A Hero in Faith.

A Hero in Faith. Exodus 2:1-11.

And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. Exodus 2:1-4(NKJV)

At a time when Pharaoh’s wrath became the ugliest, a child is born who will be the deliverer of God’s people. The Pharaoh had become incensed with the prosperity of the Israelites.

The families of Joseph came to Egypt and after four hundred years became a nation inside of a nation. This worried the Pharaoh and so he brought hardships upon the Israelites and an order for all male babies to be killed.

“Throw them in to the river,” was his command. This was an attempt to control the bursting population of Israelites. Egypt needed their presence to build the nation of Egypt; however, if they became too large they would overtake Egypt.

Parents wept as their babies were dying. The river became a graveyard and all were forced to comply. However, a certain married couple from the family of Levi could not part with their son. He was a pleasant child and the mother hid him from sight.

She could tell that there was something special about this boy; he was happy and had a good nature. She knew to waste this life was not an option. Yet because the child was growing she feared being found and therefore, she had no option but placed her faith in God and let God deliver.

This story fits into the scriptures as a part of an overall message to trust in God. A normal reaction is to fear the worst and God wants to replace fear with faith that He will deliver.

God wants us to trust in Him and be our first thought when time our tough. Thus the Apostle Paul wrote, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28(NKJV)

Can you feel the pain of the mother who had to prepare the baby to live in the river? She made an ark that would hide him amongst the bull rushes. She water proofed it to keep it afloat and yet it began to float down river.

Unable to watch, she had her daughter follow the craft as it bobbed up and down leaving the mother crying, feeling the distance of a growing separation.

Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Exodus 2:5-6(NKJV)

The ark was seen and the baby was discovered. Now the daughter of the Pharaoh had a serious moral issue to deal with. She would have to obey the Pharaoh’s command and have the baby drowned or take the baby in to her own custody.

Immediately she could see the child crying for it’s mother and the story became clear to her that a mother could not easily part with such a beautiful baby either. It ripped at the fabric of her conscious and she was overcome with compassion.

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. Exodus 2:8-9(NKJV)

Thinking quickly the sister, who closely followed the ark containing her brother downstream, stood up in the reeds and offered a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby.

The Pharaoh’s daughter was able to understand the rest of the story about this mystery child and in an act of compassion allowed the baby to go back to his mother. This was more than an act of charity, it was a an act that would require that when the son was older, he would be brought to the Pharaoh’s daughter to be her son.

There are many people who want children, but are unable to raise a baby. Though they could not tend to a baby, they still may be able to raise a child. The world is filled with children of all ages that are ready and waiting for adoption.

We are told in the New Testament that caring for orphans and widows is one of the greatest forms of service a person could perform. Taking an orphan into your home is not only helping the human condition, it is helping God who is responsible for all life.

People pray, “Bless me, Lord” but there comes time to turn back to God and say “Blessed be the name of the Lord” and do your part in helping to build His kingdom. Becoming a nurturing parent to an orphaned child is a great way.

And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.” Exodus 2:10-11(NKJV)

Moses was not only destined to be the deliverer of God’s people, he too was delivered by the hand of Pharaoh’s daughter. His name fit him well.

I cannot help but think about his mother who had to take him to the Pharaoh’s daughter and turn him over to be raised by Egyptians. Questions must have flooded her mind. “Will he be taught to worship other Gods? Will he be mistreated by the other children? Will he be found and struck down by the Pharaoh?”

Yet, though she had questions, in faith she stepped forward to accept the outcome. If God worked once in her life, He would work again. Little did she know, her actions opened the door for her whole nation to gain its identity. She was a hero in faith.

God wants You to be Secure. Genesis 9:8-19.

God wants You to be Secure.  Genesis 9:8-19.

And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. Genesis 9:8-11(NKJV)

Again, this first book of the Bible holds another covenant that God must uphold. If God were to break one of these binding agreements, God could be accused of sinning. Yet God is holy and upholds every covenant.

The first covenant with mankind was the covenant in the garden. Mankind was to eat of any tree, bush, vine, and flower, but was to not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or they would surly die.

The breaking of this covenant added a 100% mortality rate to humankind and each day the result of breaking that covenant takes the lives of people around our world.

Now the world was different after the flood. There was no longer a firmament and God knew that storms would appear on the horizon. The wind would be followed by dark clouds, lightning, thunder, and rain. This covenant was to ensure Noah and family that no matter how dark the storm, God would not destroy the earth.

And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. Genesis 9:12-16(NKJV)

A rainbow is a sign that the skies are clearing. Though the storm darkened the sky bringing rain, sleet, snow, and wind, once the clouds begin to part the sun’s rays bend through the last rain drops putting on a spectacular show.

The bow is to remind us that storms are only temporary and though they may become violent at times, they will end. The bow does not guarantee that humankind will be safe from God’s wrath or judgment. However, the bow is sign of a covenant between God and the earth which stands as memory of how much God hates sin.

And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. Genesis 9:17 (NKJV)

It is possible that there was a fear of leaving the ark and God extended this promise to encouragement those to continue in their lives.

How do you react when the storms of life come blowing your way? Where many fear, God wants to ease your mind and have you to live confidently. You can have peace knowing that you are protected by God.

The use of a covenant is not an Old Testament tradition and covenants still stand with us today. Each of us must enter into a covenant with God for the remission of our sin. If we want to continue to heaven, we must have peace with God.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Mathew 26:26-29(NKJV)

It is not the act of taking communion that gives us remission of sins; it is the diligence to walk into the life that God has called us to. You might say that before accepting Christ as a personal savior, we were as Noah and family.

We looked out of the ark and worried about going forward. We feared life’s storms and viewed trails as bad. Yet God was not going to let us stay in the ark and He wanted to reassure us that we were going to be safe.

The largest storm we face is that of eternal separation from God and a covenant exists stating that we will die in our sin, unless forgiven by the shedding of innocent blood. Jesus became that perfect sacrifice and shed His blood that we might be forgiven and have eternal life. Therefore, we must take His promise and covenant, to begin our life new.

There are many people who have yet to come out of the ark to begin living their life as Christians. Some call these “Closet Christians” and if there is such a thing, these people would be those reluctant to tell others they are Christians. Basically these have yet to enter into a covenant that lets God be their Lord.

Paul wrote about this covenant that we must enter into saying, For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10 Therefore, the opposite equally can be true; if the mouth is not confessing, then the heart must not be believing.

And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. Genesis 9:18-19 (NKJV)

Ark explorers are looking to find Noah’s ark to this day. Some have said to have seen it; however, it is believed that it is only visible when the ice melts enough to expose it and that has not happen often enough to document it.

How would you have like to be a son or family that decided not to leave the ark? You feared the possibility of storms and stayed behind while everybody left. You would have frozen to your death and that is the importance of covenants. God does not want us to perish but have everlasting life with Him through the Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Basic Instructions. Genesis 9:1-7

Basic Instructions. Genesis 9:1-7.

And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Genesis 9:1-2 (NKJV)

The flood was over; Noah and his family were safe. God promised never to wipe out the earth again; at least, until God’s use of the earth is complete. A rainbow shown across the sky and though mankind was blessed with peace with God, God knew that sin was ingrained in their heart.

Though blessed with life and opportunity to be pleasing to God, mankind would evolve to be brutal carnivores. No longer would they just eat from the trees of the fields, animals would now be in their diet. It was no doubt that with the sacrifice of Noah, God introduced them to animal flesh as food.

Though God allowed animals to be food; death would instill in animals a fear of humans that would be for all of history. Not only would animals fear mankind, mankind would fear their own self. Death is not a pleasant end to life.

The rainbow was not a sign that God was at peace with the sin of mankind. It was a sign that He would never again destroy the earth by flood. God could never be at peace with sin for He is holy.

Mankind would have to overcome their own sin by repenting of it, turning from it, and surrendering to God’s leadership and authority.

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. Genesis 9:3-4(NKJV)

God wanted to maintain authority over mankind, for God is all knowing. This reasoning a person, coming to God, must understand. God knows what is good for us and God warns us of those things that could harm us. God is good to us and through we may not understand why God would have us act a certain way, we must always remember that He is looking out for our own good.

Many people think of Christianity as being a set of rules; things you can do and things that you cannot do. They see these rules as confining, restrictive and abounding throughout the Bible. Yet these are guidelines for our own good.

The eating of the blood of animals is a simple guideline to understand; especially in our day when we see that feeding the remnants from the slaughter houses back to cattle produces Mad Cow disease.

Life is in the blood. Everything that causes us to function goes through the blood and it is the blood that will carry infections through the body. Rabies, hepatitis, anemia, hemochromatosis, and a host of other blood related diseases, carried in blood, can be passed through improper food handling.

I had a friend who prepared a pig for barbeque. The following day he became violently ill and it was discovered that through a cut on his finger, infection had raced through his blood vessels to his heart. Examining his arm, you could literally see the scaring of tissue along the blood vessels going up his arm. His encounter with animal blood almost killed him.

And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. Genesis 9:5-6(NKJV)

When it comes to the survival of humankind, God is very passionate. God does not want us to die foolishly eating unclean food or living unclean lives. He also takes great exception to deliberately killing people.

God lives with a desire to gather all people unto Him. He wants Heaven to be full of people, for He takes such great joy in His creation. Yet without enforcing rules of corporal punishment God knew that some people will not take life seriously.

God’s plan for humankind has to survive and as the enemy tries to bring evil crashing down on humankind, God has to make a way of escape. He wants us to be abundantly fruitful; where as our enemy wants death.

These instructions to Noah were for our own good and as people would develop, more guidance would be needed. We must accept that God wants to guide us and daily He wants us looking into His word so that we might find His guidance.

And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. Genesis 9:7(NKJV)

This is all God wants. He wants us to be fruitful in all of our ways. He wants us to have families and raise them to do well and love Him. He wants godliness to abound and spread throughout the earth, so that Heaven will be full and glorious. This is why we honor God and this is why God spared Noah and his family. This is why God seeks you.

The End of the Trial. Genesis 8:14-22.

The End of the Trial. Genesis 8:14-22.

And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. Genesis 8:14-17(NKJV)

After over a year of living in the ark, it was now time to go out and start a new life. The ark that brought them salvation from the storm and safety from the waves was now a closing chapter in their life.

They had their hard times, their good times, and at times they were fearful as the ship plunged up waves the size of buildings and their stomachs sank as if riding a roller coaster. When God destroyed the earth, the violent shaking of the earth would have been quite a site from space. Yet that time of their life had drawn to a close and now they would embark on a new time, a new world, and face new struggles.

And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. Genesis 8:18-20(NKJV)

Watching the big door fall to the ground with a loud “thud” must have been impressive. And a breeze swept into the cabin so odorous. Birds began to fly out the top and mice crawled out the sides, running down the crevice where the ark met the mud.

There was a fresh feeling and the sun shinned brightly on them warming their bodies for the first time. They could see the clear blue of space and the white puffy masses of clouds floating where once was a firmament. It was not just a new day to leave the ark; it was a new chapter in the history of the earth. With one giant step Noah set food on the earth to begin a new journey.

In our lives there are new days and different adventures. Some of these times are radical transformations that leave us gasping at the tragedy that had just taken place. A wife looses a husband; a child looses a parent; and as tragedies go, there is that day a person takes their first step in to a new chapter of their life.

What do I do now? Is often the question a person asks and for some their response is to go back inside the life they came from. In misery people focus on what they lost and stay morning the card that life dealt them. Yet Noah went out and worshipped the Lord.

When building a alter was an interesting gesture and speak volumes to the need to have the Lord forgive them. If you think that they went through the trial with great faith, the alter shows us they were just people in need of forgiveness.

Anytime you get a family together, people say hurtful things and emotion can cause situations to become ugly. It is not that families dislike each other; irritability is a human condition that can come from many sources like cramped corners, un-conformability, tiredness, and health effects.

Though the families bicker, yell, and scream at each other, there is still love, yet communication break downs. In my imagination I can hear Noah grumbling because Mrs. Noah complained about the mess the monkeys make.

The doubting of God was also a part of their experience. I wonder how many times people worried they were going to die or they grumbled against God for putting them through such trial. Therefore, without building a house, Noah built an alter to make sacrifice for their sin.

And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8:21-22(NKJV)

The sacrifice was a communication to God of reverence; much like our prayers of forgiveness today, a sincere talk with God changes things.

Where Noah sacrificed the clean animals, God would later send His own son to be a perfect sacrifice. Both sacrifices were the shedding of innocent blood to cover sin. Yet, where Noah would have to sacrifice throughout his life, no longer do we need additional sacrifices for the sacrifice of Jesus was a perfect sacrifice. We need only sincerely pray for forgiveness.

Noah’s faithfulness to repent of sin before God showed the position of his heart. Noah’s righteousness was evidenced in his actions.

All of this was well pleasing to God; and where God made and kept His covenant with Noah, God makes another covenant that He keeps to this day. No matter the sin of mankind, He will not destroy the earth until the intended days are accomplished for the history to be complete.

God knows that we sin and that we are sin prone individuals; yet He made a way that we might be forgiven our sin and cleans from all unrighteousness.

This forgiveness is granted to sincere individuals that do not just give God lip service, but to those who make an alter of their live sacrificing it in respect to God’s righteousness.

No good works will give us peace with God; only accepting forgiveness through obedience to the sacrificial means God provided. Innocent blood must be shed for sin and Jesus became our sacrifice.

Is building your home more important than Jesus? Is getting on with your life first, before a relationship with God? If there is anything that we do which leads us away from reverence to God, it is pointless. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but loose his soul?

Noah worshiped God and was saved. Therefore, let us follow this example and worship God first and then begin our journeys.

Patiently Waiting. Genesis 8:1-13

Patiently Waiting. Genesis 8:1-13

And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. Genesis 8:1-5(NKJV)

Fountains from deep within the earth opened up and water spewed out tearing apart the land mass and creating great rips in the earth’s surface. When looking at a globe of the earth you can see how continents still are drifting apart from this great flood that God caused. It was an amazing work and just as the fountains opened, they closed.

No longer was there a firmament of water that hovered in the atmosphere; it had dropped to earth. And as the water receded, large lakes formed, and the suns heat caused evaporation and pressure changes so that wind swept across it. Now the earth was formed into its final state; the form as we know it today.

And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Genesis 8:6-7(NKJV)

Noah continued to believe in God. He knew God said it would rain forty days and he waited patiently for the timing of God to be complete. In my life, God has always spoken to my heart saying to be patient and wait for His timing. This was a message that I had to learn to listen to.

I wanted to be a quick success for God. I conformed my life to the message at church, I read my Bible, and I wanted to do the work of God. I desired to be the servant God used. Yet, I was the one making the decisions of what I would do.

I started ministries and forced things to happen. Each time felt like I was in a car that was running out of gas. I started out fine, but slowly my momentum stopped. Where I found shut doors, I kicked them open and patience was never my strongest quality.

It was only after the Lord brought me to my knees with discouragement I finally repented and gave up. I reached a place in my life where I would not move into another ministry and that I would patiently wait until the Lord’s calling was certain. My life became like Noah waiting for the rain to stop.

I went to church, to work, raised my family, and yet in service I did nothing. Years passed and I felt as if I forgot how to serve the Lord; at one point my church attendance failed miserably. It was as if my own springs of emotional fountains opened up and my life was flooding.

It was there that the Lord encouraged me to open a window and planted me back into a church home. In that church home I would learn to be more patient while waiting on the Lord. Here small opportunities opened up to serve and I found joy in it.

Though Noah was waiting, he still was curious. He wanted to know a bit about their situation so he studied some of the signs. He sent out a raven, being a carnivorous bird, it would go to where the food was. However it kept returning; allured no doubt by the on board cargo. So there was no food out there for the raven. This confirmed all was dead.

He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. Genesis 8:8-11(NKJV)

Noah sent out a dove. It was only after the dove came back with an olive branch that Noah realized the waters were reseeded enough that the low elevation growing olive trees were finally in fresh air again.

Noah was studying his new environment and that is the object of waiting on the Lord. He made us to be curious, to learn. He wants us to be inquisitive and know what is going on around us; but God desires us to stay in that same spot until He says it is time to go out.

Noah understood the perfection of the Sabbath and each time he waited it was seven days. In the mean time, he was serving the animals, taking care of his family, and being that person of strength they needed. Yet on the Sabbath, he rested to contemplate what God was doing in their lives.

So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore. Genesis 8:12(NKJV)

This seventh day was different; the dove did not come back. It was a sign that things were about to change again and hope filled Noah’s heart.

This is a great reason to go to church on Sundays. God may have you waiting and every seven days you show up to do the same thing and learn of the Lord; but then one day it changes and from there your whole life is ready to change.

And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry. Genesis 8:13(NKJV)

Though He only removed the covering, Noah was still in the ark and the patience they learned was going to have to continue for they could see dry land, but they had no guidance from God to leave the ark.

Does this message find you in days, months, and even years of waiting? At times you may have come close to being burned out, but you are surviving. We are never to give up on the future that God had made for us and though He is, at times, silent, He has a perfect plan for us all.

It will only put us in harm’s way if we try to kick open the doors of our life. More valuable are the trials we reside in for they help us be patient people.

If you are confused, lonely, and waiting, continue in your church home. Be curious, using the time to learn about your world and God; then as promised, one day the things that held you back will reside and you will see life begin to change. Yet do not get too excited to quick; we like Noah must continue to wait for the doors to open.

God will close the Door. Genesis 7:11-24.

God will close the Door. Genesis 7:11-24.

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:11-12(NKJV)

There is a famous saying, “In to everyone’s life a little rain must fall.” Yet this was not a little rain and sometimes a person can have horrible tragedies that wash away their reality, change the course of their life, and devastate them completely. Yet a story has two sides.

I wish that people would not invite tragedy, yet they walk through life as if there are no consequences. Yet even when faced with a pending disaster, people continue down the same path as if they cannot say yes to salvation.

Noah warned of the rain and the flood; God was going to judge the world and yet they ignored the sermons, the invites, the opportunity, and they ignored God.

Like in our world, where doing good is well defined, people choose to do the opposite of good. People fight great battles to have their freedom of choice to be drunkards, drug users, and effeminate; they have inordinate attractions, and they do so ignoring the message that God does not approve and they ignore the warning that there is a pending judgment.

To be unfaithful, lascivious, boastful, and proud is preferred over being faithful, humble, and quiet. Faithful to people and faithful to goodness is over turned on a whim in our society and then glossed over as if it never happened.

Thus God was finished with their blatant disrespect of goodness and if they wanted to walk the road to destruction, God had to let them; for to every man, woman, and child is given the right to choose.

In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. Genesis 7:13-15(NKJV)

Their obedience was not flashy, it had not great perks. There were no riches, or rewards for entering into a floating barn; yet they let their reasoning guide them and to select poverty over riches would gain them more; it was gain them life.

Is it that hard to let go of the things of this world to go to church? How difficult is it to seek out a sermon that speaks logic, offering life and to let that direct us down a path that leads to life?

And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. Genesis 7:16-17(NKJV)

They went in and God closed the door. So is it for every person who enters into a relationship with God. They enter their churches, they become personally acquainted with others seeking God, and God shuts the door of the ark to keep them safe.

This does not mean that Christians isolate themselves from the world; however, when living the life of a Christian, God insulates you. He wants you surrounded in the unity of fellow believers. He wants you to make choices to do what is right and therefore opens doors of opportunity to fellowship and to serve.

Once inside the door of opportunity, He wants to shut the door on your past. Some have committed great sin and He wants to shut those doors and forgive your past. Each person has a past and God want you to move forward into a new future. This may include closing the doors on old relationships that will not join you in your new life.

And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. Genesis 7:18-20(NKJV)

One thing about living a life apart from God is there are waves of change that sweep over society and the change is leading people closer to the day of destruction. The water is rising and along the way people drown and die without taking hold of salvation.

Raining down on society, washing away goodness, the waves of change cause people to accept concepts that were unthinkable in their past. Some call it a utopia where people are getting smarter; yet crime increases, sexual assault increases, and each generation is edgier, more violent. It is a rising tide that will one day wipeout mankind.

And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. Genesis 7:21-24(NKJV)

The message was preached, for one hundred and twenty years, only to fall on the deaf ears of those who wanted to grab hold of the utopia instead of God. Many were born after the message had already been preached and those children were told that the message was an old fable that crazy men believed.

People reassured themselves that rain did not exist and things would continue just like it ever was. Others scoffed the message as they could not see themselves taking care of animals and living in a floating barn. Some thought they were better than that and would never live a life so downtrodden and boring. Yet their thinking was conditioned by the waves of change that swept their societies before the waves of destruction ever did.

The door was too big for Noah to close, yet God was able to close it for them and that is the whole idea of faith. If you believe in God, you go forward with your life and God helps us, protect us, He lords over us. But for the ungodly, the waters prevailed and the door kept them from a last minute escape.

Oh such tragedy and God’s heart hurt to see His creation destroyed. Yet God greatly valued the prized cargo that escaped the destruction.

Are you Righteous? Genesis 7:1-11.

Are you Righteous? Genesis 7:1-11.

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Genesis 7:1(NKJV)

It is very important that every person who wants to give their life to the Lord learn what the word righteousness means; for by walking righteous before God our sincerity towards His salvation is judged.

The word, “righteousness” means to take the action of a person into a court room and put them on trial. In this examination the person’s conduct and caricature are reviewed by God. Those who are judged as righteous are vindicated as being acceptable by God’s standard.

Reviewing our own righteousness can be a very hard thing to do because no matter how we act, or the things we do, we like ourselves and therefore, personal judgment of righteousness can be bias.

So what does God see when He looks at you? Does He see a person who walks before Him righteously? The way to find out is by using scripture to confirm your actions. A daily walk with God through the scriptures is a good way to keep our righteousness polished and bright.

When asked many people say, I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and therefore I am saved from my sin. Yet, living righteously is what God looks at to see if your belief in Jesus Christ is real.

So confusing was this to the first church that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church saying, Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NKJV)

Once asking Christ to be our personal savior from sin, we must allow Him to save us from the sins we do. Each day should be filled with new challenges and we should live our lives with new resolutions that we might be pleasing to God and considered as righteous. Even should you die with an area unclean, but were making an attempt to change, God respects that as a decision of your acceptance of salvation and you will be welcomes into the land of the righteous, Heaven.

Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. Genesis 7:2-3(NKJV)

God was not could not accept Noah’s righteousness as a final judgment of his life. Noah would need to continue sacrificing for his sin and therefore, God had Noah bring seven of each clean animal.

Unlike the times of Noah, we have a perfect sacrifice in Jesus Christ and no long need to sacrifice animals. However, like Noah, God has not attributed final righteousness to us and we have to continue using God’s provisions of Bible Study, fellowship, praise, and prayer to keep our life on course.

For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. Genesis 7:4(NKJV)

Notice here we have another use of the number seven? The number seven is the number that represents God’s perfection. It was with six days that He made the earth and on the seventh He rested, taking in all of its glory and splendor. Here God gave Noah a perfect warning; for God always warns His people to be ready.

And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. Genesis 7:5(NKJV)

What if Noah would have slowed down or taken his time in preparing to enter into God salvation, the ark? We can answer that by asking ourselves, “What would happen if we did not take God serious about letting Jesus change our lives and judgment day came?”

And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. Genesis 7:6-11(NKJV)

They got into the ark and it began to rain. Never before had they seen rain; yet the watery layer, the firmament, was now falling to earth and the intensity of the sun’s heat was allowed into the atmosphere and storm clouds and wind swept over the earth.

Many people were left behind and it is conceivable that people were rushing to the ark wanting to get in; but God had closed the door. Those on the outside were judged unrighteous and the faithful were safe.

The message was preached for one-hundred twenty years and it fell on deaf ears. Noah was scoffed, laughed at, and ridiculed for his belief. The message of salvation was known to be a fable and too many seemed as if it would never come. Life went on daily as Noah and his sons worked so hard on their salvation.

Friends, we live in similar times. The message has been preached for years; it is scoffed at or ridiculed. There are many who believe in God, but they do not believe enough to let Jesus save them from their sins and sanctify their lives. These will be caught unprepared; yet we who study and apply the scriptures to our life will be saved.

Entering and Breaking Covenants. Genesis 6:18-22.

Entering and Breaking Covenants.  Genesis 6:18-22.

But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Genesis 6:18(NKJV)

Our God is a covenant making God. My question to you is, “Have you entered into a covenant with God?” Like Noah we have an ark to enter.

The Hebrew word for covenant means, a pledge. It is a treaty or alliance and would also include such acts as marriage. It is a binding together of two and in this covenant of our passage, God bound Himself to protect Moses and his family.

Life is full of covenants and these covenants must be given respect. The very first covenant was made when God gave the earth to Adam and Eve. He placed them in the Garden of Eden and His covenant stated they can eat of any tree and live forever; but if they ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they will surly die.

When a person breaks a covenant, it is a terrible breach of their integrity. Depending on the covenant it can end in results that change the course of one’s life. And when entering into a covenant with God, it can mean the difference between life and death.

The problem with people is they take agreements a bit too light. When they know to do good, they tend not to do it and thus must suffer the results of their actions. When it comes to a covenant with God and a person does not complete their portion of the covenant, it is by their own choice and they invite the results. This is why God can never be blamed for sending a person to hell for they make the decision them self.

And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. Genesis 6:19-20(NKJV)

There are covenants that we make to ourselves. People confess to change habitual actions, lose weight, and act differently. Some complete their desires and others fail miserably. Each New Year people promise them self change and they struggle to do so.

Now when God enters a covenant He has a bit more at stake. If He should not fulfill what He set out to do, to Him it would be an error and no longer could He make the claim to be holy. This is why He must allow the penalty for sin to be executed; even though it hurts his heart to see his creation in ruin, He must uphold His covenant with people.

One such case is His decision to hake the Heavens and the Earth. He set out the complete plan for the earth and for told the end result. This covenant God is obligated to fulfill and that is why He had Noah fill the ark with animals and provisions. God needed that Noah, his family, and the animals to live on. If this plan failed, God would Himself fail.

And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. Genesis 6:21-22 (NKJV)

God is a most responsible God; He not only made the world to be what it is today, He took upon Himself the responsibility for making humans that would fall into sin. Therefore, He keeps a delicate balance as He provides redemption and also upholds the penalty for sin.

If you could feel the heart of God as a person dies in their sin, you would feel remorse like you never felt. You see, God is love and He loves the unlovable. He is for those who oppose themselves and He reaches out to all mankind no matter what they have done.

When Jesus Christ came to earth, He faced the temptation of Lucifer who knew of this balance. Would Jesus have given into temptation, then God would have sinned and the balance would be over. God would no longer have a separation of holiness and Lucifer would have brought heaven down to his level.

However, God needed to make one additional covenant with mankind; one that would allow mankind to not only die and go to paradise, but allow mankind to enter into heaven and be completely restored. Therefore God sent His own Son to be born from a virgin.

Jesus had no earthly father and that breaks the passing on of the sinful nature. This child would have God as His Father and be able to resist sin and as you know the story, Jesus was crucified and died without sinning.

Lucifer thought He was putting Jesus to death, but did not realize that he broke the covenant of sin and death. When Jesus was killed, an innocent man died and an injustice was committed.

The heavenly court case must have taken about three days for the verdict was that Jesus must be raised from the dead and therefore, He was. In addition to being raised from the dead, to Jesus was given any opportunity He desired and His answer was a better covenant with mankind.

This better covenant would state “Whosoever would believe in Jesus Christ shall not perish but have eternal life with God in Heaven.” And because He was in the bowels of the Earth with the saints who sins were covered by animal sacrifices and good works, they too now believed and were released from their prison. They were able to ascend to Heaven to be with God. The separation between God and mankind was broken.

Though more than a story, the battle still rages today and belief is being continually attacked by Lucifer. All evil focuses on destroying faith in God and belief in Jesus Christ.

Each of us has a covenant to enter, where we must say that we believe in Jesus Christ and our changed life is proof of our belief. Through scripture we can know Him and on this scripture we can model our life. In faith we can believe in Jesus and when successful to escape the corruption of this Earth, we can be with Him in Heaven.

Have you entered into this sacred covenant with the Lord? Have you trusted you eternity to our Father who loves us? If not, remember there is still the covenant of sin and death that must be appeased. Like Noah, we must enter into the covenant to be saved.

An Impending Disaster. Genesis 6:11-18

An Impending Disaster. Genesis 6:11-18

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.  Genesis 6:11-12 (NKJV)

God’s beautiful earth was corrupt. Without doing it himself, Lucifer had persuaded people to disrespect the planet, disrespect each other, and disrespect God. Though we know our world is heading to much the same destiny, the depravity of that society was worse than ours today.

The governments of that day could not keep men from doing what was right in their own eyes and sacred boundaries, such as marriage, were shredded. The family unit was of no value, and only the strong, ruthless, and relentless people could survive. The image of God was turned into the image of sinfulness. This is the result when the need for God is taken out of a society.

Today large factions of people attack those who sustain their concept of Christ, God, and Godliness. They protest when they cannot get their own ways and tear at the fringes of established morals.

When a society accepts wickedness as common life, judgment is not far away. If it were not for praying individuals, threaded through today’s cultures, there would be no hope for mankind and quickly the earth would reach a similar end.

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.  Genesis 6:11-13(NKJV)

Though there were violent depraved people that made up the societies of that day; God had a remnant that was acceptable to Him. Noah, his sons, and their families were to be saved.

One must ask, “Where are all the other Godly people that came from the bloodline of Seth?” And the only explanation, derived from scripture, is those who did not corrupt themselves did not survive through the extent of the evil that men had inflicted on others.

The same happens today. Today in Orissa India there are 70,000 displaced Christian Families who have had to flee their villages while their homes, churches, and schools were burned. These have become refugees and in the process many have died.

It is a common story that happens throughout countries of the world. To name a few, countries as Indonesia, Laos, North Korea, Uganda, Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan, have Muslim and Hindu extremists that seek to exterminate Christians.

They do not like their influence and believe that the gods of their religion demands such action; of course we know they are manipulated by Lucifer to destroy the true God’s work.

The question to ask is, “How long until our whole world becomes corrupt and Christians are only a remnant?” Then when you can answer that question or see its relevance, beware for judgment is inevitable.

Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.  Genesis 6:14(NKJV)

King David wrote, The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Psalms 25:14

Many have dove deep into the study of the construction of the ark and yet some simple information on many items have been left out. Such things as what was this wood they translated “Gopher” and what type of pitch was used. It is evident that though we have some description of the material and size, the intended importance of the account is to emphasize the salvation provided by God to people who truly believed in Him.

And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.  Genesis 6:15-16(NKJV)

Never before had it rained and to consider the possibilities of a flood was a reality that brought Noah much mocking. Yet Noah would have to suffer ridicule as he would have to enlist the help of others; to build a vessel of this magnitude would take much help.

Using the measurements, models of this vessel have been made and found to be perfectly buoyant and able to withstand high seas without tipping over. Thus the scriptures would have us believe that God is able to give us information that can lead to salvation.

Is this not still scoffed today? No one has seen judgment; they thoughts of standing before God seem fantastic as does the other claims of the Bible.

And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.  Genesis 6:17-18(NKJV)

Similar to this offer by God, another form of fantastical salvation is offered to save form the pending destruction that threatens our generations. A cross, made of wood, was erected to hold a perfect sacrifice for our sin. A savior to save us from the destruction that God intends for the final destiny of a world gone bad.

Like Noah and his family, we are expected to take the threat and the method of salvation serious. We are to speak to our families, prepare ourselves by getting into the mode of salvation that God has offered.

It is obvious that they planet, its people, and its morals are being attacked from within and God is watching. His eye sees all and the number of days is specific. He has a plan for the righteous and He will destroy the wicked.

Are you one who needs to prepare? If judgment was to happen today would you find yourself inside the ark believing in the salvation of God or outside the ark, mocking the concepts of judgment. Again, the choice belongs to you.