Abrahamic Covenant

I have been reading lately, but always after stalling, making excuses, and then quibbling my way through the slightest portion and claiming success, “I read the Bible today…technically…sort of.” Well, I read Genesis 17, and I am so happy that God is not like man.

God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendents was/is simple:

“This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.” (Gen 17:10-11)

I wonder if God made it that simple so that even fallen man, with an evil heart, could still manage to keep up his end of the deal. Since God is not a man that He should lie or change His mind, we know that He will never fail to live up to His end of the Abrahamic Covenant.

No ifs. No ands. No buts. No excuses. No exclusions. No disclaimers. No caveats. No fine print. His word was, is, and shall be…Amen.

To be continued...

Reading has continued at a very comfortable pace…maybe too comfortable. Blogging has been put on the back burner in order to make reading less of a chore.

It worked.

No worries though, I’ll post some stuff over Thanksgiving.

Bruce and Evan (B&E)

In the Bible it says let those with ears hear, and those with eyes see.

Last night we watched Bruce Almighty, and tonight we watched Evan Almighty. Both had their moments, and as believers we were obviously moved toward reflection. As discerning believers, we took in the movies understanding what they said, as well as what they didn’t say.

Guard our hearts Lord.

God first

Forgive the larger than lately post, it’s been a while, so consider it six posts in one…or something like that. Hey, sue me…I’ve been busy.

Isn’t that how it always is: we get really busy and what’s the first thing we cut out of our lives in order to make some extra time? We cut out reading the Bible, prayer, service, or even church; not intentionally, but since we’re not giving first to the Lord, we end up giving second…then later…then last…then, tomorrow….then, not at all.

Then we say, “I’ve been really busy,” or “I just haven’t had the time lately,” then “I’ve never murdered anyone, I’m a good person.” Yes, we are busy, time is short, and we are not Satan himself, but those are traps.

Since we are to love God first and most above all things, and our relationship with God affects our eternal soul, on a list of priorities He should be at the very top of the list…written in LARGE letters across the first three slots…with the next three slots left blank for emphasis, because nothing comes close. So, worldly obligation and earthly time are not sufficient reasons to…um…dis God.

But, if you let God fall off your list of priorities (out of mind, out of heart, out of life), it’s no big deal, right; after all, it’s not like you’ve ever murdered anyone, you’re a good person. Hmm, I don’t know about the rest of you, but this sounds familiar to me, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). When we discard God’s will/standard in favor of our own, we end up destroyed in a flood along with all the others who gave themselves over to the world.

Now, I’m not saying that if you “Come into the ark” with God as He commanded that life is gonna be a bowl of cherries. I’m sure it was an extremely arduous task living in the ark for an entire year with all those animals, tossed about on the waves, waiting for God to unfold yet another miracle. Wow, that must have been Hell…uh no, not quite…not even close. While I’m sure it may have seemed impossibly difficult to Noah and his family, an objective analysis tells us it was no doubt easier than treading water for a year.

Anyway, I have read through Genesis 11. From a father’s point of view, I guess it’s important to note that Noah was the father and spiritual leader of his family, humbly and faithfully following the Lord. Noah put God first, he married a woman who put God first, he raised children to put God first (and they did), and his sons obviously married wives that put God first. That’s how I want to do it.

They were different from those around them, and if they weren’t already ridiculed for their beliefs, they were definitely ridiculed for building the ark. In the end, their faith found favor with God and when judgment came, they were given what no one else was: life.

Thou Shalt Not Lie...even on 4th and inches

I can't lie. I have been reading, but no blogging due to NFL football.

The Patriots and Cowboys are kicking butt, the Colts rock even though they lost, and while the Broncos disappointed, they aren't nearly as bad as the Ravens…or the Dolphins.

To add to all that, my fantasy football team has had alternating one game streaks for the entire season, so far. 1 on, 1 off…1 on, 1 off…and so on. I guess I should look at the good side; at least I haven’t lost 2 in a row, and since I started with a win, I’ve always had a “winning” season.

There’s actually a message from God in all this: man is not in control, and regardless of statistics, history, experience, or luck, only God knows what’s coming next…according to His plan.

21, 42, button hook sailor tight..Amen.

It ain't easy

It is really difficult to read the Bible sometimes. The world can be such a distraction. The last couple of days I have read chapter 9 in the book of Genesis, but I’ve gotten so distracted with other things that I did it almost like a homework assignment. I keep forgetting to pray and put myself in the right frame of mind and spirit. It is so much easier to not be a Christian.

“The problem with Christianity is not that has been tried and found wanting, but that it has been found difficult and left untried.”
- G. K. Chesterton

Wait for it....

According to Genesis 8, Noah was in that ark for over a year. Yet, he didn’t go running for land when he saw it. He waited for God’s guidance. I know for a fact that I don’t have that kind of faith or patience.

Lord, without destroying all of mankind, teach me to trust you and wait on you.

(Yeah…while Noah was obviously faithful and righteous in God’s eyes, after watching all things on the face of the earth destroyed “outside the ark,” you can bet Noah knew which side his bread was buttered on.)