12 Nov (Rom 8-10)

Romans 8

(v.1) This is one of the most reassuring verses in the Bible...if we are truly saved, then we will always be saved! This is true because we didn't save ourselves...Jesus saved us. So if Jesus saved us, then He can't lose us!

(v.2) That is why Jesus said He was making a new covenant with mankind...not of Law, but by faith. Luke 22:20

(v.3) Because we are sinful and can't keep the Law, God had to perform the act of propitiation, and take our place! Thank you Jesus!

(v.8) We can only please God if we are acting in His Spirit...if we are acting as the world does, then we are not pleasing God.

(v.14) In the Old Testament, the phrase, sons of God, is referring to angels. That is because they are direct creations of God. Adam was also a direct creation of God. From Eve, to their descendants, we have been reproductions of the creation (Adam).

So what is Paul saying here? He is saying, that by our rebirth in spirit, we are again direct creations of God! Not only that, but as sons (and daughters) of God, we are given His inheritance...heaven!

(v.15) So when we are born again, we are once again direct creations of God and sons and daughters of God. We can call Him Daddy, which is the equivalent to Abba! We are adopted back into His family!

(v.19) All of creation was in harmony before Adam and Eve sinned...it is waiting for everything to be restored in the Millennium.

(v.25) We know that heaven will be wonderful, but for now, we need to work and serve for God, and we will live for eternity with Him.

(v.26) Have you ever been so sad or distressed that words just wouldn't come out? The Holy Spirit knows what you're thinking and feeling, and He prays to the Father for us! That is really cool that God prays for us!

(v.28) This is a verse that all of us need to know when times become hard...He is always with us, and He will work on us so that we are stronger and better off from the trials.

(v.31) If God is for us, who can be against us? I love this verse, since it gives me complete comfort, knowing that God is on my side. Or rather, I'm on His side!

(v.34) Not only do we have the Holy Spirit making intercession for us, but we have the Son...talk about a sure way for the Father to hear our prayers!

(v.38) Nothing can come between us and Christ if we are saved. We can't be unsaved, and He will always be with us!

Romans 9

(v.8) The Promise is the one that God made to Abraham...who is the Father of the Faithful. Not only the Jews, but all who believe in Christ are the seed of Abraham.

(v.15) Notice that God says He will have mercy and compassion on whomever He wishes...those are good things! We should never be jealous of other people's blessings. We should praise God and work to serve God and see what He does with us!

(v.32) The Jews became fixated on the Law, and forgot the righteousness of Abraham by his faith. We have that knowledge, but it's easy to forget.

Romans 10

(v.2) Paul, like Moses before him, offers up his own salvation if God would save the nation of Israel from their religiosity. That is admirable, but everyone must stand before God individually. Our relationship with God is personal...no one can do anything for us, we need to seek God ourselves.

(v.9) Some people say that their faith is "personal" and not to be shared with others. This is against Scripture. If we realize what Christ did for us, then we should be so grateful, that we want others to be saved as well. That can't happen unless we witness and share with others the Gospel.

We can't be ashamed or scared of being a Christian...we will probably be made fun of and perhaps persecuted, but that's a small price to pay for eternity!

22 Oct (Gal 1-4)

Galatians 1

(v.6) There are many different religions in the world, and among them, many different denominations or groups. The more man has worked, the further away from God's Word he becomes. We need to stick to the Bible, and follow God's Word, not some man or specific church's traditions.

(v.8) There are a few cults out there that need to read this verse...just because an angel spoke to someone after the Bible was ordained, doesn't mean it's a good angel. Remember, one third of the angels fell with Satan!

(v.12) Paul was given the unique privilege to hear the teaching of Jesus! The disciples did as well, but they didn't get the detailed teaching like Paul did.

(v.19) Here again we see that Mary had more children after she had Jesus. James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem.

Galatians 2

(v.6) God loves all of us equally, and shows no favoritism

(v.16) We are saved by grace, and justified to the Father by the blood of His Son.

(v.21) Paul makes a great point here...if the Law is still to be lived, and salvation can be attained by keeping it, then Christ died for nothing! But in reality, no one can keep the Law, and Jesus had to die in our place for us to be reconciled to the Father.

Galatians 3

(v.7) Abraham is called the Father of the Faithful, for before the Law, he was justified to God by his faith. Rom 4:3

(v.13) Christ took our place, for we are all cursed with sin. It took God Himself to wipe that curse away. Jesus became a curse by taking on our sins, that is why He sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified. For the only time in eternity, the Son was not with the Father for three hours. Mark 16:34

(v.19) Here we see the tie in to the Seed of the Woman in Gen 3:15

(v.24) The Law leads us to Christ, and then Christ leads us, not the Law!

(v.26) Only the angels and Adam were direct creations by God. Eve and all mankind after are sons and daughters of man. When we are born again in Spirit, we are now sons and daughters of God...a new creation!

(v.29) The Abrahamic Covenant comes full circle here...we are heirs to the promises of God through Abraham, since we are of the faith as well.

Galatians 4

(v.23) There are two kinds of people in the world...those born to freedom, and those born to slavery. God used the scenario of Sarah and Hagar to illustrate this. Hagar was a slave or maiden to Sarah. She was not free. Her son, Ishmael, was not born into freedom. The son of Sarah was born into freedom, and given the promise from God. Isaac was the son of promise, not Ishmael.

(v.25) Take notice that Mount Sinai is in Arabia, not Turkey or Egypt. Take a look at this website for some interesting info on the search for The Mountain of God:

http://www.baseinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=66

The video on this gives me goosebumps every time I watch it!

25 Jul (Zechariah 7-8)

Zechariah 7

(v.5) Once again, when one fasts and denies their flesh to get closer to God, He responds and speaks to us. I recommend fasting at least once a month to get a recharge, and get closer to God. Of course, if the LORD leads you to fast more often, then hallelujah!

(v.6) God reminds us that fasting is for Him...not for ourselves. Fasting allows us to be vulnerable and dependent upon Him, and that's when He works in us!

(v.11) This verse describes unbelievers completely...they shut their ears and close their eyes to all the signs of God around them. They don't want to answer to anyone other than themselves, yet, as they find out later, they can never please themselves...there is always a need for more in our flesh. Only God fills that void...He is our Living Water and Bread of Life! John 4:10, 6:35

Zechariah 8

(v.3) Even though God dwelt amongst us in the person of Jesus during the Gospels, He is speaking here of the Millennium...where peace shall reign!

(v.5) The sound of kids playing is heartwarming to parents, just as it is to our Heavenly Father!

(v.12) God's promise to Abraham will be fulfilled in the Millennium.

(v.17) Do not be deceived says God, and treat each other with love...so many times Jesus said this when He was teaching His disciples. Luke 21:8 & John 15:12

18 June (Jeremiah 11-15)

Jeremiah 11

(v.12) God only hears the cries of those He call His own. Israel has always been His, but their disobedience and rebellion has muffled their cries. If we only talk to God when something goes wrong, then don't be surprised if a lot of things go wrong in your life! If that's the only way God can hear you and reach you, then He will grant your wish.

(v.16) God made quite a few covenants, and most of them were unconditional. That is, it didn't depend upon man's obedience. The covenants He made with Abraham and David are unconditional, and they are crucial for our salvation. That is why God didn't make them dependant upon our obedience and righteousness.

However, when God gave the Law to His people, He told them that they would live abundantly and in peace if they followed His Law. They didn't, and even worse, they demanded to be ruled by an earthly king! Our disobedience lifts God's protective hand from us, and we encounter more hardships than necessary because of it.

Jeremiah 12

(v.1) We have all asked this question, "Why do the wicked prosper when we're doing what we should be doing?" In the short term, this seems accurate, but in the long term, our faithfulness will pay off. God's way is the only way and any deviation from that will bring sorrow in the end.

God describes Israel as His heritage. He loves Israel, but their disobedience and sin force Him to move away from them. God will not force Himself upon us...He is a gentleman, and He pleads with us to choose Him...to choose life.

Jeremiah 13

(v.9) Pride is what separates us from God. Lucifer's pride separated him forever from God. Our sins all go back to pride, since it's pride in the truest sense that makes us look out for ourselves instead of others.

(v.16) This is another example of God's patience and kindness...He is pleading with the people to repent. He is not a mean God, but rather, He is a just and loving God that demands respect.

Jeremiah 14

(v.11) I take time to discuss this verse with my kids. The people are so far away from God, that even when they seem like they are reaching out to Him, they really aren't. They were living their lives as they wished, and only when trouble comes upon them, do they think about and cry out to God.

Jeremiah 15

(v.1) Both Moses and Samuel's pleas with God to relent from His wrath upon His people aren't good enough now. Not even these great and pious men could intercede for the wickedness of the people now. I see the same thing today, and it's only by God's grace that we aren't destroyed yet.

(v.15) As ambassadors of Christ, we are bound to suffer ridicule and persecution. Remember, all the Disciples and Apostles of Christ died horrible deaths (except for John) by their witness. The world doesn't like what God has to say about it, so when we speak with God's Words, the world lashes back. Be prepared in prayer when you reach out to others.

9 June (Isaiah 51-52)

Isaiah 51

(v.1) The Rock...we are to look to our LORD for guidance, comfort and peace.

(v.6) This earth will burn and a new heaven and earth will be created. Rev 21:1

(v.7) I am trying to stress this to my kids...peer pressure is so powerful, and if our kids can learn to think for themselves and discern right and wrong, they will do well. Prov 22:6

(v.16) I remind my kids that the people of Israel witnessed God working in their lives, and yet they still walked away from Him! How much more likely can we do the same? The answer is our devotion. If we truly love God and want to serve Him, we will rely on Him to not only be our Savior, but the LORD of our life!

(v.23) It is wise to read Gen 12 to our kids here...Abraham is the Father of the Faithful, and all who bless Israel will be blessed, as those who curse Israel will be cursed. That promise by God is unconditional...that means it doesn't matter how much Israel messes up...God has chosen Israel to be His Holy Land, and His people. We need to pray for Israel and support them...warts and all.

Isaiah 52

(v.4) Scholars take notice that instead of saying Assyria, the text says the Assyrian. It is personalized and singular. This is a hint at the devil and his servant, the eventual Antichrist. As we see throughout the Word, God uses pattern to make His points. All the dramatic events that will happen in the last days are shown to us throughout the Bible in a smaller scale.

(v.13) This is a verse describing Jesus on the cross. If we read Num 21:8 and John 3:14 then our kids will understand that God had planned the cross from the very beginning.

(v.14) We have no full understanding of what Jesus went through on our behalf. We see here that He was so beaten and torn up, that He hardly looked human. The miracle is that He stayed alive long enough to be crucified and to fulfill scores of prophecies!

(v.15) When Jesus died on the cross and the guard pierced His heart with a spear, blood and water came showering out. At that moment, Jesus was creating His Church, for shortly thereafter, Pentecost ignited the Church.

Apr 9 (1 Kings 5-7)

1st Kings 5

(v.3) David was God's warrior, so he had too much blood on his hands to build God's Temple. This duty fell upon David's son, Solomon. It just so happened, that Israel was in a great period of peace and prosperity under Solomon.

(v.7) King Hiram loved David, and he also loved God. It's amazing to see how God worked in the lives of the Gentiles during this time. It's just like today, where God will save anyone who asks Him to save them.

1st Kings 6

(v.11) God reminds Solomon of the Davidic Covenant. This is unlike the Abrahamic Covenant, where God promised Abraham blessings that Abraham didn't need to work for. The Davidic Covenant is conditional...it requires the obedience and devotion of David and his sons to keep the throne. We will see that they were unable to keep it.

The building of the Temple is very interesting, but I like to tell my kids this old Jewish story. It is said that the stones from the quarry were to be used for the Temple, and no hammer or chisel was to be used on them...they had to fit exactly into place just as they were. One of the stones was thrown aside and left neglected for the seven years the Temple was being built. But in the end, they found that piece, and made it the cornerstone of the Temple...the most important piece that keeps everything erect and secure.

In Psalm 118:22, the chief cornerstone was rejected and tossed aside...this is like what happened to Jesus! He, the Chief Cornerstone, was tossed aside and rejected by His people, but later, in the end, they discover Him and place Him where He belongs...the most important part of the Temple!

1st Kings 7

Solomon built a lavish house, but at least he built God's House first!

(v.21) One of the pillars was named Boaz...which means strength in Hebrew! I remind my kids that Boaz was the Kinsman Redeemer in the book of Ruth, and is a type of Christ.

God has his house to be the most wonderful ever made. Even the most beautiful buildings we see in Europe can't compare. It's also worth noting that Solomon's Temple was the only time that God resided in it. It is also the only time that the Ark of the Covenant was there.

Mar 25 (Psa 91, 95, 108, 121,143-4)

Songs For Times of Trouble

Psalm 91

This is a comforting song of David that stresses to us where our focus should be when faced with hardships. We have a safe place to go...God!

I tell my kids that I used to play the game "Tag" a lot in grade school. When someone was chasing me, I was filled with excitement and some trepidation, since I didn't want to be caught and be "it." But once I touched safely to home base, I was immune to becoming "it" and I had a great feeling of relief come over me.

This is much like what David is describing when he realizes that God is our home base...our refuge and safe zone. If we turn our troubles over to Him, we can abandon fear and trust in Him to handle our problems.

Psalm 95

This psalm is encouraging us to worship and praise the LORD! If we are His, and we have His Spirit in us, we should be worshipping Him in many ways, and in many instances during each day.

We worship the LORD in church through songs, tithing, prayer and teaching. We worship the LORD by encouraging others, helping others and comforting fellow believers. We also worship the LORD by living more Christ-like and being His ambassadors on this earth.

There is an old saying that exhorts us to live a life of worship to the LORD:

Preach the Gospel, and if you have to, use words!

Our lives need to be evident of salt and light to the world. Not only are we to study the Word and come to know Him better through it, but we are to live the Word, by loving and serving others.

Psalm 108

(v.1) This is what we need...a steadfast heart towards God! If we focus on Him in good times and in bad, we will be under His mercy and love, and He will see us through.

(v.8) Judah is My lawgiver...this is another reference to the Messiah and King of Kings coming from the tribe of Judah.

(v.13) It is so hard for us to remember to let God lead our battles. We are so wired by our sinful nature to do things on our own. But when we are born again, we realize that we are empowered by the Almighty, and He can fight our battles for us, and He will win!

Psalm 121

(v.4) This is a very important verse! God made an unconditional covenant with Abraham and the nation of Israel in Genesis 12. God is not through with His covenant! He will see Israel through its troubles in the last days after He has called His Bride home in the rapture.

God doesn't sleep or take time off. He is outside time, where He can see the beginning and the end at the same time. The best way for us to understand this, is to picture a helicopter hovering over a parade. Compared to us on the street, seeing the parade pass by, the helicopter can see the front and back of the parade at the same time.

(v.7) Once we become born again by accepting what Christ did for us, and allowing Him to be our LORD and Savior, our souls are sealed and untouchable by Satan. We are justified to the Father by the blood of His Son! Once we are justified, we are free from the penalty of sin. To illustrate further, here are the stages of salvation:

Justification ~ Free from the PENALTY of sin by Christ's blood

Sanctification ~ Free from the POWER of sin by the Holy Spirit

Glorification ~ Free from the PRESENCE of sin in heaven with our Father

There is the Holy Trinity...the Elohim...in action for our salvation!!!

Psalm 143

(v.5) David gives us the secret to times when we are overwhelmed with fear and grief...meditate upon the love and mercy of God! By remembering what God has done in the Bible with all the people in it, we can have faith that He will do the same for us now.

(v.8) It's good practice to pray first thing in the morning, to start your day in prayer and worship. It's also good to read some of His Word before we face the day...He speaks to us this way, and we often come upon situations that His Word has spoken to us that morning.

(v.11) God saves us because that is His name...Yeshua (Jesus) means God Saves! He saves us because that's who He is. If He were to do anything else, it would be against His character.

Psalm 144

David sung this song to the LORD before going out to battle. He references God as his Rock, and his shield.

We too are in a battle...the battle for the hearts of mankind. Satan and his demons are fighting the angels of God and us for the hearts and minds of the lost. The Apostle Paul tells us to gird ourselves with the Armor of God:

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

~ Ephesians 6:11

~ waist of truth

~ breastplate of righteousness

~ feet with the Gospel

~ shield of faith

~ helmet of salvation

~ sword of the Spirit

~ protection of prayer

Jan 13 (Genesis 34-36)

Genesis 34

This is one of those chapters that we parents have to tread lightly with, since Dinah was raped and violated (if you know what I mean). Not only was this a terrible thing, but it also leaves Dinah to be ineligible to get married...she is ruined by one cruel act. This is what motivated Simeon and Levi, and the fact that they were full brothers to Dinah.

Since my kids are still quite young, I tell them that Shechem treated Dinah very badly, and her brothers acted out of vengeance...as they get older, we'll discuss more of the details to complete the picture.

Genesis 35

Jacob and his family returned to the land of promise, with wealth and prosperity, but they had to get rid of all pagan remnants and trinkets to complete the journey.

I mention to my girls that like his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob shows his biggest acts of obedience and worship in Bethel. Pastor Chuck Smith points out that there is always a "place" where we feel closest to God. For these patriarchs, it was Bethel. For you and me, it may be the mountains, the beach, or in your home or church where you accepted the Lord into your life.

It's important to remember this, when we hit hard times, to go to that safe place to feel closer to God...it gives us strength.

(v.18) This is interesting, and shows us how we can act on emotion, and God still corrects us:

Benoni = "The son of my sorrow" named by Rachel in her grief of childbirth

Benjamin = "The son of my right hand" named by Jacob

Rachel, the mother of the twelve tribes of Israel was buried in Bethlehem, where the Son would be born centuries later, who is the King of all.

Genesis 36

The descendants of Esau are not as important to us Christians as the fact that they all are sons of Abraham. Between Hagar and Keturah, all these descendants are who we call "Arabs" today, but they are also a part of the promise to Abraham. They are our brothers in the sense we come from Abraham, whether by blood, or by faith.

During our readings through the Bible, I try to give general information to my kids about the Muslim faith, and its ties to the struggle between Isaac/Ishmael and Jacob/Esau. Muslims have the wrong view of the facts and history, and it's important for us to pray for them...they are lost. We pray that they see who Jesus really is...the fulfillment of the Promise to Abraham, and God in the flesh.

Jan 10 (Genesis 27-28)

Genesis 27

What a difference between the two sons of Isaac! Esau was the older brother, who was manly and very good at hunting. And then there was Jacob, who seemed to be a "Momma's boy" and cooked. It's worth mentioning the trickery that Rebekah and Jacob played on Isaac, but I also like to point out that it wouldn't have been necessary, if Isaac had obeyed God and blessed Jacob in the first place...Jacob was the son to whom God's covenant was to go through...not Esau.

Isaac was not obeying God, and in fact, showing favoritism by trying to give the firstborn blessing to Esau. I like to point out that if we try to move away from God's plans for us, He will often get us back in line, and it's more than likely going to be painful. If we just stay in tune with God and obey when He leads us to something, we won't have as many trials in this life.

In verse 40, we see a repeat of what God told Abraham about Ishmael's descendants serving Isaac's descendants...Esau's will serve Jacob's.

Jacob had to flee, and this was the price that he and Rebekah had to pay for their deceit...they would never see each other again.

Genesis 28

Jacob travels to his uncle Laban's house, and has a vision of heaven. He also sees and talks with Jesus...another theophany!

Jacob names this place, Bethel, which in Hebrew means "House of God." Jacob vows the Christian vow...to follow the Lord and trust that He will provide for him and never forsake him!

Jan 7 (Genesis 20-22)

Genesis 20

(v.2) Abraham is not telling all the truth again, and has Sarah tell Abimelech that she's his sister. Of course, we need to tell our kids that being deceitful is not good and proper, but we also can point out that God uses our failings for His purposes.

(v.7) I find it interesting that God calls Abraham a prophet here. We don't usually think of Abraham as a prophet, but perhaps God says this soley upon what He will do with Abraham and his son Isaac.

Genesis 21

(v.12) No matter what Islam or any other cult says, the promise from God to Abraham, passed down to his son Isaac, not Ishmael. But we also see that God is compassionate, and He promised to bless the descendants of Ishmael because of Abraham.

Genesis 22

This is one of my favorite chapters in Genesis! There are so many important aspects to what God has Abraham do. I stress the following with my kids:

(v.2) I like to point out that God referred to Isaac as Abraham's "only son" to whom Abraham loves. Of course, Abraham loved Ishmael as well, but we see here that God only focused on the son whom He would pass the covenant with. Interestingly, this is the first time the word "love" is mentioned in the Bible. There is a study method for the Bible that uses the "Law of First Mention" because when something is first mentioned, it sets a pattern and rule for the rest of the Word.

So here we have the first mention of love, and it has to do with a father and a son. Keep this in mind for later!

(v.4) As a father, it's hard for me to picture God commanding me to sacrifice my child...but Abraham obeyed without question...this is the epitome of faith. Continuing on with the typology, notice that it took three days to get to the mountain. It is very likely that Abraham considered his son to be dead at the time of God's command, and we see that three days later, his son is alive again...I ask my kids, "Does this sounds familiar?"

(v.8) This is a powerful verse, but it is often mistranslated in many versions. According to the King James version (which is the most accurate to the original texts), God says to Abraham:

"My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering..."

This is why a few chapters ago, God told Abimelech that Abraham is a prophet...like Jonah sometime later, both of them acted out prophecy instead of speaking prophecy.

This mountain, where Abraham was to offer his "only son" is called Mount Moriah...centuries later, another Father will offer His Son on the very same spot...then called Golgatha or Calvary!!!

(v.19) Sometimes when things are not documented, we can glean something hidden or deeper. Here, only Abraham is mentioned going down the mountain to his servants...not Isaac. When we look at chapter 24, this will make more sense and give us a picture of Christ with His Bride!

NOTE: We are taught and it's just natural to view Isaac as a child when Abraham takes him to the mount for the sacrifice, but actually Isaac was over 30 years old!!!

Jan 5 (Genesis 14-16)

Genesis 14

(v.5) This chapter starts out with some seemingly innocuous names, but I wish to note the name Rephaim. This word in Hebrew means "the living dead" which is pretty creepy. Many Bible scholars believe that the Rephaim are the souls of the Nephilim that died in the flood. Everyone's spirit lives forever, so the spirits of these hybrids are believed to be what we today call demons. There are many views as to the existence and nature of demons, but the Bible validates the existence of demons in both the Old and New Testaments. So the Rephaim are demons that possess a person's body who worships Satan. This is not easy stuff to talk about with your kids, so use your best judgement since you know your kids best.

(v.13) This verse gives the first mention of the term Hebrew. When you look up this term in a great resource, The Blue Letter Bible (see link below), you will see that it was commonly referring to Abram as a stranger to an area, and one who "crossed over" the Euphrates River. I like to point out that all of us believers in Christ are Hebrews as well...we are foreigners to this earth, since our real home is in heaven with our Lord!!!

http://www.blueletterbible.org/Search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?type=getTopic&topic=Hebrew&entry.x=53&entry.y=11

(vv.18-20) Here is a fascinating part to the life of Abram...he meets this mysterious person named Melchizedek. There is no record of a birth or death of this man, and he is not only the king of Salem (which means "Peace" in Hebrew), but he's also a priest! Melchizedek in Hebrew means "King of Righteousness." This is unusual for a man to be BOTH a king and a priest...even when God gave Moses the Law, He had the Levites be priests, and the kingship went through the tribe of Judah...never a combination of the two. Coincidentally, Jesus promises to us believers in Him, that we will be glorified in heaven and be kings and priests who will reign with Him (Rev 1:6, 5:10).

So who is this Melchizedek?

Well, he issues communion by giving bread and wine, and he accepts a tithe from Abram...does this sound familiar? The King of Righteousness and the King of Peace titles are only given to Jesus in the New Testament and is foretold in Psalm 85:10.

Many Bible scholars believe that this man, Melchizedek, is actually Jesus in Old Testament times! This is often called a theophany or Christophany, where Jesus appeared to people before His birth in Bethlehem many centuries later!

For further study on this, please note:

~ Psalm 110:4

~ John 8:56

~ Hebrews 7:1-10

Genesis 15

(v.2) Please note the servant of Abram, who's name is Eliezer. The name, Eliezer, in Hebrew means "helper, servant or comforter." These traits are also names for the Holy Spirit! As we shall see in Genesis 24, this "servant" is sent out by the Father (Abraham) to search for a bride for His firstborn Son (Isaac). If we complete the typology, then the Bride is the Church...you and me!

(v.6) This is a key verse in our walk with God...Abram believed in the Lord, and God accounted it to Abram for righteousness. This shows us, early in the Old Testament, that faith is what God focused on, not works. Abram wasn't accounted righteous in God's eyes because his works showed his faith, but it was Abram's faith that impelled him to obey and show he believed.

It might be fun to talk more with your kids here, to show them how much faith Abram was showing at this time in his life. After all, Abram was very old, had no sons, and only had one servant with whom he could pass on his estate to. But Abram believed that God would do what He said He would do, and we can all take a lesson and some comfort in knowing that God will follow through on His promises to us as well.

(v.14) Here, God is showing a prophecy to Abram...that his descendants will be taken out of a nation that will receive God's wrath and judgement...Egypt (Exodus 6:6, 12:36).

(v.18) Abraham and the Jews were given this area of land by the Creator of the universe! Who are we to try to meddle with Isreael's land? What is now modern-day Israel is only a fraction of what God allotted for them.

Genesis 16

(v.1) In Biblical times (and sometimes even today), a wife feels less than whole if she would like to have children, but can't. No doubt, Sarai knew what God promised Abram, but at least five years had passed, and she hadn't bore a child. This is where we all make mistakes...we try to "help God out" by taking matters into our own hands. Both Abram and Sarai lost their faith in what God said, and they devised a way to go around the problem.

(v.7) This is the first time the term, Angel of the Lord, appears in the Old Testament. There are many other references of the Angel of the Lord, and many Bible scholars believe that this is a reference to Jesus Christ...a theophany or Christophany!

(v.12) God would bless Ishmael, but God did prophesy that Ishmael's descendants would fight and live close to each other. We see this as true with the history of Muslims and all the peoples surrounding Israel over the centuries (often called Arabs).

(v.13) Hagar reveals to us who was speaking with her...it was Jesus Himself! She said she saw and spoke with God, and according to many accounts in the Bible, if one saw the Father, they would instantly die, so it must be Jesus as a theophany!

Jan 4 (Genesis 12-13)

Genesis 12

God's promise to Abram is fascinating. God doesn't make this promise conditional upon anything that Abram does...it's by God's love and grace that He blesses Abram. Let's not forget that Abram was a pagan, observing pagan worship...that's all he had been taught. But God chose Abram to begin a family of believers...first with a nation called Israel, and ultimately, the whole world. Abraham is called the Father of the Faithful, so all of us who believe and worship Elohim, are descendants of Abraham!!!

(v.3) All the world needs to read this verse when dealing with Israel. America has been blessed for many reasons, but one of them is because we've been the best friend to Israel. I fear for our country now, since we've been intentionally pushing Israel aside, and ordering them to forfeit their rights in the name of "peace"...God help us!

(v.13) Technically, Sarai was a half-sister to Abram. Abram wasn't telling a lie, but he definitely wasn't telling all of the truth here either. I used this opportunity to talk to my kids to show them that leaving out all of the truth can be just as bad as telling a flat-out lie. Now, even though Abram wasn't completely truthful, God still blessed him...I told my girls that this just shows us that God loves to use us imperfect people for His purposes! All of us have hope that God can use us (warts and all as they say) if only we let Him!

Genesis 13

Abram lets his nephew, Lot, decide what part of the land he wants to raise his herds. Lot lets his eyes sway him, and he ends up picking the area near Sodom...and we all know what happens there! It has been said that the eyes are the window to our soul...but it is also the means by which Satan tempts us to stumble. When we see things that are beautiful or enticing, we act without thinking sometimes...remember Eve with the pretty fruit? We all need to be careful not to let our eyes lead us away from Christ!

(v.15) No matter what side of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict you're on, it is a fact that God gave Abram that whole area. The arguement is whether the promise went through Isaac or Ishmael. Those of us that believe the Bible, and not the Koran, believe that the promise went through Isaac...but that's for later this month!