Saturday, September 29, 2018

Genesis 8:1-5 Timeframe!

The Ark Rests on Ararat
1But God remembered Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. And He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to subside. 2The springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 3The waters receded steadily from the earth, and after 150 days the waters had gone down.
4On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5And the waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains became visible.

Timeframe:
Gen 7:7And Noah entered the ark, along with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives, to escape the waters of the flood.
10And after seven days the floodwaters came upon the earth.
Gen 7:11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
Gen 7: 17For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth. 
Gen 7:24And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.
Gen 8:3 After 150 days the waters have gone down.
Gen 8:4 On the seventh day of the seventh month the ark came to rest.
Gen 8:5 On the first day of the tenth month the mountains became visible.

In terms of our calendar year 2018, to their calendar of 30 day months.
When we read about the 40 days of rain we loose perspective on the length of time Noah spent in the ark. Also their calendar was based on the Sabbath. I didn’t take that into account. I’m only giving this timeframe for a reference of “Time” and I am not claiming it’s portrayed as accurate. 

January 30th Noah entered the ark.
February 7th all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
March 17th (rain stopped) the duration-For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth.
July 7th the ark came to rest. Note; the ark was 30 cubits high and the floodwaters were 15 cubits above the mountains.

There are two 150 days (periods of time) mentioned in the Bible. Prevailed and gone down.
August 17th Gen7:24And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.
October 1st Gen8:5And the waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains became visible.
January 17th Gen8:3The waters receded steadily from the earth, and after 150 days the waters had gone down.

It basically was almost a year of time for the flood from start to finish.
What are you doing with your time?

Blessings, David 





Friday, September 28, 2018

Spend Wisely. 1 Timothy 6:17-19

When you love someone, you want the best for them. You want them to be comfortable and have their needs fulfilled. You want them to have enjoyment and be happy. 

That's what God wants for us. As His children, he wants to give us enjoyment, He wants our needs met and for us to be comfortable. He doesn't want our life to be a struggle. 

James 1:17a "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father. "

If God has given you talent and ability, and you are able to use that talent and ability to become "financially successful ", you have a responsibility to use your resources for the good of others. But that doesn't mean you have to neglect yourself. 
Having money is not a sin, having money become your idol is a sin. 

Mark 10: 25 "In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Now, that's not saying if you have money, you can't be saved. Just don't let money become an obsession, an idol, your main focus. Thank God for what you have and spend wisely. 

1 Timothy 6:17-19 NLT
17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.  18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.  19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. 


Blessings, Cecilia

Genesis 7:17-24 The new world!

The Duration of the Flood
17For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth. 18So the waters continued to surge and rise greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the waters. 19Finally, the waters completely inundated the earth, so that all the high mountains under all the heavens were covered.
20The waters rose and covered the mountaintops to a depth of fifteen cubits.b 21And every creature that had moved upon the earth perished—birds, livestock, animals, every creature that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind. 22Of all that had been on dry land, everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah remained, and those with him in the ark.
24And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.

Covered the mountain tops to a depth of 15 cubits and is estimated to be 22.5 feet!
“everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils died”. This didn’t include fish, only creatures that had been on dry land.
“And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.” I get sea sick so I wouldn’t have liked the length of time in the ark. I recall taking our son deep sea fishing and I spent most of the time over the side of the boat! 

“Noah underwent burial to all the old things that he might come out into a new world, and even so we die in Christ that we may live with him.” (Spurgeon)

Have you died with Christ? 

Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

If Christ lives in you, you have been born again and have buried all the old things.
Welcome to the new world!


Blessings, David 

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Genesis 7:10-16 The Lord closed the door!

The Floodwaters Arrive
10And after seven days the floodwaters came upon the earth. 11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12And the rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
13On that very day Noah entered the ark, along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife, and the three wives of his sons— 14they and every kind of wild animal, livestock, crawling creature, bird, and winged creature. 15They came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two of every creature with the breath of life. 16And they entered, the male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

“all the fountains of the great deep burst forth”, no doubt a great catastrophe!
“and the floodgates of the heavens were opened”, since the beginning of time the upper atmosphere was building up moisture and no one had experienced rain until now, what an experience!

“They came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two of every creature with the breath of life”. They came to Noah, a miracle from God. Only God could command and control all the wild animals.
“as God had commanded Noah”, they entered the ark. Prior to this point the men and women considered Noah a spectacle, a laughing stock because he was building a boat on land. 

“Then the LORD shut him in”. Yes the Lord closed the door! There is going to be another day when the Lord closes the door. He will say enough! He will be fed up with sin and mankind!

Don’t wait until the Lord closes the door! Seek Him, ask for forgiveness and accept His Son. One day the door will close like it did on the people in Noah’s time.


Blessings, David 

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Consumed. 1 Timothy 6:15-16 NLT

"At just the right time Christ will be revealed". The rapture. I'm ready for it, are you?  

The King of all kings, the Lord of all lords. "He lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach Him. No human eye has ever seen Him, nor ever will."  What's it going to be like when we finally get to see Him face to face? God's glory is so brilliant, so glorious, beyond our comprehension. Moses had to hide his face as God passed by him on the mountain. Even then, the Israelites asked Moses to  cover his face with a veil because Gods glory was still so bright on his face. 

If we in our human body tried to approach God we would be consumed by His glory. Consumed. Kind of like an astronaut trying to land on the sun. But even that imagery doesn't compare. Because there is no comparison. No other. None like God. "All honor and power to Him forever! Amen." 

1 Timothy 6:15-16 NLT
15 For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.  16 He alone can never die, and He lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach Him. No human eye has ever seen Him, nor ever will. All honor and power to Him forever! Amen.
 
Blessings, Cecilia

Genesis 7:1-9 Warning, warning!

Entering the Ark
1Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2You are to take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3and also seven of every kind of bird of the air, male and female, in order to preserve their offspring on the face of all the earth. 4For seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living thing I have made.”
5And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.
6Now Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came upon the earth. 7And Noah entered the ark, along with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives, to escape the waters of the flood. 8The clean and unclean animals, the birds, and everything that crawls along the ground 9came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two, male and female, as God had commanded him.

Remember this song about Noah’s arky? https://binged.it/2Ig0wFP
 Seven days from now.....
“I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights”

Salvation comes to Noah and his family.
“Yea, when the one hundred and twenty years were over, and God’s Spirit would no longer strive with men, there stood the great ark with its vast door wide open, and still Noah continued to preach and to declare that all who would pass within that open portal into the ark of safety should be preserved from the coming destruction. Outside that door death would reign universally, but all would be peace within” (Spurgeon).

Are you warning others from the coming destruction?

Blessings, David 

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

A Lifetime, Lifelong, Lifestyle. 1Timothy 6:11-14 NLT

Do you remember the zeal you had when you were first saved? Maybe you were filled with a feeling of careful boldness as you took your next steps forward in your new life. I remember that day very clearly. I don't remember the date but It was in November at the second service at Calvary Chapel in Tucson. I remember going out to my car afterward and crying my eyes out before I collected myself and was able to drive home. 

Maybe over the years that zeal faded. Maybe you're not as careful about your words or actions. Maybe you just keep shorter accounts because you don't try as hard. Maybe you've walked away, not completely but enough to emulate the old self, the world, and Christ is only an occasional thought.

Paul gives some great advice here to Timothy on avoiding that exact problem. It starts with "run". Run from all evil. Then "pursue". Pursue righteousness and a godly life. Pursue faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. How do we pursue? Stay in the word, read your Bible, talk to God, seek Him.  
I love verse 12, its a classic. "Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses."

You once claimed it, so keep doing it. You were in it for the long haul then, you're still in it for the long haul ahead. It's not suppose to be a passing fad, a fading style. It's suppose to be a lifetime, lifelong,  lifestyle. 

1Timothy 6:11-14 NLT
Paul’s Final Instructions 
11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.  12Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 13 And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 

Blessings, Cecilia 

Genesis 6:13-22 Exactly!

Noah Builds the Ark
(Genesis 9:1-17)
13Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth is full of violence. Now behold, I will destroy both them and the earth.
14Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15And this is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. 16You are to make a roof for the ark, finish its walls a cubit from the top, place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks.
17And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth, to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish. 18But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.
19And you are to bring two of every living thing into the ark—male and female—to keep them alive with you. 20Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive. 21You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals.”
22So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.

“The end of all living creatures”
Instructions on building the ark.
A flood is coming.
The first covenant!
Bring two of every living thing.
Bring every kind of food that is eaten.
“Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him”.

Verse 22 is striking, Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.
Precisely; in exact terms, exactly.
You can study the Bible and I don’t think you will find another person that did everything precisely as God had commanded them.
Why did Moses wander for forty years?
Why was Peter always inserting his foot in his mouth?
Why are people so stubborn?

Even when we disobey God He still works out all things for good even if He has to use someone else.


Blessings, David 

Monday, September 24, 2018

Genesis 6:8-12 Will you find favor with God?

Noah's Favor with God
8Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
9This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. 10And Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence. 12And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways.

Noah found favor, was righteous, blameless and walked with God. There are not many people throughout history that fit this description. Job is one that comes to mind.
Job 1:1There once was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.

Since we don’t fit this description, how can we find favor in the eyes of the Lord?
Luckily for us, we have a Savior we can call on! Accept His free gift of salvation and you too will find favor in the eyes of the Lord!
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In the sight of God the earth was corrupt and full of violence. Death is coming to the earth in the form of a flood and only Noah and his family will survive because he found favor, was righteous and blameless and walked with God.

Will you be blameless?

Blessings, David 




Saturday, September 22, 2018

Genesis 6:1-7 Are you grieving the Lord?

Corruption on the Earth
(Matthew 24:36-51; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 12:35-48)
1Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.
3So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”
4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and afterward as well, when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.
5Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time. 6And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart. 7So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”

Lifespan of the human race is shortened to 120 years.

Corruption, it’s all around us. But I believe this corruption was in the form of Satan and fallen angels. Notice the “sons of God” and Nephilim.
“sons of God” were fallen angels (demons) 
Nephilim were the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men.
“And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.”
They may of been mighty and renown but they were evil. They were the result of Satan polluting Gods creation!

The Savior could not come if Satan succeeded in polluting the entire human race with Nephilim. The Savior could not be born from a demon possessed mother! 
Gods decision was, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth”....

The Lord said, “for I am grieved that I have made them.”

Are you grieving the Lord?


Blessings, David 

Friday, September 21, 2018

Genesis 5:25-32 Jesus is our comforter!

From Methuselah to Noah
25When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. 26And after he had become the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27So Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.
28When Lamech was 182 years old, he had a son. 29And he named him Noah,d saying, “May this one comfort us in the labor and toil of our hands caused by the ground that the LORD has cursed.” 30And after he had become the father of Noah, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31So Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.
32After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

And then he died. This is a repeating theme in this book. 
Seth, Adam’s son died when Noah was fourteen years old. It is possible that Noah knew him.

I love what Lamech said of Noah, “May this one comfort us in the labor and toil of our hands caused by the ground that the LORD has cursed.” 
May we remember this verse when the daily grind, grinds on us! 
Substitute Jesus for Noah and read it again.
Jesus is our comforter! 


Blessings, David 

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Genesis 5:18-24 What a splendid walk!

God Takes Up Enoch
18When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. 19And after he had become the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20So Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
21When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22And after he had become the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23So Enoch lived a total of 365 years.
24Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away.

“Enoch walked with God after Methuselah had been born, three hundred years, and doubtless he had walked with him before. What a splendid walk! A walk of three hundred years! One might desire a change of company if he walked with anybody else, but to walk with God for three centuries was so sweet that the patriarch kept on with his walk until he walked beyond time and space, and walked into paradise.” (Spurgeon)

Enoch was a special person, so special he walked with God for three centuries. I find this amazing because we can’t seem to walk with God for one! 
What a splendid walk!
the patriarch kept on with his walk until he walked beyond time and space, and walked into paradise....

May God give us the strength to finish our walk with Him on earth.


Blessings, David 

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

A Slippery Slope. 1 Timothy 6:10 NLT

I had a history teacher in high school that said two things that impacted my life. The first was in regards to our privilege and responsibility to vote in this country. 
When I turned 18 and registered to vote, it was a presidential election year. I took my responsibility seriously so I watch all the debates and read everything I could find in the newspapers on the candidates. 
On election day I went into the voting booth confident. I have probably only missed a couple of elections since and those were the lower governmental level ones.

The other bit if wisdom this teacher impressed on me was that no matter how much money or stuff you have, you will always want more. I believe that to be true, unless you have Jesus in your life.

Another wise person once told me everything they owned was just stuff and they could walk away from all of it at any time. It all meant nothing to them. I prefer that attitude than the belief it's never enough.

That teacher in high school wasn't wrong. Human desire for more started in the garden. Satan enticed Eve into wanting more, wanting what she shouldn't have, what seemed out of reach. It's the basis of sin. That's what Paul was telling Timothy. Money, wealth and stuff isn't the culprit. It's loving those things, anything more than God. And that is a slippery slope to be on.

1 Timothy 6:10 NLT
10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.


Blessings, Cecilia

Genesis 5:1-17 Lifespan of man!

The Descendants of Adam
(1 Chronicles 1:1-4)
1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in His own likeness. 2Male and female He created them, and He blessed them. And in the day they were created, He called them “man.”a
3When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and he named him Seth. 4And after he had become the father of Seth, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5So Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
6When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh. 7And after he had become the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8So Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.
9When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan. 10And after he had become the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11So Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.
12When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalaleel. 13And after he had become the father of Mahalaleel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14So Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.
15When Mahalaleel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared. 16And after he had become the father of Jared, Mahalaleel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17So Mahalaleel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.

Several observations in these verses.
God named “man” or mankind in other translations.
The “lifespan of man” prior to the flood is long, 895 years except for Enoch which we will see tomorrow he was a special person.
The book of Genesis was written by Moses.

I’m glad my lifespan isn’t 895+ years!
How long do you wish your lifespan was?


Blessings, David 

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Genesis 4:25-26 Calling upon the name of the Lord

Seth and Enosh
25And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
26And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh.
At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Seth was mentioned because he was replacing Abel and was the one to whom the promise of a deliverer from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) would be passed.

“At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.” The first revival? 

Please pray for a revival in our country.

Are you calling upon the name of the Lord?


Blessings, David 

Monday, September 17, 2018

Genesis 4:17-24 Sin increases!

The Descendants of Cain
17And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch.
18Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech. 19And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.
20And Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock. 21And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
22Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23Then Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
wives of Lamech, listen to my speech.
For I have slain a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
24If Cain is avenged sevenfold,
then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

Cain built a city and named it after Enoch, he was not God centered!
We see how quickly man urbanized and industrialized with building a city, musically with the harp and flute and with forging bronze and iron. 
It wasn’t a slow evolution as some speculate. 

Lamech commits the second murder and boasts to his wives about it. He then sets a higher price of avenging then God did of Cain! He was also the first bigamist by having two wives even though God intended marriage to be with one man and one woman. 

Sin is increasing. 
Is sin crouching at your door?

Blessings, David 



Saturday, September 15, 2018

Genesis 4:8-16 Are you a fugitive?

Cain Murders Abel
8Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10“What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishmentc is greater than I can bear. 14Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
15“Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.
16So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

How would you like to be known as the first murderer? Written about for the ages to read! 
Cain loved to till the soil and notice his punishment! “Now you are cursed and banished from the ground”....

“And the LORD placed a mark on Cain”. What was the mark and where did He place it, on his forehead?
Wouldn’t it be nice if all murderers had a mark placed on them like Cain? The only problem is we would all have the mark of a murderer! 

1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

Cain went out to “be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
“Cain went out from the presence of the LORD”...

We have a choice, accept Jesus Christ or continue to be a fugitive and wanderer. 

What is your choice?

Blessings, David