Genesis 4:25-26
Adam and Eve had another son, named Seth. He was named by Eve, and given Seth which means "granted". She states that God gave her Seth in the place of Abel.
Yet, God doesn't give replacement children to us. He gives us children because He has a purpose for them. It is never okay to call one of your children a "replacement".
The passage ends by telling us that Seth had a son named Enosh, and during that time humans began to worship the Lord by name.
Dear God,
Help parents not to make replacements out of children, but to treat each child as the unique individual You made them to be.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Cain's Children
Genesis 4:17-24
This passage starts with the birth of Cain's first son, Enoch. It goes on to say Cain then founded/started a city, which is the very first city started in the Bible, named Enoch after his son. It is interesting. Cain's first action after having his son was to do something to honor that event.
When God, first made the place His children would grow and live, and then made His children to put into His "City". It shows us based on these verses, God wanted us to have a home that was perfect. Yet, the first sins ruined it. Now the best we (humans) can hope to accomplish for our kids is to make a city/home, "after", the child is already here, then to try and fill it with the best choices we can to care for and protect our kids.
The passage goes on to name Enoch's first son's name, and then his son's name, and so on. Till Lamech, who married two women. It, further, states Lamech's children were the first ever farmers, campers, musicians, and metal forgers. It's amazing how detailed the Bible is in recording history.
The last verse, tells us Lamech came clean to his wives about killing someone who attacked him. He goes on to say someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, and the person who kills him would be punished seventy-seven times. The meaning being, it is just as bad to kill those who first killed, as it is to kill in the first place.
This passage starts with the birth of Cain's first son, Enoch. It goes on to say Cain then founded/started a city, which is the very first city started in the Bible, named Enoch after his son. It is interesting. Cain's first action after having his son was to do something to honor that event.
When God, first made the place His children would grow and live, and then made His children to put into His "City". It shows us based on these verses, God wanted us to have a home that was perfect. Yet, the first sins ruined it. Now the best we (humans) can hope to accomplish for our kids is to make a city/home, "after", the child is already here, then to try and fill it with the best choices we can to care for and protect our kids.
The passage goes on to name Enoch's first son's name, and then his son's name, and so on. Till Lamech, who married two women. It, further, states Lamech's children were the first ever farmers, campers, musicians, and metal forgers. It's amazing how detailed the Bible is in recording history.
The last verse, tells us Lamech came clean to his wives about killing someone who attacked him. He goes on to say someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, and the person who kills him would be punished seventy-seven times. The meaning being, it is just as bad to kill those who first killed, as it is to kill in the first place.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Jealousy - Not Welcomed.
Genesis 4:1-16
The story of Cain and Abel is well known by most Christians. God had it put in the bible; A) to tell the true history of His creations and B) to show us, those who read it, the consequences of jealousy.
Cain suffered for his jealousy against his brother.
We know God's acceptance of Abel's gift to Him, and His rejection of Cain's gift caused the jealousy to gnaw away at Cain. It wasn't God's or Abel's fault. It was all Satan's and Cain's wrong doing. If Cain had been willing to be happy for his brother, and prepared to ask the Lord what he could give instead. Cain probably wouldn't have been punished, so harshly.
Why is that??
God is a merciful and forgiving God. He wants us to succeed. To flourish in this world and life He made.
He is like any parent though. When their children mess up, they punish them, but never without mercy.
Punishment from a parent is always, or should always, be done with and in love.
God's punishment for Cain was substantial, but even when Cain thought it was to immense to bare. God gave him Hope.
How?
By giving him a mark that told others, even in his banishment, he (Cain) was not to be touched by them. Even when Cain was punished God never stopped loving him.
God won't stop loving us either. When we mess up ( in other words.. Sin) God doesn't quit loving us. He'll be disappointed, and need to punish/correct us, but if we ask for forgiveness and truly mean it. He will be merciful.
We have a forgiving and just God. Who is our heavenly Father. No matter what we do He'll always love us as His special children.
God is our Ultimate Parent. No one is better than Him. He can turn our wrongs into His rights!!
The story of Cain and Abel is well known by most Christians. God had it put in the bible; A) to tell the true history of His creations and B) to show us, those who read it, the consequences of jealousy.
Cain suffered for his jealousy against his brother.
We know God's acceptance of Abel's gift to Him, and His rejection of Cain's gift caused the jealousy to gnaw away at Cain. It wasn't God's or Abel's fault. It was all Satan's and Cain's wrong doing. If Cain had been willing to be happy for his brother, and prepared to ask the Lord what he could give instead. Cain probably wouldn't have been punished, so harshly.
Why is that??
God is a merciful and forgiving God. He wants us to succeed. To flourish in this world and life He made.
He is like any parent though. When their children mess up, they punish them, but never without mercy.
Punishment from a parent is always, or should always, be done with and in love.
God's punishment for Cain was substantial, but even when Cain thought it was to immense to bare. God gave him Hope.
How?
By giving him a mark that told others, even in his banishment, he (Cain) was not to be touched by them. Even when Cain was punished God never stopped loving him.
God won't stop loving us either. When we mess up ( in other words.. Sin) God doesn't quit loving us. He'll be disappointed, and need to punish/correct us, but if we ask for forgiveness and truly mean it. He will be merciful.
We have a forgiving and just God. Who is our heavenly Father. No matter what we do He'll always love us as His special children.
God is our Ultimate Parent. No one is better than Him. He can turn our wrongs into His rights!!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
God's Worry - Paradise Lost.
Genesis 3:20-24
As short as this passage is, it has a rather large impact for us. It starts off unobtrusive, telling how Adam gave Eve her name, and that God made/gave them both clothes. From there it gets very personal with God and His thoughts.
This passage gives us a little glimpses at how damaged the trust between humans and the Lord God was made, by sin.
He worried for us that we would grow greedy. For now we knew both the knowledge of Good and Evil of the world. With the knowledge we could make both permanent and devastating decisions.
Like, disobeying God, further, by eating of the Tree of Life. Which would make us live forever, and we weren't then, and we're still not now, ready for that. God knew/knows this which is why He banished us from the Garden of Eden. He knew Adam and Eve (humans) were weak though. So, He posted guards, He could trust, to enforce His directive of banishment.
By doing all of this He has insured that only those who have an honest desire to serve Him can ever have eternal life.
As short as this passage is, it has a rather large impact for us. It starts off unobtrusive, telling how Adam gave Eve her name, and that God made/gave them both clothes. From there it gets very personal with God and His thoughts.
This passage gives us a little glimpses at how damaged the trust between humans and the Lord God was made, by sin.
He worried for us that we would grow greedy. For now we knew both the knowledge of Good and Evil of the world. With the knowledge we could make both permanent and devastating decisions.
Like, disobeying God, further, by eating of the Tree of Life. Which would make us live forever, and we weren't then, and we're still not now, ready for that. God knew/knows this which is why He banished us from the Garden of Eden. He knew Adam and Eve (humans) were weak though. So, He posted guards, He could trust, to enforce His directive of banishment.
By doing all of this He has insured that only those who have an honest desire to serve Him can ever have eternal life.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Eating "Bad" Fruit - Sin is started.
Genesis 3:1-19.
This passage shows us how serpents, who are 'helpers' of satan, talked the woman into second guessing God's plans and commands. It, this particular serpent, knew once it planted it's wicked doubts in her mind she would go on to disobey God. It knew she, like all humans, was weak in the face of temptation and sickly-sweet words of becoming more powerful.
It is only when we can give up those notions, that we can give ourselves whole-heartedly unto God. And, in doing so, He will help us become much, much more than we could ever hope for. How? By living and sharing His way with others.
So, we know it was the serpent who took advantage of the woman. Thus, she and the serpent committed the very first sin together. However, it didn't stop there. The woman, then, gave the fruit, which God commanded the man and woman not to eat, but that the serpent lied about to get her to eat, to her husband.Which he ate, knowing it would be breaking God's command.
It's such a shame Adam and the woman (Eve) committed these, the first, sins. And, that is what they, themselves, realized after their first bite of the fruit. Shame. Shame at their nakedness, and their actions.
Once they recognized their nakedness and shame, they made the first clothing, out of fig leaves. When they were done dressing. They heard the Lord God walking about the garden. So, they hid. Hoping, He would not find out about their sinning.
God called out to them, though, and they had no choice, but to answer Him. I would imagine God was disappointed in them. Like all parents are when their kids misbehave. It is because, God's ,such a great, father He disciplined Adam and his wife. Had He not done so, Adam, Eve, and the serpent would have thought it was okay with God to be sinners, and go against His commands which were put in place to protect them. So, while most woman now complain about childbirth, and how they wish, Eve hadn't listened to the serpent. I believe, and shall try my hardest to remember, though God did choose to make pregnancy hard on all of us, women, as Eve's punishment. He did it because He loves us, dearly.
God chose the punishments that would effect future generations. Why? He wants us to learn from our ancestor's mistakes. So, we don't make the same ones.
God is the ultimate Father! He looks out for you even when you don't realize it. God is our Super Parent. He can do NO wrong.
Remember, He's always looking after you. Loving and supporting you, always. Even in the darkest of times.
This passage shows us how serpents, who are 'helpers' of satan, talked the woman into second guessing God's plans and commands. It, this particular serpent, knew once it planted it's wicked doubts in her mind she would go on to disobey God. It knew she, like all humans, was weak in the face of temptation and sickly-sweet words of becoming more powerful.
It is only when we can give up those notions, that we can give ourselves whole-heartedly unto God. And, in doing so, He will help us become much, much more than we could ever hope for. How? By living and sharing His way with others.
So, we know it was the serpent who took advantage of the woman. Thus, she and the serpent committed the very first sin together. However, it didn't stop there. The woman, then, gave the fruit, which God commanded the man and woman not to eat, but that the serpent lied about to get her to eat, to her husband.Which he ate, knowing it would be breaking God's command.
It's such a shame Adam and the woman (Eve) committed these, the first, sins. And, that is what they, themselves, realized after their first bite of the fruit. Shame. Shame at their nakedness, and their actions.
Once they recognized their nakedness and shame, they made the first clothing, out of fig leaves. When they were done dressing. They heard the Lord God walking about the garden. So, they hid. Hoping, He would not find out about their sinning.
God called out to them, though, and they had no choice, but to answer Him. I would imagine God was disappointed in them. Like all parents are when their kids misbehave. It is because, God's ,such a great, father He disciplined Adam and his wife. Had He not done so, Adam, Eve, and the serpent would have thought it was okay with God to be sinners, and go against His commands which were put in place to protect them. So, while most woman now complain about childbirth, and how they wish, Eve hadn't listened to the serpent. I believe, and shall try my hardest to remember, though God did choose to make pregnancy hard on all of us, women, as Eve's punishment. He did it because He loves us, dearly.
God chose the punishments that would effect future generations. Why? He wants us to learn from our ancestor's mistakes. So, we don't make the same ones.
God is the ultimate Father! He looks out for you even when you don't realize it. God is our Super Parent. He can do NO wrong.
Remember, He's always looking after you. Loving and supporting you, always. Even in the darkest of times.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Adam and Eve - The start.
Based on Genesis 2:4b-25.
The first part of this passage talks about how God hadn't sent rain to earth yet, and how instead mists came up from the ground to water/nurture the grains and other plants. It, also, speaks of how there were no people to cultivate the crops and fields.
I'm sure it's this way to give a little background for things to come later on. It shows though, everything is done in God's time. Even when we don't always understand why it's done.
The passage goes on to say, in a little more details, how He created man. It's very humbling to think God went to all the trouble to form man by, what I would imagine to be His, hand in the ground. And, when He was done molding us, like we do sandcastles, He ,literally, breathed man to life.
Now, no matter what path in life you choose. Man will always have a tiny bit of God in them. I say this because, God still to this day "breathes" man to life.
Bringing man to life wasn't where He stopped. He ,also, planted, just for man, the Garden of Eden. God did this because He wanted man to be happy and safe.
The Bible goes on to describe the garden. How the Lord God planted the garden, and made ,all sorts of, trees grow. Trees that were beautiful and produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden, God planted the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
It talks about a river that watered the garden. The river divides into four branches. The last being the Euphrates. It is still known to this day.
From there it, the Bible, goes on to when the Lord placed man into the garden. It talks about the warning issued by Him, the Lord God. Warning man, he may eat from every tree, BUT the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Lest man DIE.
However, God noticed it wasn't good for man to be alone. So, He set out to make a helper for man. One just right for him. Starting with the wild animals and birds of the sky. He brought them to the man. To let him decide what they should be called.
Man gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. Yet, there was still no helper right for the man. God caused man to sleep. So, He could make man his helper. One just right for him.
While the man slept God took out one of Adam's ribs, and closed the opening. God, then, made a woman out of the rib. He brought her to the man, Adam, when He was finished.
Adam was glad, at last he had a helper that was just right for him. The man explained how the woman was just right. By saying, "This one is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh! She will be called 'woman', because she was taken from 'man'."
It was because of this. A man leaves his parents and is joined to his wife. So, the two can be united in one. I believe God put this idea and explanation early on in the Bible, so there could be no second guessing it. It clearly states, a man and a woman would be joined as spouses in one family unit. They were to start at that point on their own. It doesn't mean they were to love or honor their parents less. Just, they need to now support and draw strength from one another first. Plus, they would live by themselves, without their parents.
The last verse says that then man and his wife, were both naked, but they felt no shame. This verse goes to show how much has changed because of Sin. I mean, how many people can say ,in all honesty, they haven't, at least once, felt ashamed to be naked in front of their spouse, doctor, parents, or themselves. God created us in the beginning to be naked, and to be okay with being that way. We should remember that, when we start to feel, overly, ashamed. However, that is NOT an excuse to be naked all the time now. It is, though, a reason to not dread being seen naked by one's self, spouse, doctor, or parent.
The first part of this passage talks about how God hadn't sent rain to earth yet, and how instead mists came up from the ground to water/nurture the grains and other plants. It, also, speaks of how there were no people to cultivate the crops and fields.
I'm sure it's this way to give a little background for things to come later on. It shows though, everything is done in God's time. Even when we don't always understand why it's done.
The passage goes on to say, in a little more details, how He created man. It's very humbling to think God went to all the trouble to form man by, what I would imagine to be His, hand in the ground. And, when He was done molding us, like we do sandcastles, He ,literally, breathed man to life.
Now, no matter what path in life you choose. Man will always have a tiny bit of God in them. I say this because, God still to this day "breathes" man to life.
Bringing man to life wasn't where He stopped. He ,also, planted, just for man, the Garden of Eden. God did this because He wanted man to be happy and safe.
The Bible goes on to describe the garden. How the Lord God planted the garden, and made ,all sorts of, trees grow. Trees that were beautiful and produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden, God planted the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
It talks about a river that watered the garden. The river divides into four branches. The last being the Euphrates. It is still known to this day.
From there it, the Bible, goes on to when the Lord placed man into the garden. It talks about the warning issued by Him, the Lord God. Warning man, he may eat from every tree, BUT the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Lest man DIE.
However, God noticed it wasn't good for man to be alone. So, He set out to make a helper for man. One just right for him. Starting with the wild animals and birds of the sky. He brought them to the man. To let him decide what they should be called.
Man gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. Yet, there was still no helper right for the man. God caused man to sleep. So, He could make man his helper. One just right for him.
While the man slept God took out one of Adam's ribs, and closed the opening. God, then, made a woman out of the rib. He brought her to the man, Adam, when He was finished.
Adam was glad, at last he had a helper that was just right for him. The man explained how the woman was just right. By saying, "This one is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh! She will be called 'woman', because she was taken from 'man'."
It was because of this. A man leaves his parents and is joined to his wife. So, the two can be united in one. I believe God put this idea and explanation early on in the Bible, so there could be no second guessing it. It clearly states, a man and a woman would be joined as spouses in one family unit. They were to start at that point on their own. It doesn't mean they were to love or honor their parents less. Just, they need to now support and draw strength from one another first. Plus, they would live by themselves, without their parents.
The last verse says that then man and his wife, were both naked, but they felt no shame. This verse goes to show how much has changed because of Sin. I mean, how many people can say ,in all honesty, they haven't, at least once, felt ashamed to be naked in front of their spouse, doctor, parents, or themselves. God created us in the beginning to be naked, and to be okay with being that way. We should remember that, when we start to feel, overly, ashamed. However, that is NOT an excuse to be naked all the time now. It is, though, a reason to not dread being seen naked by one's self, spouse, doctor, or parent.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Creation- God's handiwork.
This is based on Genesis 1:1-31;2:1-4.
Have you ever really wondered what it was that drove God to making everything He did, and still does? I haven't.. at least not till now. This moment. I, honestly, think what encouraged Him to create all He did was 'Love'. I choose to believe God spent all His time for seven days (and continues) to form the whole heavens and earth, the stars and sun, the fish and birds, the plants and trees, the animals, and light and darkness, and finally, us (aka humans) because He loves us.
What better way to remember how much God loves us than to remember He dedicated His precious time to put us together from nothing? What's more? He made us in His own image. Meaning, no matter what we think, God made us perfectly. With no physical flaws.
Based on this we should stop putting ourselves and others down. By remembering every little detail on and in our bodies was designed by God, our Creator, to be exactly as it is. Think on that. The next time you, or someone else, thinks you're to short, tall, slim, large, need glasses,have acne, dry skin, a lisp, or any other "make believe" flaw.
We are made beautiful by God. Why? He loves us and made us that way.
~ Beautiful By God
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A Sunday Psalm!!
Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving.
1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
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