Dec 27 - Jan 2 Bible Reading Passages

Hope you are doing well as we are going through the book of Leviticus. 
Yes, it can be tedious at times but it helps us to understand who God is (his holiness) and who we are as "creaturely" beings who need to follow rules for worship and behavior in order to have a relationship with God (who loves us). 
Here is an on-line commentary by Ray Stedman to refer to for questions that you have.


Sun Dec 27 - Leviticus 14
Mon Dec 28 - Leviticus 15
Tues Dec 29 - Leviticus 16
Wed Dec 30 - Leviticus 17
Thur Dec 31 - Leviticus 18
Fri Jan 1 - Leviticus 19
Sat Jan 2 - Leviticus 20

Dec 13-19 Bible Reading Passages

This week we will be starting the book of Leviticus. 
If you have thoughts/questions/insights, please reply to this post! 

Sun Dec 13 - Proverbs 7
Mon Dec 14 - Leviticus 1
Tues Dec 15 - Leviticus 2
Wed Dec 16 - Leviticus 3
Thur Dec 17 - Leviticus 4
Fri Dec 18 - Leviticus 5
Sat Dec 19 - Leviticus 6

nothing we do is ever enough. but that's not always a bad thing.

No one knows the hour when the Son of Man will come to judge the earth, and just as we don't know the time of His arrival, we will never know who will be accepted and to whom Jesus will shockingly say, "I don't know you." It could be me. It could be one of the most well-known Christian leaders of our world today. It could be you.

Nothing we do is ever enough, both in the eyes of the world and God, for different reasons. The world would never think so, but who we are is already a good enough reason for God to do what He did. And that's where we find the strength to set our hearts right on loving God out of praise and gratitude, instead of trying to love Him out of fear of burning in hell. This is where we also find strength to keep cultivating our lives to be holy and blameless without feeling overwhelmed and defeated.

God promises us agape love, but by giving us free will, He ultimately leaves it up to us to take hold of what belongs to us. Our parents will always love us, but it is up to the children to love them in return and be in a joyful, loving relationship with them. Do we really believe we are just as undeserving as our non-believing friends because we are all sinners? At the core, we are no different. So perhaps the best way to be one of the five prepared virgins is to think we are one of the lazy five, but believe it's never too late to pick up where we left off. Encourage yourself, "The Groom will come for me because I am already His chosen bride. If He did not love me, I wouldn't even be here." Ask the Groom everyday and listen to his reply to your question: What would you like today, God? He will have a different answer for each of us.

Dec 6-12 Bible Reading Passages

We are finishing up the book of Matthew this week, having our Psalm/Proverbs interspersed passages and next week will start the book of Leviticus!

Sun Dec 6 - Matthew 24
Mon Dec 7 - Matthew 25
Tues Dec 8 - Matthew 26
Wed Dec 9 - Matthew 27
Thur Dec 10 - Matthew 28
Fri Dec 11 - Psalm 7-9
Sat Dec 12 - Proverbs 6

Here is a link to the Moody 3-Year Bible reading plan that we are following if you need to refer to it anytime.

God bless you!

Nov 29-Dec 5 Bible Reading Passages

Today is the first day of Advent! 

It's 26 Days until Christmas! 

We will continue with the Bible reading plan and we are also giving out Advent devotional booklets today at church which have daily reflections that will help us to celebrate Christ's birth and prepare our hearts for his Second Coming! 

Sun Nov 29 - Matthew 17
Mon Nov 30 - Matthew 18
Tues Dec 1 - Matthew 19
Wed Dec 2 - Matthew 20
Thur Dec 3 - Matthew 21
Fri Dec 4 - Matthew 22
Sat Dec 5 - Matthew 23

Nov 22-28 Bible Reading Passages

Howdy!
Readings for this week are:

Sun Nov 22 - Matthew 10
Mon Nov 23 - Matthew 11
Tues Nov 24 - Matthew 12
Wed Nov 25 - Matthew 13
Thur Nov 26 - Matthew 14
Fri Nov 27 - Matthew 15
Sat Nov 28 - Matthew 16

no double standards!

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

We humans were created to be social and we all need someone to lean on. Many of us are searching for that deep partnership with a best friend or significant other. Often times prayer for that relationship in our lives doesn't get answered right away, and we like to use this verse to encourage ourselves to keep praying and waiting for God's perfect timing. 

But have you ever wondered perhaps you might be missing out on a potential best friend/significant other because you are being judgmental? I think it's wise to know what you want in a relationship and in that person. Everyone has a unique set of interests and preference. But when does it cross the line and turn into being too judgmental? The standards we have for our potential best friends/significant others...do we also apply them in our lives? If I want a best friend/significant other who is well dressed and practices good personal hygiene, that person will want the same from me. If I want someone who prioritizes service above other aspects of Christian living, that person will probably want someone with similar thought. Don't have standards that you aren't living up to. We will find ourselves being the hypocrite. 

"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 

Nov 15-21 Bible Reading Passages

Hi all!
Here are the readings for this week:

Sun Nov 15 - Matthew 3

Mon Nov 16 - Matthew 4

Tues Nov 17 - Matthew 5

Wed Nov 18 - Matthew 6

Thur Nov 19 - Matthew 7

Fri Nov 20 - Matthew 8

Sat Nov 21 - Matthew 9

Feel free to respond to this post or any other posts with reflections you have about the readings!

Bible Reading Passages Nov 8-14

Sun Nov 8 - Exodus 39
Mon Nov 9 - Exodus 40
Tues Nov 10 - Psalm 4,5,6
Wed Nov 11 - Proverbs 3
Thur Nov 12 - Proverbs 4-5
Fri Nov 13 - Matthew 1
Sat Nov 14 - Matthew 2

Hi all, if you noticed in the Moody 3 year plan that we are following, a few chapters of Psalm and Proverbs are interspersed between reading various books of the Bible. Just wanted to make sure you don't get confused about what we are reading! :)

discipline is a blessing

As the Israelites enter their long journey through the desert to the Promised Land, they encounter many challenges including lack of drinking water and shortage of food. We witness God meeting all their grumbles and needs through various miracles. The Israelites, upon receiving what they complained about, become happy quickly and eagerly reach out their hands to receive, receive, receive from the Lord. More. More. More. But nobody was as enthusiastic about getting Ten Commandments that would serve as rules to guide and discipline the People of God. How about us today? Are we happy when our bellies and lives are filled with the desires of our hearts but unhappy when God tells us how to live our lives? Do we reject His discipline and commands but gladly gobble up all the blessings He showers us as long as they are the things we hoped for? The Bible says God disciplines those He loves, as a father disciplines the son he loves. Teaching our minds to view discipline positively will help us become mature men and women of God. Our society and media teach us today that when you love someone, you give them what they want: sex, marriage, children, extravagant gifts, lavish dates, fancy vacations, all your free time and energy, money, and heart. The Bible, however, speaks the truth when it says you would be wise to choose whatever God thinks is best for someone you love, even if that means hurting their feelings by challenging them to never settle for anything less than the best of whom God intended them to be. Let us not be neglectful towards enforcing and heeding Godly discipline in our lives.

Outrageous!

But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king's orders.  They allowed the boys to live too.
                                                                                                                                           Exodus 1:18

Watching the videotapes which exposed Planned Parenthood's atrocities, harvesting baby parts for a price, was initially shocking.  Watching the images of callous Planned Parenthood executives eat their lunch, while they negotiate a deal with some prospective buyers of baby parts, was quite appalling.  It absolutely incensed me that our very own tax dollars actually fund these nefarious activities.  Moreover, I was further enraged when I learned that despite the public's outcry to defund Planned Parenthood, our very own U.S. Congress succumbed and buckled under the pressure of lobbyists, who support such programs.  As a result, they miserably failed deliver the wishes of the people.  What an outrage!

Hence, when I read in Exodus how these two midwives spared the lives of the Hebrew children even though they were commanded by the king not to spare Hebrew baby boys' lives, I discovered a newfound respect for these women.  How refreshing to know that in spite of the possible fatal repercussions of their faithful decision, they still went through with it.  How courageous and admirable they were! They unselfishly risked their own lives to save these young babies' lives.  They heeded God's laws over man's so that they can live with their own conscience.

As a result, God blessed these midwives.   But this in no way meant that God condoned their lies and their deception of the king.  God blessed these women because they obeyed His laws, which forbid the senseless killing of innocent lives.

On the other hand, it makes me wonder what God will do to the lawmakers who voted against defunding Planned Parenthood?

miracle after miracle (Exodus 10-11)

As frightening as the ten plagues sound, if you think about it, the magnitude of these miracles reflect God's love for His people. God was and still is willing to go to the extremes for reasons that are beyond us. In this case, it was for His glory. That sounds a bit narcissistic. Why would God hurt an entire nation just to prove His own glory? He's the Creator of the universe. He doesn't need anyone to approve Him or believe in Him. He is "I AM WHO I AM."

I think perhaps God was sending the plagues as a form of serving justice to the Egyptians for how they treated the people of Israel. Sometimes, why God allows extreme circumstances to happen is difficult for us to accept or understand without us passing judgment on what the Lord of this universe decided to do (that's quite bold). But one thing is for sure: God is faithful to those He loves. He is willing to raise up unlikeliest leaders and perform many miracles to help us and answer our prayers. Miracle after miracle, our God never stops displaying His fierce and powerful love for His children. Next time we feel dubious about God coming through for us in our plight, remember that He's the one who performed miracle after miracle to save His people from misery. He has His own grandiose escape plan that will make your jaw drop. 

remembering God's greatness

And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
- Exodus 14:31

Seeing a body water divide and walking on a dry land under the seawater should be such an phenomenal experience, I would think the people of Israel be convinced of God's might once and for all. But we all know the story of how the people forget the faithfulness of God's love for them and turn away from living according to His Word. No matter how awesome God works in our lives, it's so easy to forget how He came through because we are distracted by the new troubles that presently plague our minds. From the example of the Israelites, we can glean a basic human nature: we doubt constantly, and we need to witness a miraculous power of God in order to be convinced. That display of His great power can be manifested in various ways--healing, turning of hearts, transformation in relationships, dreams being accomplished, and more. Whatever it is that has convinced God is for us and not against us, we must hold onto it and remind ourselves constantly when we struggle: the Lord is good and trustworthy. 

Hakuna Matata!

Genesis 50 essentially recaps the life of Joseph and also his father, Jacob.  It summarizes the high and low points in their lives and it clearly demonstrates how faithful God is throughout their years on earth.  Both father and son lived peacefully and in the circle of God's grace and mercy.

Joseph did not dwell on the negative events that happened in his life.   He did not bear any grudges against his brothers for selling him into slavery.  He did not fault the cupbearer for conveniently forgetting all about the aid he extended to him, aid which restored him back into the graces of his employer, the king.  Instead, Joseph focused on his faith in God and His promises.  He believed that God had a role for him to play in the overall fate of, not just his family, but the entire country.  Joseph believed that the dreams he had as a young boy and the dreams he interpreted for the cupbearer and the baker were confirmation of God's purpose for his life.  The fact that whatever pit and dungeon he was thrown into, God somehow found a way for him to be freed from those circumstances and consequently be noticed, appreciated, promoted and recognized.  He believed that all the events that happened in his life, all led exactly to where God wanted him to be.  Whether he got there in a circuitous route, in a convoluted turn of events, did not matter, at all.  God was totally in control of his life.  

Therefore, fear not, my friend, the circumstances that you are currently in.  Instead, rejoice!  Through you and in spite of you, God will bring about something beautiful and totally unexpected.  If you feel downtrodden, forgotten, overwhelmed, tested, disappointed and discouraged, do not worry because God is in control.  Continue to look to Him for your protection, thank Him for your provision, worship and honor Him with no reservation, for in His perfect timing, He will bring you up and out of your current circumstances.  Like Joseph, simply believe.  God has not left the cockpit.  He is still flying your plane.  

Our Alpha and Omega

Genesis 43:1

“Now the famine was severe in the land.”

Jacob and his sons did not foresee the present calamity that they are in.  A severe famine is upon them and all of Egypt, and they need food to survive. None of them could have foreseen God’s Hands in the midst of their present circumstances.  None of them has a clue that God has already preplanned how their present crisis is going to be addressed.  Decades ago, one of their own, unbeknownst to this family and even to the one that was wrenched away from their midst, God was already preparing the “current” answer to this family’s prayer.  Joseph, the son Jacob lost and the brother his siblings have sold to slavery, has become and has been groomed to be the source of God’s answer to this family’s plight.

If your current situation seems dire and God seems quiet or slow to answer your prayers, fear not and worry not.  Your prayers have not  gone unheard.  Just like Jacob and his family, God already preplanned how to address your present circumstances. He was already working on the answer to your prayers long before you were even aware that you are going to need it.  This passage in Genesis simply portrays God’s magnificence, God’s faithfulness, God’s omnipotence and God’s omniscience! 

Be Positive!

Genesis 39:21New International Version (NIV)

21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Joseph was first sold by his very own brothers into slavery.  He manages to survive that when he impresses Potiphar and secures employment in his household as a trusted household manager.  However, he finds himself wrongly accused of rape when he refuses Potiphar's wife's advances. In both of these unfortunate events, Joseph seems to maintain an admirable inner strength.  He does not quickly give up and succumb to hopelessness.   Admirably, he could have chosen to be a victim, but he does not.   Instead he does his best in the simple tasks assigned to him. While he is incarcerated, his positive attitude and diligence does not escape the attention of the warden, who rewards him with a promotion to prison administrator.  In both circumstances, as a slave and as a prisoner, Joseph finds himself cast down to the bottom of society.  But like foam displaced to the bottom of a lake, Joseph, through God's grace, always resurfaces to the top.

Are you facing a hopeless predicament at home, at school or at work?  Follow Joseph's example by taking each small tasks given to you and do them well.  Remember how God turned Joseph's situation around. He will see your efforts and can reverse even overwhelming odds.  I know, He has done it for me, more than a few times.

Careless Disregard

Genesis 38

²⁴ About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”
Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”
²⁵ As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”
²⁶ Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.


This chapter talks about how Judah deceived his daughter-in-law, Tamar.  He refused to follow the custom of giving Tamar, his eldest son's widow,  the right to establish herself as part of his household by withholding her marriage, as dictated by Jewish law, to his last remaining son.  However, Tamar outsmarted her father-in-law by seducing him so that she can produce an heir through him, thereby securing her standing in the family.  Consequently, Judah, who is later quick to condemn and judge Tamar for prostitution is convicted of his guilt when he realized that it was he who actually wronged her.

The moral of this story is that faithfulness to family obligations is important.  We cannot just ignore those obligations because it is an inconvenience.  Secondly, the sins we try to cover up are probably the very ones that anger us most when we see them in others.  If you become indignant at the sins of others, you may have a similar tendency to sin that you don't wish to face.  When we admit our sins and ask God to forgive us, forgiving others becomes easier.

Avoid Keeping Score

Genesis 37

¹⁹ They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. ²⁰ Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits.^[a] Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”



Ten grown men were willing to kill their younger brother over a robe and his dreams.  Their deep-seated jealousy completely consumed them.  It totally dictated how they behaved towards their younger brother.  Their hatred of him blinded them so much that they actually proceeded with a plan to permanently get rid of him. 

Jealousy can be difficult to recognize because our reasons for it seem to make sense.  However, left unchecked, jealousy can grow quite rapidly and can lead one to commit some serious sins.  The longer one entertains jealous feelings, the harder it is to get rid of them.  The time to deal with jealousy is to immediately nip it in the bud.  When you notice yourself keeping score of others' recognitions, awards and achievements, quickly check yourself.

Playing Favorites? Not Recommended!

Genesis 37
  ³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate^[f] robe for him. ⁴ When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.


How Rebekah treated him, so also Jacob treats Joseph.  Like his mother had done towards him, Jacob also openly shows his love to his favorite son, Joseph.  He singles him out from the other ten sons, by wrapping him in a robe his brothers would have thought is fit for royalty.  As expected, their father's special treatment of the boy strains the relationship between him and his brothers, like it also strained the relationship Jacob had with his brother Esau.

Favoritism in families is unavoidable but its divisive effects can be minimized.  Parents may not be able to change their feelings towards their favorite child, but they can change their actions toward the others.  Moreover, parents have to always be mindful how they treat their children.  Always model the behavior you want them to learn.  Avoid making the mistake Rebekah and Jacob made.

An Act of Faith

Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38 Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 
- Genesis 30:37-39

Have you ever made a senseless, illogical choice, but with full confidence that everything will work out? 

There's no scientific proof that showing peeled branches to the mating flock actually produces speckled or spotted young. Today, at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Pastor Sharon mentioned this is a miracle of God that was manifested as a result of Jacob's act of faith. Jacob simply believed that if he peeled the bark of trees and showed them to the mating flock, the females would have speckled or spotted young. More importantly, Jacob believed that God would act justly and pay him proper wages that he deserved from Laban. Think about it. If Jacob only got to keep speckled or spotted livestock, how many years would it taken for him to have enough to move out of the house? It would have taken years, maybe another decade. Jacob would never have received all the payment he deserved in due time. Jacob's story reminds us that if our hearts are right with God, we don't even need to say, "Lord, please make it right! Show justice!" He already knows the injustice that has been dealt with us. If we have the intimate relationship that Jacob, Isaac and Abraham all shared with the Lord, we can simply act on our faith and trust that God will be our redeemer and friend. That act of faith can be as crazy and senseless as showing peeled branches to the mating flock, and totally expecting they would give birth to speckled or spotted young.

Who is Really In-Charge?

Genesis 25:23, Genesis 27

Some people are natural born initiators.  They are those who manage, implement and supervise events, and generally make sure that things are carried out to completion.  They are also good at anticipating problems and finding solutions before any problems arise.  Rebekah is just that kind of a person.  Earlier, she demonstrates this trait when she offered and impressed Eliezer by single-handedly taking care of providing him and his camels water.  However, she also utilizes this same trait to "help God" fulfill the prophecy; the prophecy that says her younger son will be more successful than her older one.  In doing so, she employs deceitful and cunning tactics to achieve her goal.  For her, the end justifies the means.  Although she truthfully believes that she is acting out God's will for her son, she essentially usurps God's power over her son's circumstances and gives the indication that she does not fully surrender her will to His Lordship.  She essentially takes charge,  confidently takes control of present circumstances and sadly fails to patiently wait for God's direction.  
                                               
I can relate to Rebekah because I feel (or maybe, I delude myself into thinking) I have the gift of perception and most of the time, I am also quite impatient.  So, I see myself, a lot, falling into the trap of justifying to myself that I am acting in concert with God.  However, sometimes, despite myself, (or maybe through the Holy Spirit's prompting), I stop to wonder whether I am actually helping or unnecessarily hindering God's Hand on the situation.

Do you ever find yourself in a similar situation as Rebekah did wherein you are truly convinced that God is steering you towards something and you can clearly see the end result.  However, His timing seems to be too slow for your liking so you try to "help Him" by stepping in and taking charge of the whole situation?  Stop and think.  Is this way of dealing with circumstances edifying to those around you?  Is this an effective way to witness to others?

At the end of the day, I realize that I have to humble myself in the sight of the Lord, submit to His Divine will (not mine), learn to wait for Him and His perfect timing, engage in more quality prayer time with Him so that I can grow in my knowledge of Him, build my faith and my trust in Him and remember (because I seem to always forget and need constant reminders,) that He only wants what is best for me.  Simply put, I need to stay out of His Way (surrender my control issues) so that He can bless me more effectively.

After the Honeymoon

"Happily ever after" is not automatic and eternal; it needs work.  Married couples know this.  It takes buckets of sweat and tears to make it happen.  Anyone, who is committed to a successful relationship, realizes, no sooner than after the honeymoon is over, that the vow needs to be followed by some serious hard work.  An uncle shared a joke at a wedding once.  In a marriage, there are three rings: the engagement ring, the wedding ring and the suffering.  Of course, everyone laughed, but it is the truth. 

What struck me in reading (Genesis 24:61-67) the passage about Isaac and Rebekah is that, in their early years, love reigned in their relationship.  They seem to be consumed with their love for each other.  However, in the latter years, romance seems to have dissipated.  In their household, conflict is palpable (Genesis 25:27-28). Each of them chooses one son to be a favorite; Isaac for Esau and Rebekah for Jacob.  Obviously, the couple's line of communication has broken down.  Rebekah demonstrates this when she conspired with her favored son to usurp her husband's power and secure Esau's blessing, so that her favorite, Jacob, can have it.  Clearly, she can only do this if her love and respect for her husband has long cooled off.  (Genesis 27).

Jesus declares that we, the church, are His bride (Ephesians 5).  You, dear one, are His bride.  He has continually shown through His actions, to the point of sacrificing His life on the cross in order to declare this, His love for us.  Everyday, He showers us with His affection through the beauty of His creation, His presence through our family and friends (and even strangers) and sends us love letters through His Word.  He works really hard to earn our love and attention.  For our part, do we take the time to reciprocate?  Do we show Him our appreciation or do we simply take His blessings for granted, be an ingrate and act like some entitled brat?  Are we aware of His presence all throughout our busy day?  Do we schedule a few minutes, from the 1,440 minutes in our day, some quality time with Him? Yes, our relationship with Him takes some commitment, some time and conscious effort.  Let us not allow our intimacy with Him to turn sour or to grow cold, much like how Isaac's and Rebekah's love for each other did.  We owe it to ourselves to keep the fires burning for our Heavenly Groom.  Let us stoke the fires daily.  After all, He is a huge part of our "happily ever after".

Perfect Ten, Really?

Genesis 24:1-20


Abraham's servant, Eliezer, is tasked with finding Isaac a bride.  She cannot only be pleasant to look at, but must also possess a good heart.  Society puts a lot of emphasis in beauty.  It is the reason why businesses dealing with beauty enhancement, fashion, physical fitness and weight loss management are lucrative.  They all contribute to making one look beautiful --- on the outside.  However, Eliezer is looking for a woman who is also beautiful --- on the inside.  So he devices a test.  Whoever offers him a drink and also volunteers to provide water for his camels, is a good contender.  Rebekah does just that.  She offers him a drink and does not hesitate to also take care of his camels.  Biblical scholars point out that water jugs in those days are quite big and heavy.  Moreover, when camels travel long distances for more than a week, they can easily consume 25 gallons of water.  Eliezer has ten camels.  You do the Math.  No wonder, he is quite impressed with her!  She is not only kind and considerate, but also hardworking.  In other words, her beauty emanates from a genuinely good heart.  So, here is the question for us to ponder:  How much time and effort do we honestly spend in developing our inner beauty?  Patience, kindness, industriousness, and joy are the beauty treatments that help us become truly lovely --- on the inside.  Maybe, it is high time for us to check into the Spa of Proverbs 31 and soak deeply in the mud of the Virtuous Woman.

Who Is Responsible?

Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me." - Genesis 16:5

It's easy to go through life with lots of complaints about the circumstances in my life. Almost out of habit, I routinely point finger at God, that guy/gal, my church, my family, my coworkers, the media, the Internet...the list goes on. It's easy to say it's so and so's fault I'm in this mess. After I'm done with the list, it makes me wonder what I have left to own up.  

In God's book, doggedly bearing the burden of guilt and shame--regardless of whose it is--never goes unnoticed, even if the rest of the world just thinks we are getting what we deserved. Next time we don't get a chance to share the blame with someone else but are in a position to shoulder it all, let's remember how Jesus carried that cross up the Calvary to save us. He bore responsibility for sins that weren't His, and we will never have to do something that horrible. As regrettable as a decision may be, if we are suffering as a result, that's nobody's fault but ours because we made that choice. Remembering the Cross will help us to respond with less self-pity and blame--unlike Sarai who became upset with Abram when it was her idea to have him sleep with Haggai.
Being a follower of Christ may be one of life's painful choices that we now think twice about. But we chose to be Christians, and being a Christian involves dutifully and painfully obeying ALL of God's Word. No one forced us to be Christians. Nobody can say, "Well, God guilt tripped me through the story of the Gospel, and now look at all my struggles. Boo hoo." I pray that God's mercy at the cross will provide us with the strength to be painfully honest with ourselves, that we may bear responsibility for all the outcomes of our decisions with maturity and grace.   

Sinful Man vs Benevolent God

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Welcome to the UPC Bible Reading Blog.  Hope you had a fun-filled summer and you are ready to tackle the new school year with renewed vigor and passion.  For those of you who are not in school, and are currently suffering from the sweltering summer heat, which we have been experiencing lately, hopefully, the promise of cooler temperature fans our hope for a better tomorrow.  :)

As a church, we have started our Bible reading plan of going through the entire Bible from cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelations.  Early in the week, there will be a blog posted for that week's prescribed reading.  Actually, our reading plan started on August 9.  In reality, we are a week late in starting the blog.   So please notice that there was nothing posted for the previous week's reading.  We are picking things up from this week forward.

This is my first attempt at writing a blog.  Please be patient with me.   I pray that the message you are meant to receive, you will humbly accept.  And that, whatever is not of God, you will quickly forget.  We invite you to post and share your comments, thoughts and reflections on the weekly readings, as well.  Doing so will definitely help all of us edify and encourage one another.  Let us all grow together in our Faith Journey in Christ and then have fun doing it in the process.

This week’s reading takes us through Genesis 8-14, from the Great Flood to life after the Flood.  The reading chronicles God’s never failing love and unfathomable mercy as He responds to man’s sinful nature.  We read about man’s propensity to sin.  Noah turns into an alcoholic, his descendants become idol worshipers and Abram easily loses his faith in God when confronted with a life and death situation.  Through it all, God never gives up on man.  Tirelessly, He forgives and never stops loving man.  Let’s look at four scenarios wherein man takes away his eyes from God and puts all of his attention on himself and how God generously offers to rescue him from his rebellious nature and a life of sinful living.

In the first scenario, God determines that the earth is totally steeped in sin.  None except for Noah shows any inkling of a desire to maintain a relationship with Him.  So, he sets out to purify the earth with water, well, actually a deluge, and be rid of its evil, once and for all.  Besides Noah and his family, who are secured inside the ark, all others perish.    However, as we read through the subsequent chapters after the Flood, sin, disappointingly, still manages to sneak in the newly cleansed earth.  

Noah inevitably forgets the goodness and mercy, which God has recently shown to him and his family. It is not that long ago that God saves him from a certain death, by drowning, and gives him a second chance at life.  But what does Noah do? He becomes an alcoholic and consequently fails to be a good role model to his sons.  His lapse in judgement signals the reentry of sin into the "new" world.  His seemingly innocuous act of getting drunk leads into an irreparable relationship with one of his sons, who openly shows his disdain and disrespect for his elder.  At the height of his anger and, maybe even, humiliation, Noah irreparably curses this son.  On the other hand, he rewards the other two, who still managed to show him love and respect, despite his failings.  Prior to this event, all three are probably treated equally by their father.  After this event, one of them is doomed to a life of subservience to another brother.  Overnight, this brother’s plight drastically changes.  The privileged lifestyle he used to enjoy under his father’s household has been taken away.  Now, he has to work for everything he has.  Additionally, his father has permanently turned his back from him.  He has become an outcast.  He has just been disowned. 

What lesson can we glean from this story?  For the son, he must not forget Exodus 20:12 to “Honor your father and your mother.”  But, it does not stop there.  It goes on to say, “Then, you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”  This is also echoed in Matthew 15:4, which states, “For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.'”  So, essentially, the Bible teaches us how to treat our elders and what kind of reward we will receive in return.  Hence, the judgement that the son received from his father, in this story, is par for the course.  He disrespected his father, so he is rightfully cursed, for life!

On the other hand, the father should also be mindful of everything he does.  It is Dad’s responsibility, after all, to raise his child to be God-fearing, morally upright and become a productive member of society.  Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”  This is a sober reminder to us all that “Little eyes are always watching.”  What these innocent eyes see, they inevitably copy.

The second scenario involves the Tower of Babel.  This story illustrates man’s drive for power, fame and fortune.  Unfortunately, it is in man’s human nature to crave recognition.  His drive for ambition can easily consume him and causes him to lose his focus on God.  In this story, I imagine someone gathers a group of like-minded individuals and pitches his idea of constructing a tower that will make them all famous.  Of course, this appeals to the heart of most of them and they go about the business of constructing the tower.

How does this apply to us?  Maybe, the question that needs to be asked is, what “tower” are we busy constructing in our lives today, so much so, that we barely have time to pray, read the Bible, or go to a worship service?  Have our career and our ambition to be recognized among our peers taken center stage in our lives, forsaking all else?  Of course, there is nothing wrong with being focused and driven to succeed.  But, we must also be careful not to fail to acknowledge, praise and thank God for his presence in our lives and the blessings He generously heaps upon us.  We will do well to remember: keep everything in balance and in the proper perspective. 

I am reminded of a movie that I saw a long time ago.  It involves an Olympic runner, who is immortalized in the superb true-life movie “Chariots of Fire.” His heart for God is legendary.  And he literally ran after Him, giving up the chance to win a 1924 gold medal in his best race, the 100-meter, because it meant racing on a Sunday.  That young man was Eric Liddel.  He is definitely a man worthy of emulation.

The third scenario shows Abram lacking in his faith.  He panics and fears that he will lose his life when pharaoh will learn that beautiful Sarai is his wife.  So, he tells her to lie.  Well, actually, to stretch the truth.  He asks her to say that she is her sister.  Half true.  She is his half-sister.  But, the fact remains,  she is also his wife.  Well, okay, she saves him from an untimely death.  But the poor woman had to temporarily become part of the pharaoh’s harem, while he enjoys a frivolous lifestyle, courtesy of the pharaoh.

This story shows Abram’s weakness.  He lacks faith in God.  He does not trust that God can and will deliver him from a precarious situation with pharaoh when he tells the latter the truth about his relationship with Sarai.  Abram does not give God a chance to show just how faithful and trustworthy He really is.  Unlike Abram, when we are weak, we should immediately look up and draw strength from our God. 2 Corinthians 12:9 states, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, let us gladly acknowledge our weaknesses so that Christ's power can be magnified in us.

In the fourth and final scenario, Abram rescues Lot.  Although Uncle Abram has been nothing but kind, loving and generous to his Nephew Lot, the latter fails to honor his elder.  Lot fails to discipline his men, who quarrel with his Uncle’s men regarding livestock and rights to grazing lands.  If Lot possessed half a brain, he should have laid the law of the land to his servants.  He should have told them to be respectful of the “old man and his household”. But he does no such thing.  Abram has to remedy the situation.  To avoid conflict and create peace between them, Abram suggests to Lot that they split up.  They each are to take their respective households, servants and livestock and move to their own parcel of the Middle East.  Abram generously allows Lot to choose which way to go.  Their are two options.  Go to an area where there is water or go to an arid dessert.  Of course, Lot, who we quickly learn from his choice, is not only inconsiderate, but also selfish.  Without hesitation, he quickly picks the better parcel.  Forget that his Uncle is responsible for his current comfortable lifestyle and has been instrumental in helping him build his wealth.  At the end of the day, he only thinks about himself.

This story portrays how benevolent our God truly is.  He lavishes His love upon us and blesses us to our heart’s desire.  But like Lot, we take Him for granted.  We treat Him like an ATM machine or a Butler.  Somehow, we cultivate a sense of entitlement in our hearts, which puts God into a box wherein He is relegated to the 24/7 duty of body guard and banker, our source of protection and provision.  God does not complain.  But we forget that we have a relationship with Him.  And like any relationship, the communication is a two-way street; there is a give and take.  He cannot be expected to totally, freely, constantly and generously give, all the time.  It is only right for us to also acknowledge, appreciate and be grateful for His many, most of which are undeserved, blessings.  Let us never take Him for granted and become ingrates.

To sum up, this week’s readings in Genesis 8-14, records how man, time and time again, turns his back on God and, how God, time and time again, willingly shows him mercy, His faithfulness and His undying love.  In short, God does not easily give up on us.  It also bodes well for us to remember to offer Him the praise He is due, the honor He rightfully deserves, and shower Him with thanksgiving for all He has done, and continually do, for us.  Finally, let us not take our eyes off of Him.  For it is at occasions when we are not focused on Him, do we find ourselves lost in our way.

 

That is it, y'all.  Whew!  I made it through to the bottom of the page!  Now, I am no longer a neophyte in this forum.  Yaaay!

God bless your week, everyone!                                               

                                                                                                                                           Yours in Christ,

                                                                                                                                           Jan  *.*