.  This is the first sign of danger.  Patting each other on the back; leaders think they no longer need God.  “Thank you, Lord God” we sing happily in worship. But later, in our everyday life of serving, we arrogantly think, “we’ve got this, God.”  “Thank you for helping us get started.”  God begins to be put aside to pursue what we want for ourselves—”making a name for ourselves.”  THIS is the danger of unity among a people who leave unity with God. 

We become just a bunch of “babbling” church goers in need of restoring our relationship with God through Jesus.  “Apart from Me, you can do nothing,” (John 15), words of Jesus echo in our minds as churches split because of arrogance, pride, selfish ambition, and greed. God’s work diminishes when His people think they have become God.

Genesis 11

The Tower of Babel

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

From Shem to Abram

10 This is the account of Shem’s family line.

Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father[d] of Arphaxad. 11 And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.[e]

14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.

Abram’s Family

27 This is the account of Terah’s family line.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. 30 Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.

32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

It hasn’t been that long ago that the Enemy used his tricks for the first time to deceive Adam and Eve into thinking they could be God!  Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  (Read all of Genesis 3 to refresh our memories.) Since it worked the first time, he will keep using them.

But we have help! Jesus reminds us to stay in unity with Him!  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”—Jesus, John 15:5

Paul mentors Timothy with; “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16

Paul warns all church leaders; “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:1-6

Jesus reveals the outcome of forgetting and leaving behind why we do what we do; “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” –Revelation 2:2-4 (To the Ephesus church)

We can do all the “things” but the main thing is why we do it and for Whom we do it.  We must be in unity with God, seeking Him and His will first, before doing anything of significance for God.  We join God; He does not join us.  God plans; we trust and obey His plan.  Jesus, Son of Man/Son of God trusted and obeyed God while staying in complete unity with God as our supreme example. 

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

Pause, reflect, be still, let go, allow God’s Holy Spirit to convict, correct, console, comfort, and compel us to stay in unity with Him.

In Jesus Name, we pray, Amen

At the end of this passage, we are introduced to the next cast of characters in the story of God!  Abram and Sarai faithfully believe in God.  They will demonstrate a few wonders and doubts for they are human but they stay in unity with God.  God will work through this beautiful couple in ways that will amaze those around them.  But that’s how God works!  God—always at work on the behalf of those who believe, trust, and obey because of their unity with God.

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JUST DOING WHAT GOD SAID—MULTIPLY!

Posted on October 1, 2024 by randscallawayffm

This chapter is known as “The Table of Nations” and is unique in the annals of ancient history. The purpose of the chapter is given at the beginning in verse one and at the end in the last verse to explain how the earth was repopulated after the flood by the descendants of the three sons of Noah. There is a similar (but not identical) listing in 1 Chronicles 1.  I took a class in ancient history when I was in high school. Fortunately, the class was taught by a believer so we referred to the Bible often as we compared ancient writings to the information given to us by God in His Word.

Genealogies have sparked an increased interest in humans in the last few decades.  My mom began a study on her own of her family roots out of curiosity.  Be careful, it can be addicting! The more she discovered the more information she desired!  Now there are programs and aps such as Ancestry.com to do all the research for us.  If you are searching for a unique boy’s name, look no farther, this passage has many suggestions!  (Smiling)

We are all descendants of Adam and Eve; created in the image of God.  God preserved the original by saving Noah and his family.

Genesis 10

The Table of Nations

This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.

The Japhethites

2 The sons of Japheth:

Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.

3 The sons of Gomer:

Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.

4 The sons of Javan:

Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites.5 (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)

The Hamites

6 The sons of Ham:

Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

7 The sons of Cush:

Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka.

The sons of Raamah:

Sheba and Dedan.

8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.

13 Egypt was the father of

the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites.

15 Canaan was the father of

Sidon his firstborn,[g] and of the Hittites, 16 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites.

Later the Canaanite clans scattered 19 and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.

20 These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

The Semites

21 Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.

22 The sons of Shem:

Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.

23 The sons of Aram:

Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek.

24 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah,

and Shelah the father of Eber.

25 Two sons were born to Eber:

One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

26 Joktan was the father of

Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.

30 The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country.

31 These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

32 These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Why bother listing all the names, you might be asking?  God wants us to know: 

The list of names and places in chapter 10 carries with it some important theological truths, not the least of which is that Jehovah God is the Lord of the nations. God gave the nations their inheritance (Deuteronomy 32:8) and “determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (Acts 17:26).

Despite tryants Nimrod, Jehovah is the God of geography and of history; He is in control. What God promises, He performs, and Noah’s prophecy about his sons came true.

Despite external differences, all nations belong to the same human family. God made us all “from one man” (Acts 17:26), and no race or people can claim to be superior to any other race or people. While in His providence, God has permitted some nations to make greater progress economically and politically than other nations, their achievements don’t prove that they are better than others (Proverbs 22:2).

God has a purpose for the nations to fulfill. Genesis 9:24—11:32 makes it clear that God’s chosen nation was Israel.  Being with chapter 12; Israel will be center stage in the narrative. But God also used Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Media-Persia, and Rome to accomplish His purposes with reference to the Jewish people. God can use pagan rulers like Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Darius, and even Augustus Caesar to fulfill His Plan.  We must remember as we read, this is the story of God as He relates to mankind, made in His image.

God is concerned for all the nations. We read often through the Psalms, phrases like “all the earth” or “all nations.” Psalms 66:1–8 and 67:1–7 both express this unified vision that all the nations of the earth come to know God and serve Him. The church built on the foundation of Jesus Christ is commanded by Him to go into all the world—the teaching, as did Jesus, has already arrived in the story of God, tying the Old Testament with the New Testament!

“The listing is not a typical genealogy that gives only the names of descendants. The writer reminds us that these ancient peoples had their own clans and languages, territories and national identities. In other words, this is a genealogy, plus an atlas, plus a history book. We’re watching the movements of people and nations in the ancient world.” –Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Study Bible

Buckle your seat belts, the ride through Genesis has only just begun.  The list of characters has been given for “act one.”  The curtains will rise to reveal the continuing story of God that began with “In the beginning, God.”

Lord,

Thank you for reminding us with this list that you know our names and see us for who we are—made in your image!  It is not only names that describe real people but it declares the Truth of your existence as you relate to each one!  In your story, you describe your love, faithfulness, mercy, and grace that is unending!  You also give us the outline of your purpose for us that fits perfectly into your mission for all nations to know you. Thank you for so loving us so much that you included and provided salvation for all you call on Your Name, dear Jesus.  To you be the glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Posted on September 30, 2024 by randscallawayffm

When we see the sign, “Under New Management” on a business that was less than stellar in their former practices; we utter a sigh of relief.  We hope and wonder if the new management will deliver on their promise to be better…

Genesis 9

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

6 “Whoever sheds human blood,
    by humans shall their blood be shed;
for in the image of God
    has God made mankind.

7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

The Sons of Noah

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.

20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan!
    The lowest of slaves
    will he be to his brothers.”

26 He also said,

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem!
    May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
27 May God extend Japheth’s territory;
    may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
    and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”

28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We were all created in the image of God.  We are given minds with the ability to make decisions.  We are given freedom to make choices.   However, whatever we choose, we are held accountable and will live with the consequences of our choice.  We do not live alone in the world.  We live with many other humans also made in the image of God. The choices we make no only affect us but all those around us.  God told those He had saved in The Cleansing; “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” 

This assignment comes with great responsibility and accountability.  We forget sometimes as we live and respond to the tasks before us that God created all.  As the Creator, God is also the Owner of all He has created.  We are the managers of His Creation as pointed out to Noah in this passage.  It is the same message given to Adam and Eve. 

The world has been given a “do over” in the Cleansing and is now “under new management.”  Noah is not perfect, but faithful as he seeks to do what is right in his walk with God.  When Noah came out of the boat, he was like a second Adam about to usher in a new beginning on earth for the human race. Our knowledge of God and His ways will expand as we read the story of God in the lives of those who will follow God by faith through subsequent generations. Some managed well, some did not.  But everyone will be held accountable.

Concerning human life, those who decide to kill their fellow human beings will have to answer to God for their deeds, for men and women are made in the image of God. To attack a human being is to attack God, and the Lord will bring judgment on the offender. All life is the gift of God, and to take away life means to take the place of God. 

God promised that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood. The first rainbow would follow the first rain that served to cleanse the earth and is a reminder that God keeps his promises. Rainbows are made when the sun shines at just the right angle through the final droplets showing the spectrum of color.  What a demonstration of God’s promise and majesty!  

How did you feel when you saw a rainbow for the very first time?

Mankind is reminded to care for all God has created and generously given to us to manage as part of the covenant. This covenant is a contract between two parties—God and man. God created a special covenant with humans that gave them dominance over the earth yet made them accountable to God for each action.  God promised to never destroy the earth with a flood again.

God makes and never breaks his promises. His irrevocable covenant is “iron-clad”, as lawyers say in the judicial world, and runs like a scarlet thread through the tapestry of Scripture.  That’s why we trust God for all of life because God is Life!

When we look at the rainbow, we know that our Father is also looking at the rainbow, and therefore it becomes a bridge that brings us together.  Jesus is new covenant between God and man that brings us into the Presence of God as a redeemed people “under the new management” of His Holy Spirit!  Believe, repent, and be saved!  Live an abundant life that is full of promise with His glory and grace!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen!

Lord,

Thank you for your message of promise and care for us. Thank you for reminding us of our part of the covenant with mankind to be responsible caretakers of all you have given to us to manage on earth.  Thank you, Jesus, for saving our souls by your sacrifice once and for all. Thank you, Holy Spirit for teaching us and guiding us to all that is the Truth.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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FLOATING ON A SEA OF WAITING

Posted on September 29, 2024 by randscallawayffm

We wait for the microwave to cook our food in a matter of seconds while leaning on the counter, shifting from one foot to the other, impatiently. Why is it taking so long?  We remove the food and see that it isn’t completely done.  We shove it back in for another minute of so—and grumble.  We grumble, blame and complain as we wait as self-soothers.  We sigh and grumble when we see the line to pay for groceries more than two carts long.  We sigh, roll our eyes, and grumble in any line for that matter.

We even grumble when the food ordered from a restaurant who has that “home cooking taste” we prefer takes longer than when we cook it at home—think about it.  We expect the impossible simply because we don’t like to wait.  We humans abhor waiting. And it shows.  Our mood only lifts when we hear, “no waiting at lane 7”.  But then as we race with others who heard the same message; we realize others who do not like to wait also end up at lane 7.  We become sullen and moody once more; thinking the whole world is against us.   

We also don’t like living in “limbo”.  We feel we “suffer” while waiting on that job we applied for days ago that could change the quality of our lives.  We worry over the wait of medical test results that could affect the way we live in the coming days. Wait comes in all forms and reasons with many kinds of processes to go through in the wait. Some wait over the ruling of a judge, for a rebellious child to come home, or for a word from doctors who are examining their child who has been tested for a possible terminal disease. Some are waiting, even now, at the bedside of their beloved mother or father, sister or brother, husband or wife, son or daughter, and watch them slowly pass from this temporary life on earth into the arms of Jesus.

Noah floated on a sea of waiting—for a year or more with a zoo!  How did he do it and what did he do in the wait?  Noah, along with his immediate family, waited in the ark until he heard from God who shut them inside.  Don’t you love how he sent out “test birds” to see how close they were to depart the ark! 

By faith and obedience; Noah waited until God’s work of Cleansing the earth was complete.  We wonder what was going on in Noah’s mind.  We have lessons to learn in our life of “wait,” don’t we?  Did Noah and his family hear the cries of the lost outside? What did he think when he heard rain fall on the roof of the his safe haven for the very first time?

Genesis 7

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.

6 After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

13 By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.

15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark,you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”

18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God remembered Noah.  To “remember” means to act on behalf of another. With remembering this implies a previous commitment made by God and announces the fulfillment of that commitment. We can be sure that God never forgets nor forsakes His people, not only because of His promises, but also because of His character. God is love, and where there’s love, there’s faithfulness. He can never deny Himself or His Word, for He’s the faithful God. God never changes; His love never changes.  God is faithful to His created made in His image. 

Noah trusted God.  Noah was a man of faith whose name and story was carried down through the ages and recorded in Hebrews 11.  Noah had the faith to walk with God when the people of the world were ignoring and disobeying God. He had the faith to work for God and to witness for God when opposition to truth was the popular thing. 

Noah’s family trusted God.  Noah’s wife, their three sons, and their three daughters-in-law were also believers; they proved it by standing with Noah while he worked and witnessed, and then by entering the boat in obedience to the Lord.

Noah and his family worshiped God.  I cannot imagine Noah not worshiping in the wait as well.  Even though God was busy cleansing the earth, He remembered Noah and worked on his behalf to keep him safe during the cleansing.  So, it is no wonder for faithful Noah, upon debarking the ark to first build an altar to God, gather his family, offer a sacrifice, with a heart of worship who wanted to please the God who saved his family.

When the wait was over, did their “shaky sea legs” become strong again? Did they give the animals a big send off with a message of “go forth, prosper and reproduce”? Did they notice how quiet the earth had become?  Did their relationships with God and each other grow even stronger because of the experience?  What is for certain is what Noah did first—Noah and his family worshiped the God who saved them.   

Can we be better, more holy, when we wait? Yes, we can—when our hope, faith, and trust is built on Jesus’s blood and righteousness who saved us.  When we same yes to Jesus and repent our sins to Him; we are cleansed—forever!  We do everything better when we love God, walk with Him in His ways and love others like He loves us, without conditions.

Lord,

There are so many lessons to learn as we read your story through the people who faithfully loved you back and walked with you. Continue to teach us to walk with you as we wait on you, let go of all that is not you, and trust in your promises. Thank you for always being with us and “remembering” us by working daily on our behalf.  There is no one like you!  You are absolutely everything we need. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.


On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

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THE CLEANSING

Posted on September 28, 2024 by randscallawayffm

Our family used to go camping when our children were younger.  Years ago, it was an economical way to get our kids out their comfort zones, teach them about working together as we set up camp, with the promise of going swimming every day!  Camping means leaving your home and all the conveniences of home to sleep under the stars, cook over a campfire, and swim in the lake to clean the dirt of camping in the woods from our bodies.  Campground bath houses were less than stellar in those days but we managed for the days we were there. Yes, camping is cool and fun for a while until you are tired of being unclean, unable to get clean, and begin to long for a hot shower at home that brings complete cleansing.

Camping in the woods, experiencing nature, along with the creatures who live there, looks enticing on the ads for camping gear and the vehicles to drive to get there.  But, in reality, camping takes more work than being at home. Yes, there is beauty and peace in nature—until the rains come and create a muddy mess where you are camping. It is then you decide that it’s time to pack up and go home where it is safe and dry.  

But what if there is nothing to go home to, no higher ground reach, and no way to avoid drowning from the high waters that just keep rising?

Genesis 7

The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

5 And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, 9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.

17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. 21 Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Mankind was doing whatever their deceitful hearts desired—even if that meant taking from each other while destroying whatever or whoever got in their way.  Evil seemed to be in complete control of all the people on earth—except for Noah.  Only Noah remained faithful to God while living his life in ways that pleased God. 

Then God intervened with a flood that cleansed the entire earth.  This dramatic event demonstrated God’s wrath toward sin, but also his mercy toward those who seek him.  God offers a way out to safety in Him—no longer an ark, but simple faith.

“Blame the plague of sin on a godless decision. Adam and Eve turned their heads toward the hiss of the snake and for the first time ignored God. Eve did not ask, “God, what do you want?” Adam didn’t suggest, “Let’s consult the Creator.” They acted as if they had no heavenly Father. His will was ignored, and sin, with death on its coattails, entered the world.  Sin sees the world with no God in it.” –Max Lucado, The Encouraging Word Bible

Sometimes we feel like our unholy world could use another cleansing.  Hate is replacing God’s Love.  This hate gives birth to betrayals, slander, cheating, lying, and stealing—all traits of evil—and form within the hearts of those we love, those we befriend, and those who are trying to take our livelihoods from us to get all they want out of this life.  Does God know what is going on?  Our minds wonder and then wander.  Our own hearts grow cold and doubts come when challenging circumstances plague us or the sins of others overwhelm us and break our hearts. But then we remember and realize once more; “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) No one is good but God.

We don’t need a flood to wipe out humanity.  We need the blood of Jesus Christ for a complete cleansing of our hearts, minds, and souls!

So what can we do? If all have been infected by sin and the world is corrupted because of sin; to whom do we turn? Ask what others before us asked when convicted of sin in their lives; “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). The answer offered then is the answer offered still: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

God wants us to stand against sin. Sometimes we must do it all by ourselves, but it is always easier to stand with others. But if you must go it alone, remember that you have been saved by Jesus and Jesus is all we need. We also have a Counselor, God’s Holy Spirit who comes immediately to live within all who believe to guide us on our journey. 

Lord,

May we learn from the life of Noah, who was saved from the flood by you because of his unmoving faith.  May we truly believe and live a life of faith because of Jesus, whose blood was shed to save us from our sins.  As you daily lead us to higher ground thinking and behaving may we grow stronger in our faith! 

Cleanse my heart completely, renew my mind, transform my behaviors from unholy to righteous, refresh our soul by emptying all that does not belong there and filling me with all of you.  Restore the joy of you at work within me to make me all you created me to be and do.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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FROM BAD TO WORSE!

Posted on September 27, 2024 by randscallawayffm

One of my parents’ favorite phrases to say when stressed was; “things are going from bad to worse!”  When I heard the words, as they sighed heavily; I would worry, too, picking up on their stressed, furrowed brows, with that look of dread in their eyes. As the oldest child, I knew the signs of stress in my parents.  My heart would be sad for them even though I might not fully understand the challenging circumstance. 

Could this be how Noah felt as he watched the godless world around him grow more so violent and harsh with each passing day?  Was Noah, who “walked faithfully with God” and known as blameless in the community, stressed to live with the wicked?  Was he always on “high alert” at all times just to walk through his community with his family?  Did he hunker down and hide out?  Did he try to convince the wicked that there actions were grieving the heart of God?  Did his sons and daughters in law pick up on the stress and worry caused by an unkind, unpredictable, world of people bent on violence?  We have questions, right?  How bad to worse did it get until God intervened? 

Genesis 6

Wickedness in the World

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah and the Flood

9 This is the account of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress[c] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.[d] 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit[e] high all around.[f] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We might be thinking that it is time for God’s intervention again.  But God promised to never flood the earth again and God has kept His promise since Noah’s time on earth.  God had a better plan for mankind’s sin problem—Jesus.  We must hold that thought as we read “in the beginning, God” stories of truth showing us how he related to and interacted His perfect creation that was made imperfect when Adam and Eve did not do what God commanded them to be and do—or rather not do!  

God looked over the earth and regretted the creation of those who were extremely violent, cold hearted and abusive to their own and others who came close to them. They had nothing of God within them.  Evil intermarried with God’s created and produced more evil.  As God grieved; He looked over the earth, to see Noah—the only one who stood firmly planted in his belief and faith in Him—no matter what was happening around him.  This passage reveals what breaks the heart of God—His broken relationship with His created who chose to live life without Him.  How does this happen?

We first blame the devil.  “The devil made me do it” or “I was tempted beyond my ability to resist so I did it.”  Some say, “God tempted me so I would make the right choice.”  But this thinking presents us as mindless beings with no choice.  No, we choose.  And we are responsible for the choices we make.  The devil has limited power over us.  He tempts us, makes lies look like the truth of what is best for us. 

God does not tempt us but reveals Truth so that we can make the right choice.  When we call on His Name and ask for help and wisdom; He delivers with wisdom and power beyond human intellect, insight and understanding!  We make a million decisions each day.  Who’s leading us as we make good to better choices as opposed to bad to worse decisions that give birth to more sin?

I am reminded of what James wrote about the temptation to sin;

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” James 1:13-17, NIV

God created us to love, trust and obey Him for all that is right, good, and perfect for us—His best for our good and His glory!  Satan, the enemy of God, can only offer a facsimile to entice us based on our own desires within us.  The enemy tempts to lead us from bad to worse—death forever. 

Noah did fall for the enemy.  He didn’t conform to the world around him, even for his own safety and the safety of his family.  He didn’t succumb to the violence, abusive behaviors of others in efforts to merely survive.  Noah chose to walk with God faithfully.  Even those who did know or believe in God gave Noah the reputation as “one who was blameless.”  Noah chose to live for God ready to do exactly what God told him to be and do.  As a result, Noah (and his family) lived to tell the story of God that we read today—all because “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

Lord,

We live and work among some whose only answer for life’s problems is self-preservation lived in perverted, violent, murderous ways.  They have fallen for the enemy’s scheme to distract us from you, deceive us with lies about You, while trying to prevent a relationship with you.  All of us have sinned and fall short of your glory—when we choose evil. We reject all that could be. 

I pray for your wisdom and power to seek Your first, surrender to your will, and choose to walk with you daily like Noah did.  I pray that our decision will lead us to do everything that you command us to be and do. Help us to remember that what you have for us are the gifts of love, eternal life, salvation, and freedom from our sins, along with the help to live a life that produces more life which gives birth to more joy and peace in all circumstances.  Yes, I choose you.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

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LONGEVITY OF MANKIND

Posted on September 26, 2024 by randscallawayffm

It has been said that the most important symbol on the gravestone is the dash.  The dash is chiseled between the year we are born and year we die.  The dash represents the life we lived between.  If you are reading this, then you are still alive, living in the dash of life!  Who we become and what we do matters in the dash. How we live our lives is specifically important to our Creator.  Made is His image, mankind is loved by God and given a purpose for living! 

Adam and his immediate descendants lived a long time! Today’s discussions about extending human life come nowhere near what was common in the early days of the human race. But, like every person born since Adam, each life was punctuated by the words “and he died.” These words occur eight times in chapter 5, emphasizing the fact that death was now reigning over mankind because of Adam’s sin. 

In the “dash” years between birth and death, God had a plan to give life eternal!  Paul explains this miracle produced by God’s love, mercy, and grace in Romans 5.  

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Romans 5:12-17

Sin and death still rule today, but through Jesus Christ we can “reign in life”!  As we read Genesis’ “In the beginning God” passages from creation of mankind to the solution for mankind, may we must always remember, Jesus was there, too.  God is over all and in all that He has made.  All was made by God, and nothing was made that Jesus did not observe and be a part of because Jesus is God in the flesh who became the solution to sin.  Jesus is “alpha and omega,” beginning and end.  Jesus is our Hope!

Genesis 5

From Adam to Noah

5 This is the written account of Adam’s family line.

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.

3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.

6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.

12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.

15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.

18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.

32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Today we are blessed to live a life of 70-80 years!  How we live our lives makes a difference to those we share life with daily.  God wanted mankind to relate to each other in the ways He related to them—generous with love, mercy, and grace.  God created family beginning with Adam and Eve.  Sin entered and destroyed family relationships in subsequent generations but God still loved mankind.  Those who “walked with God”, who believed in God and trusted what He said were noticed and blessed by God.

The birth of Methuselah seemed to be a turning point in Enoch’s life, because he then began to live in close fellowship with God. Did the responsibility of raising a son in such a godless world challenge Enoch to realize that he needed God’s help? Or when the baby was born, did God give Enoch insight into the future so that he knew the flood was coming? We don’t know, but we do know that (as history has repeatedly demonstrated) the arrival of this baby changed his father’s life.

Instead of the echoed words “and he died,” Enoch’s life story ends with the statement, “and he was not, for God took him.” It was “by faith” that Enoch was taken to heaven. He believed God, walked with God, and went to be with God, which is an example for all of us to follow. How do we know? The miracle of Enoch is mentioned again in Hebrews 11:5—centuries later!

“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”

Instead of a tombstone, there was an epitaph written on the minds of all who knew him: “Enoch was one who pleased God.”  This is the dash account of a life who believed God.  Enoch’s life of faith wasn’t a private thing, for he boldly announced that God would come to judge the world’s sins (Jude 14, 15). Enoch’s life and witness remind us that it is possible to be faithful to God “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” (Philippians 2:15).

Still reading?  If you are, then you are alive!  God has given us the gift of today.  We are still living in the “dash” between birthdate and our physical death on earth.  So, what are we going to do in the dash time God has given us?  Do we know and believe in the hope of resurrection with Christ?  Do accept the call of God to all who believe to help others by pointing the Way to salvation through Jesus?  Are we living in dread or joyful expectation?  What we truly believe is reflected in our daily living. 

One final thought from Warren Wiersbe;

“Lamech named his son Noah, which sounds like the Hebrew word for “comfort.” His prayer was that his son would somehow bring to the world the rest and comfort that people so sorely needed. Centuries later, weary people would hear the voice of Jesus say, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  –The Wiersbe Study Bible

This world is not our home.  We are merely passing through ever so briefly in the dash from birth to death on earth.  To all who believe God and trust in all that He says; the gift of eternal life from God is given.  But there was a cost to God to provide this life.  Jesus Christ, God’s One and Only Son, came to earth to suffer death, gain a victory over death by rising from death. This was the cost of other eternal life.  This cost was willing paid by Jesus.  

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Lord,

Thank you for saving us. Thank you for teaching us the value of living for you, walking with you, in the dash between the year of our birth to death on earth.  Thank you for today’s gift of life.  Guide me in all I think, say, and do so I will be pleasing to You and give you glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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MOTIVES

Posted on September 25, 2024 by randscallawayffm

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

From the very beginning of the creation of mankind, “sin crouches at the door” ready to distract, deceive, and destroy our relationship with God along with all other relationships among our family and friends. 

The first man and woman, created in the image of God, give birth to two sons.  These two sons are the first brothers to live on earth together.  They work at tasks that fit their abilities.  They have a relationship with their father and mother as well as with God. The measure of their relationship with God is evident in their offerings to God.  One offering is given from a heart who wants to please God.  The other offering is given merely to appease God. There is a stark difference in the two offerings so God uses this as a teachable moment to help one brother understand that his motivation is wrong.  It is not the gift but the motivation of giving this gift that is the heart of this discussion. 

At times, when all does not turn out well for us, we become depressed and ask, “Why me, Lord?” But the most appropriate question to ask is; “Lord, what are you trying to teach me?”  Our motives tell the story of the condition of our hearts. 

Genesis 4

Cain and Abel

4 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
    wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
    a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
    then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

25 Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.

At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We readily learn how sin gives birth to more sin in the story of Cain and Abel.  The sins of jealousy, pride, and envy build like plaque on a once healthy heart.  This condition of a weak heart is evident when Cain’s offering to appease God is not accepted.  God knows his heart, He created him; but Cain refuses to acknowledge that God knows. 

Sin escalates to arrogance and rage within Cain who has lost control over evil and the character traits of evil.  Evil is feeding the heart of Cain with all that is not of the character of God.  Cain who was also created in the image of God is becoming more like the evil that is consuming him.

God shows His love for Cain with the most important compassionate advice  for all mankind; “if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain does not listen to the advice from God for a disciplined heart.  Instead, raging with the jealousy of comparison, Cain takes the matter in his own hands with premeditated murder.  “Let’s go out in the field.”  Cain sins against his brother Abel and against God.

DATELINE

Cain kills his Abel and then tries to hide the body—like most crime shows we see today or read about in news and social media!  Why anyone thinks they can get away with murder is beyond my thinking.  But one who refuses all warnings and does life completely on their own, relying only their own resources, is easy prey for the enemy. The evil that is “crouching at the door” to our hearts convinces us that we can get away with all sin by deceiving us when we are weak.  It is in our weakness of heart, mind, and soul that we readily listen to the tempter’s lies if we do not “have rule over it.”

Down through the ages, as the family tree grows, the story of Cain and Abel is orally passed down to each generation.  It is the story good and evil.  The story is the story of relationship between God and His Created.  It is the tale of two brothers who worked hard in their chosen professions but with different motivations of the heart.  Both were created in the image of God.  One gave an offering of the first and best to God from a thankful heart for God.  The other brother, not wanting to be seen as doing less than his brother, gathered some fruit (maybe even the leftovers not needed by him) as an offering to merely appease God with his actions.

We see the difference but how do we respond in our lives today?

Pause, pray, reflect, and evaluate the condition of our hearts with a check up daily!

  • Who do we seek to please most?  Do we seek to please others and be seen by our acts of service as good by them?  Or are we driven to please God in all we think, say and do—even if it does not please those we see day to day?  Sin is crouching the door of our hearts, too, as we decide! 
  • Who has the most power over us? Who are we allowing to feed our hearts and minds and fill our souls?  Is it God’s Holy Spirit who leads us to all that is right and true or Evil who tempts to do what will ultimately destroy our relationship with God and others who believe in God? 
  • We have two choices—God or Evil.  All other daily decisions come from the first choice we make with who we choose to rule our hearts.  Choose wisely.  It is a matter of life or death!

Rather than confess his sin, Cain tried to hide it to keep it from God. Consider this truth: Those who keep secrets from God keep their distance from God. Those who are honest with God draw near to God. Secrets erect a fence while confession builds a bridge.  As we evaluate our hearts today, we might ask ourselves: What am I trying to hide from God? Let us confess our sins and our desire to live life independent of God. He wants us to live in full fellowship and communion with him.  What the evil one hates most are believers who humbly fall to their knees, cry out to God, and confess sins in Jesus Name.  Evil flees from people who do exactly that for I can testify to this truth.

Since the Fall; “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So, run to God who knows our hearts and is ready to forgive and welcome us back into His Presence—In Jesus Name.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23

Lord,

Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, refresh my sou with your new tender mercies, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within me that strengthens our relationship with you and with others.  Confession is good for the soul who wants to be set free!

In Jesus Name, Amen

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