Genesis 22,23,24 * Matthew 8 * Psalm 7:10-17

Genesis 22, 23, 24 Reflections

Genesis 22 tells the well known story of Abraham being tested by God, in asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. It kept on running through my mind, why would God test Abraham in such a way. I have this feeling, if God came up to a parent today, and asked us to sacrifice our one and only child, we would probably do as Sarah did when God told her she was going to conceive a child at the age of ninety, laugh. I can hear it now, are you crazy, why would You, my loving God, asking me to do such as thing. But, I also started thinking about all the little things that God asks us to sacrifice, and we still have a hard time conforming to even that. Daily meditation (It takes too long,) Prayer to God (I don't know how,) Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (I'm too tired,) or tithing (How can I afford to take care of my family and tithe at the same time? All the while, we find that storage is one of the most profitable businesses in the United States. We have too much stuff.) I do not say these things to make people feel bad or to put blame on others. I am a victim to every single one of the things I have listed above. Daily meditation (I'm reading The Bourne Identity, I do not have time right now,) Prayer to God (I'm sooooo hungry, I just want to eat or He already knows what I need, I'll just thank Him later,) Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy (...I'm too tired,) and tithing (We are so young, we need to get established first.) I have come up with the same excuses. I am excited though. God has revealed Himself to me. He has opened my heart, and revealed Himself in the words I read everyday. Daily meditation has become addictive for me. Reading and writing in this journal has allowed God back into my daily life. Prayer has found its way into all of the situations in my life. God may know what I am thinking, but I now feel if I confide in God with my thanks and requests, I hear and know what I am thinking too. Even if I can not make it to Mount Olivet to praise God with fellow Christians, I still take the time to meditate on God's word, reflect and give thanks for the blessings He has provided, and rest as He did, but rest in the light of the Lord. I still need to work on tithing, but I now pray to God to reveal His answers to me. God has revealed in this powerful story to me, the need for me to reflect on the sacrifices I do today that He asks of me, and strive to offer more of myself up to God.

As I read Genesis 23, 24, I found myself looking through the eyes of the servant that was sent by Abraham to find a wife for his son Isaac. Throughout the story, I witness how the servant is revealed more and more to the God of his master. Abraham chooses his eldest servant, and asks the servant to put his hand on Abraham's thigh to make an oath to not retrieve a wife from the Canaanites, but would find a wife from the homeland of Abraham. Right away the servant does not put complete trust in Abraham and his god, God. The servant tells Abraham, there is no way I will get a woman to follow me back here to be the wife of Isaac, and Abraham responds by telling him in summary, look at me when I tell you, the same god that has showered me with blessings is the same god that is the LORD God of heaven, this is the same god that has spoken to me and swore unto me and has provided for me all of my life. He will be with you on your journey. Abraham proceeds to tell his servant signs that will let him know that God is with him. As you read on, the servant is exposed more and more to the trust Abraham has in God and the love God has for Abraham, because the signs he was told to look for start happening to him right in front of his face. After all the events occur, the surprise is shown in the details of his account in Genesis 24:42 - 49.

42 And I come this day unto the well, and said, O LORD of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: 43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; 44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw from thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son. 45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. 46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. 47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. 48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. 49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or the left.

As I read the text again, I could not help be imagine and hear the voice of the servant in a rambling surprised voice exclaiming everything as it was laid out to him. This journey began as a journey to retrieve as wife for his masters son. The journey ended as a journey of faith and trust in his masters god. The servant bows down his head, worships God, and gives blessings to God for all that he has experienced.

As I travel down this journey of mine. I find myself more and more reading the Bible through the eyes of the servant. I have always had a strong faith and relationship with God. But as I read on, I find God revealing Himself to me in ways I never saw before. I thank God for his friendship, companionship, love, blessing and trust. And, I ask that He continue to walk with me on this journey and reveal Himself not only to me, but to whomever finds comfort in the writings He inspires through me.

Questions for follow up:
Q - Abraham says in Genesis 23:2 - 3 2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh. 3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth,... What is the historical significance of swearing to the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth by placing a persons hand on someone else's thigh?

Q - Why does Abraham not want the servant to get a wife for Isaac from the Canaanites? Did I miss an earlier account of God asking Abraham not to do so? Is there a major significance as to why Isaac is chosen a wife from Abraham's homeland?

Q - Genesis 24:67 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death
It doesn't tell us that Isaac had a traditional wedding, but that he "took" Rebekah, and she became his wife. What would have been the tradition in those days?

Matthew 8 Reflections
Matthew 8 takes on a lot of the same meaning as the Old Testament reading for today, Genesis 22 - 24. Jesus has now finished the sermon on the mountain, where a great number of people came to hear him. Of those people, where the disciples Jesus picked up a long the way. In many ways, the disciples were still in the same boat as the servant in the story from Genesis. The big differences in the experience the disciples are having versus the servant is, the disciples are walking with God in the flesh. Jesus walks and performs many miracles. He cleanses a leper, He heals palsy, commands fever away from Peter's mother-in-law, and casts out demons. The story that everyone remembers was the calming of the storm, Matthew 8:23 - 27 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? We are shown the limited amount of faith that Jesus current disciples hold for their new master. I have a feeling, as I continue reading, I will see the eyes of Jesus disciples being opened more and more to the power of God and His son Jesus Christ. What a wonderment it would have been.

Psalm 7:10 - 17 Reflections
I have been bothered by my Psalm readings for the past few days. I continually read through the mouth of David, how he perceives God will judge the unrighteous. There are some similarities between the messages in the book of Psalm and the messages Jesus provides us about the unrighteous. Where the similarities end for me, is I perceive David justifying the death of the unrighteous on earth, where Jesus speaks of eternal death. I will continue to ask God to reveal Himself to me in the book of Psalm.

Questions for follow up:
Q - Am I reading to far between the lines, or are these similar questions that many Christians come up with about the book of Psalm?

- Through faith, word, and deed, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will be you Lord God and your son Jesus Christ...Amen

Genesis 19,20,21 * Matthew 6,7 * Psalm 7 1-9

Genesis 19, 20, 21 Reflections

There were a few stories reflected in Genesis 19 - 22. Out of everything I have read so far, I have been the most confused with today's readings. God said he would never kill man again, when he states in Genesis 21 21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; 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. In Genesis 19, God, using two angels, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, by showering the city with brimstone and fire, Genesis 19:24 24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven. I understand out God is a just God, but, it seems like He contradicts Himself in this story line. In light of my puzzlement, the light at the end of the reading for today, is the miracle brought to Abraham and Sarah with the birth of their son Isaac. It was still a surprise to Sarah, which shows how much of a miracle it really was. Genesis 21: 6 - 7 shows the surprise still in Sarah's heart, 6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. We are continuously introduced to blessing upon blessing brought to the individuals whom put their trust in God.

Questions to follow up:
Q - Why does God contradict Himself when He brakes his promise of not cursing the ground again, because of man's sake?

Q - Genesis 20 parallels a similar story earlier in Genesis, Genesis 12:10 - 20. What are the possibilities that Abraham would have went through the same situation twice in one lifetime? Is there another explanation for this parallel?

Matthew 6, 7 Reflections

Today's reading made me realize how meek we must truly be. In yesterday's reading, Jesus says to us, 48 By ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Jesus provides us with all of the characteristics to help us live and work towards a perfect life. But, he also tells us in Matthew 6:1 1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. We must not live behind the title of being a Christian, and be showy about trying to live a perfect life. We should not boast about all of the things we do positive every day. We must also understand we must pray to God and meditate on his word everyday. We must renew our baptism everyday and ask that we be filled with the Holy Spirit and we again walk down the path of righteousness.

Psalm 7: 1 - 7 Reflections

The words spoken in Psalm 7 are beautifully written, but I had a hard time following the meaning behind them.

Questions to follow up:
Q - What was the context behind Psalm 7: 1 - 7?

Genesis 15,16,17,18 * Matthew 5:27-48 * Psalm 6

Genesis 15, 16, 17, 18 & Matthew 5:27-48 Reflections

Although it has only been a week, I find myself seeing things I have never seen before. Truly, praying to God to open my ears and asking that He speak to me through His words, has been eye opening. Apparently in my excitement, I read all of Matthew 5, instead of breaking it out the way I was suppose to. I don't really find it to be a problem, since Matthew 5 had soooooo much to tell me. Yesterday, I commented on a questions that was given asking, "I am wondering, concerning the sermon on the mount, what you would do with Matthew 5:48 48 Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Its a phrase I struggle to respond to faithfully. I continued my reading for today, starting in Genesis 15 - 18, and was astonished at what God was providing me in the details. It might not be this ground breaking answer that everyone may be looking for, but what was presented to me was awesome in itself. While the question from yesterday was still on my mind, I turned the page of the Bible to Genesis 17. Genesis 17:1 reads as this, 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. After reading text that was written way before Jesus Christ was born, I could not help but see the parallel from Genesis 17:1 and Matthew 5:48. Again, Matthew 5:48 reads as this 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. What is it to be perfect? I looked up perfect on http://www.dictionary.com/. Perfect, stated as a verb (used with an Object,) is defined as the following; 1: To bring nearer to perfection; improve, and 2: To make fully skilled. In the words of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provides us with a list of characteristics that, if lived by, should bring us nearer to perfection. By looking at the words of God and of Jesus Christ, they continually give us important information that gives us glimpses into what perfection is and how acting in certain ways on this earth bring you closer to perfection. Use these words as structure to your life, understanding that we do not have the ability ourselves to be perfect. Continually ask God to work with you through the Holy Spirit to open your heart to the characteristics that can be applied to your daily life.

Genesis 12, 13, 14 * Matthew 5 * Psalm 5

Genesis 12, 13, 14 Reflections

Today’s Old Testament reading did not leave a large impact on me today. It seems like it was written as a good lesson and introduction into the type of life Abram (Abraham) would have led.

Questions to follow up:
It seems as if Moses must have written this part of Genesis after Sodom and Gomorah was destroyed. Genesis 13:10 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Q - Does it seem as if Moses wrote Genesis while reflecting back on years gone past?

Matthew 5 Reflections

The Beatitudes, what was the intent, what do they all mean to us as Christians and non-Christians, what happens if we do not follow any one of the criteria Jesus talks about in his sermon on the mountain? Reading the Beatitudes, Matthew 5, you find yourself in a state of shock. You find yourself in awe and in a certain way scared. Matthew 5:19 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. At first glance, you would think Jesus’ words are telling us no one will be able to make it into heaven. Honestly, many Christians live their lives thinking of themselves as less sinful than others, and tend to point out the flaws of other individuals. We say, but, I have never committed adultery,…Matthew 5:28 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:31 – 32 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

We say, but, I have never killed…Matthew 5:22 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. We say, but, I am right in wanting deathly justice if I lose someone to murder…Matthew 5:38 – 39 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. We say, but, I do not live my life unjustly hating someone or these people of this faith, I have good reasons too…Matthew 5:43 – 44 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 4 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

As Christians, we are no more perfect than the adulterer, murderer, homosexual, or any other stereotype we conjure up. I have at one time or another fallen victim to my sinful heart and committed adultery and murder and probably many more sins. I will not hide behind my Christian persona and pretend as if I am perfect. But take a light heart, because Jesus knows we are not perfect. He may list in the Beatitudes some characteristics of individuals who will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and it may scare us when we first read his sermon, but Jesus wholeheartedly knows everyone of us have fallen under the sinful bus of one of the sins Jesus has listed in the Beatitudes. Remember from a previous reading, Genesis 8:21 21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; 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. Jesus knew of our imperfections before he was even born. He knew we were all sinful, before he came down to this earth as human flesh. Because of imperfections, because of our sinful selves, because of the wickedness in our heart, God sent his son Jesus Christ to earth to teach, counsel, die, and save us from eternal death. I say, be not afraid, be open hearted to God and Jesus Christ of your sinful self. Recognize that you are no more perfect than anyone else. Do not point the finger at others and condemn them to eternal death, point the finger at yourself and ask God for guidance to forgiveness. On the day in which Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, was born, we were all given a view into God’s love for us, and a chance to turn away from our sinful self and be baptized with the Holy Spirit and receives God’s covenant with us and spend eternity with Him paradise, heaven.

Questions to follow up:

Q - This is purely a question; I am wondering, concerning the sermon on the mount, what you would do with Matthew 5:48 48 Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Its a phrase I struggle to respond to faithfully. - Pastor Jason from Faith Lutheran

As I give my opinion, the true answer can be found in opening your ears and heart to God. Easier said than done, right? It is hard when you have fellow Christians and or non-Christians come to you with difficult questions, we always answer with a question first, have you prayed about it? Have you opened your ears and heart to God? As I reflect on Matthew 5:48, my first approach was to practice what I wrote in my journal concerning my Psalm 5 Refelections: Psalm 5:1 - 3 1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my Kng, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. 3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. It is useful to meditate on certain versus, but sometimes, the answers to a verse can be found in the collective word of God. As I reflected on the answer to this questions, God brings me to other areas within His word. Luke 10:26 - 29 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou has answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? With these versus from Luke 10, I find the sermon on the mount to be summarized perfectly, and the answer to your question a little clearer. And, who is thy neighbor? According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, a neighbor is defined as the following: 1: One living or located near another, and 2: FELLOW MAN. We see Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Jew, Hindu, Muslim, straight, gay, Hispanic, African American, prostitute, child molester, murderer, and the list could go on and on, as separated. But, there are two VERY important things that all these have in common. One, they all are our neighbors. All of those that fall under different religions, sects, beliefs, stereotypes, ethnicities, and law breakers are our neighbors, no matter who they are, what they do, or what they have done, does not change this fact. Because Catholics, Lutherans and Baptists hold different interpretations, we all point fingers and condemn one another, because we are "different." Christians point at Jews and Muslims, and because they are a world away from our thoughts and beliefs, they are condemned by us, and we do not include them in our larger family, and we do not treat them with the respect or love that the Beatitudes teach us to do to thy neighbor. Before the end of Matthew 5, Jesus says, "And if ye salute your brethren only, what do yea more than others? do not even the publicans so?" We are not justified in pointing fingers, having hateful thoughts, lusting after another, or thinking someone condemned, just because everyone does it. We must put all of our stereotypes, differences, and prejudices aside, and treat everyone with respect and love, and apply forgiveness to all of our neighbors. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father." Do not be like everyone else and choose when you follow the laws that are stated within the Beatitudes. All of God's law, or the law written in the Beatitudes on the mountain, are summarized with, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all they mind: and thy neighbor as thyself." Because Catholics, Lutherans, and Baptists hold different interpretations, we all point fingers and condemn one another, because we judge each other as "different." Christians point at Jews and Muslims, and because they are a world away from out thoughts and beliefs, they are condemned by us, and we do include them in our larger family, and we do not treat them as our neighbors. Because a black person talks different, acts different, looks different, we condemn them to a lower status within our society and a lower status with God. Is this how you would like to be treated, do you think the laws and message given to us in books like Matthew and the Beatitudes should be practices towards others, because they are different? These people are our fellow man. Even those that do harm against us, they are still our neighbor. We owe thy neighbor the same love we expect in return, because our perfect Father would. Remember, Jesus showed respect and love to even those who ridiculed Him and put Him to death. Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Matthew 5:44 44 But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. All these are characteristics that make up our perfect Father. Like everything we do, we should strive to be perfect as our Father. It is the times we know that we are not perfect, that we seek the forgiveness from our perfect Father, and He will be just and loving to us. Therefore, strive to be perfect, even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Psalm 5 Reflections

Psalm 5 started off like a joyous symphony, but the middle stands out as a dark play. When I read the first part of Psalm 5, I could not help but find joy in the way David reaches out to God. Psalm 5:1 – 3 1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. 3 My vooice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. These words are great instructions on how to start and end your day. Meditate on God’s word; ask that he fills your heart and mind with the knowledge of Him, that you become a disciple to His calling. Always direct your prayers to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. He is always listening, and He will always be there.

As I read the second part, it confuses me as to why David would put words into the mouth of God by saying what God will do to the unrighteous. Psalm 5:4 – 6 4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in they sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. It also discomforts me as to why David asks God to destroy the unfaithful. This especially strikes me as discomforting after reading Matthew 5 today, and the message that it provides, telling us to love our enemies and turn thy cheek.

Questions to follow up:

Q – Why do some of the Psalms have some contradicting behavior when it comes to how Jesus asks us to behave in Matthew?

- Through thought, word, and deed, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will be You Lord God, and Your Son Jesus Christ...Amen

Genesis 9,10,11 * Matthew 4 * Psalm 4

Genesis 9, 10, 11 Reflections

God delivers His covenant to Noah and his sons through the following versus, Genesis 9:9 – 12 9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10 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. 11 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. 12 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. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, is defined as the following; 1. Lasting for eternity 2. Continuing without interruption. When looking at these versus, two things can be made certain. One, everybody and everything is a recipient of God’s covenant. Two, everybody and everything is a recipient of God’s covenant for an eternity and without interruption. We are all decedents of Noah, which is logical, since Noah and his family were the only humans left after the flood; every single persons lineage should be linked to Noah at one time or another. It does not matter who you are, how you dress, how you talk, what ethnicity you are, what your skin color is, what gender you are, what lifestyle you lead, what your faith background is, I could keep piling onto this list, but the point has been made. We have all inherited this covenant with God, but it is up to us to follow in the footprints he lays out for us. It is like we all have been born into a large inheritance, but it is up to us to follow the right path to receive it. We do not have a right as Christians to withdraw God’s covenant from someone, just because we do not think and individual does not deserve it. But, all of us need to take it upon ourselves, to help lead people down the correct path if we believe we have found it. Many times, I included, we can find ourselves, even as Christians, moving away from the path to receiving God’s covenant, which will eventually come to us in the form of Eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility to continue to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and be repentant of our sins, so that we are reminded of the correct path, and we receive God’s covenant of eternal life.

As I continued, Genesis 10 caught my attention and how important it is to be a lesson to all of us today. Many of us mumble and groan about other cultures and having to communicate with others of different languages. Laura and I went to Italy in 2007, and it becomes apparent of the differences immediately. Communication becomes very difficult; you tend to find unfamiliar things everywhere you go. As individuals, we have even based horrible prejudices and stereotypes on races or individuals based on those differences. We do not like the way this person talks, that person does this differently than me, why can’t they just speak English or this person looks different than me. We have the individuals from the plain of Shinar to thank for those differences. Because humans tried to find their own way to heaven by trying to build a structure that would reach there, we forced God to make a decision, which is stated in Genesis 11:8 - 9.

Genesis 11:8 – 9 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth; and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Always remember, our prejudices and stereotypes are based on circumstances in which humans forced upon ourselves.

Questions to follow up:

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

Q – Previously, in Genesis 7 discusses the concept of clean and unclean animals. Is God telling us that there no longer exists a differentiation between clean and unclean meat?

Genesis 9:9 – 10 9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10 And 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

Q – Does this mean that every living creature fowl, cattle, and every beast of the earth receives the covenant and will be eligible for eternal life?

Genesis 9:16 16 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.

Q – Before this verse, God is holding a one sided conversation with Noah, which he talks about the importance of the bow (i.e. rainbow,) and the symbolism is holds with reminding God of his covenant with us. This verse seems to switch to the viewpoint of somebody else other than God when it states, …that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature… Am I missing something here, or am I miss reading it somehow?

Genesis 11:7 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

Q – When the Lord says, let us go down, is He referring to Himself and the Holy Spirit. It seems like it is stated as there exists two entities.

Matthew 4 and Psalm 4 Reflections

Even the devil shows that he knows scriptures when he states in Matthew 4:6 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. As Christians, we must take time to read, meditate, and understand the Bible. Even the unfaithful can memorize its content and use it to tempt us to sin or fall away from our own faith. We must learn to use it as our own weapon, a weapon where we internalize God’s word, and understand for ourselves what God is telling us. For just four days, I have been taking this journey, and already, I have learned many things by just opening my heart and allowing God to speak to me through the scripture. Do not allow others to change your mind or lead you away from your relationship with God by misquoting or misusing the Bible. Stay strong and stay faithful, turn to God for your questions, because he is always listening. The Psalm I read for today, only strengthens the argument to continue to ask God for encouragement to help you in understanding and keeping your faith. Psalm 4:4 – 5 4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the scrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. Always, and I mean always, seek repentance and ask for help by putting your trust in the Lord. Like David, if I/we do this, Psalm 4:8 8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

Although it is early in Matthew, only 4 chapters in, Jesus is demanding a crowd and a flock to follow him. We are introduced to 4 of the 12 disciples; brothers Simon/Peter and Andrew and brothers James (the son of Zebedee) and John. Jesus tells them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. It is obvious how special Jesus Christ is and how important it is we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. All four men, dropped what they were doing, dropped their lively hood and chose to go with Jesus.

Questions to follow up:

Q – What does Selah mean? Between lines in the Psalms, I have seen this written.

Q – Why is James described as being the son of Zebedee? Wouldn’t Andrew also be known as Andrew the son of Zebedee?

- Through thought, word, and deed, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will be You Lord God, and Your Son Jesus Christ...Amen