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BSF Genesis: Week 24, Day 4

Questions:

9.
His penchant for deception. His predisposition to use deceit, financial strength, or other cunning to take advantage of a situation

10.
punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds, he struggled with God, he wept and begged for his favor

11.
The angel of the Lord, Jesus. Face of God

12.
Man cannot force God to do anything. Anything any man receives is a gift from the Almighty. Jacob refused to let go showing a tenacity to cling to the Lord. The greater blesses the lesser, not the other way around.

13.
We too rely on our own wit and cunning. We believe that we can buy our way out of wrongs. We confess our weaknesses but do not reject the things that make us weak

My Daily Journal:

What do we cling to?

The story of Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord is one with many facets. Jacob is not chastised for wrestling with the Lord, but through his own strength he is unable to win, either over God or man. In wrestling strength comes from the legs and hips. Wrestlers, like most athletes, spend a lot of time physically developing “the core”, the mid body strength that transfers out. In Jacob’s wrestling, one touch showed the weakness of his own core of relying on his own strength. All he could do was hold on, cling to his opponent.

Did Jacob win? Did he force the angel to do anything? Given what he seeks, the answer is obvious. A blessing is always and only transferred from the greater to the lesser. Giving something back to someone that already belongs to them in not a blessing. Nor can a blessing be bought or forced. Receiving something unmerited is the definition of a blessing.

But, to cling to one thing, we have to let go of other things. To cling to the Angel of the Lord, forced Jacob to not cling to himself. To cling to God means to let go of our own desires to be in control.

BSF Genesis: Week 12, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

He let Lot choose his land
Better to be wronged and cheated than file lawsuits against believers in secular courts
be patient, make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, bond of peace
Be kind and compassionate, forgiving, walk in the way of love

4.
a.
Age and covenant from God. God promised the land to Abram’s descendents, not to his cousin
b.
It is very difficult, especially since it affects not only self but also family. It is easier with relatives, but then even it is hard. It is against our greedy nature to purposefully allow others to pick the best of the bunch and take what is left.

My Daily Journal:

What if Abram and Lot weren’t supposed to part company? I think most would agree that they faced a time of trial. We read the story and see Abram as the gracious older uncle who gives up his right and allows Lot to choose the better land. It is not that I don’t believe this to be true and I don’t mean to disparage Abram, but what if they weren’t supposed to part in the first place. Lot was Abram’s ward, his pupil per se. It states in the verses that the land could not support both of their flocks and they shared the land with the Canaanites and Perizzites. Abram made the decision to part. But should he have elected to reduce their flocks? Could they have blessed their neighbors, would that have opened a new door?

I know this is a hypothetical rabbit hole, but it served as an interesting point to me and a good reminder that the true lesson isn’t that things turned out OK for Abram, but that ever so slowly Abram was learning not only to trust God but to trust Him first. I am slowly learning this same lesson. I trust God, but too often I make a decision based on my own viewpoint first. This does not prevent God from acting and even blessing me, but it also doesn’t mean that I, necessarily, made the right decision. Pray first, act second.

BSF Genesis: Week 9, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

5.
a.
They conspire and plot in vain, they attempt to band together to replace God. They are rebuked by God

b.
We seek to replace God or, at a minimum, to remake God in our image instead of the other way around. We build up towers of praise to ourselves, but ignore the divine one who provides all

6.
Jesus (the way, truth, life). Salvation is found in no one else – Jesus is the only name by which we must be saved.

b.
Through prayer and study of His word. Through acts of random kindness that reflect His love for His people. For intentional life to devote time and talents to His work.

c. God wants me to reach out to Him in all things – I still struggle with a “me do” approach, calling on God to be my wingman instead of recognizing it is His sky.

My Daily Journal:

What am I building?

The key thought that struck me today was “why a tower?”

I mean, if they wanted to build, they could have built anything, right? Better roads, water systems, schools, hospitals, housing for the poor. But they chose to build a tower. Why?

Towers raise us up. They don’t hold everyone so they naturally elevate some over others. They allow those in the tower to look down on their kingdoms. They raise them up out of the muck of everyday life and all the messy people.

They also offer some protection. it is easier to see attacks coming from a tower and to fire arrows down on your foes.

They are also a means of pride and intimidation. In battle they would raise the flag high on a pole so all could see and rally around it. How much more so a tower of bricks.

We still build a lot of towers. Some would argue that many of our churches and ways of living out our beliefs take the shape of fortresses with high and lofty ideals that we raise up as towers for others to see. It is understandable, because so much of our faith and views are constantly under attack.

But we don’t need to build towers or strength. God is our tower. A mighty fortress is our God (to quote Luther).

What are we called to build? I think a good answer to that comes from John 1:23 where John the Baptist references Isaiah in his message: “Make straight the paths for the Lord.”

I am called to be missional. Where do I need to build more bridges and fewer towers?

BSF Genesis: Week 5, Lecture

Life is hard. Ever since Adam and Eve choose sin, it has tried to jump out and harm us and attack us and draw us away from God over and over and over again.

The bible doesn’t teach us that if we follow God everything is smooth sailing. Just the opposite. God tells us to hold on. But God allows us to choose what we hold on to.

In our lesson tonight we learn about Cain. Cain decided to hold on to himself. As we read the verses you can almost see him standing there, pouting with his arms crossed tightly across his chest. Shut off, defiant, clinging only to himself.

What a dumb thing to hold onto when things get tough. God says that he is our rock and foundation. God invites us to let go and cling to him. God says he never loses a member of his flock.

But let’s look at Cain and what he clings to and how that works for him.

In our first section we are introduced to Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer and Abel was a rancher or shepherd. They were brothers and Cain was the first born son of Adam and Eve. We don’t know how old they were when our story picks up, but we know people lived for a long time in those days, hundreds of years, but we are brought into the story at a critical point – a point where Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord.

We see that both brought a portion of the product of their labor. But it is also clear that the manner in which they brought it and the nature of the offering were different. Cain brought “some”. Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.

A key difference is in what they were willing to give up or sacrifice to God. When Abel brought the best of what he had, first, he had to recognize that it was the best. Second, he had to be willing to sacrifice it, to give it up. In so doing, he opened the door for God to give him something even greater than what he had produced that had been his best. And we see that God poured out his favor on Abel AND on his offering.

But that isn’t what happened with Cain. Cain gave. He may have given more than Abel, we don’t know. His offering may have been worth more on the grain market, but there isn’t any indication that he gave the best. It says he gave “Some”, but it does not say that he gave the best of what he produced. Meaning, he held onto to that. He kept what he considered to be best on his own little trophy case, rather than clearing room for the type of trophy God wanted him to have.

What happened? Cain became very angry and downcast. Pay attention to that last part. If you are downcast, where is your focus? Is it up and to God? Is it forward and positive? Remember what happened when Eve filled her vision with the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Look at where Cain has his eyes.

God doesn’t need our stuff. We need to let go. God teaches us how to do this in his word and by his example. What did He give? In addition to everything that exists in the physical universe, He also gave His only Son. Jesus is the only acceptable sacrifice.

What are you doing in “half-hearted faith”?
Where do you need to give 100% of your heart?
What have you earned or achieved that you are having a hard time removing from your life because “it is so great”?

In our next section, we see that Cain’s actions soon follow his eyes. But, it is important to realize it did not have to be this way. God loved Cain so much that he sat down and talked to him, one-on-one (maybe three on one with the whole trinity thing, but you get the point). God offers him a do-over. God warns him about the door he is so focused on, the one that follows his downcast gaze, i.e., the door that leads further down. God tells him, sin is crouching at that door. You have the power to rule over it, don’t let it pounce on you. Now, if something is crouching right outside your door waiting to pounce, how are you going to keep it from pouncing on you? Duh! Use a different door. God is holding open the door back to him, but…

Soon, Cain commits premeditated murder. He lures his brother out into a field and whacks him (in the literal sense). It’s done. The first recorded death of a human and it is committed by another human.

So God immediately rains down condemnation on Cain, right? Actually, no. God’s first action is to offer Cain an opportunity to confess and repent. “Where is your brother, Abel?”

But Cain doesn’t confess or repent. He doesn’t fall down and cry out to God. He keeps going right through that door. He follows murder with lies and denial and condescension. “I don’t know.” “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

God cries out to him to listen and see what he has done. To recognize his action and change; to see the consequences and curse that he has brought onto himself from the very land that he relies on for a living as a farmer.

But, Cain chooses to close the door. In verse 14 Cain says to God. I will be hidden from your presence. Click.

What more could God have done to bring Cain back to him? All he had to do was repent. But lying and denying are like going the wrong way down the one way street that is supposed to lead back to God. Should it be any wonder to us if we get hit by a bus?
What are you lying about or denying?
What are you trying to keep hidden in your life from God? How is that working out?
Where do you complain that what you face is “too much” or “too hard” while at the same time contributing to making it even more, harder and worse?

Our third section gives us insight into the life of Cain. Clearly, God still saw him, even if he chose not to see God (it is written down in the bible, right).

We see God continued to provide. He gave gifts of music and carpentry and architecture and craftsmanship and arts. And what did Cain’s children do? They denied God.

Look at verses 17-24. What’s not mentioned? God. I looked back starting in Genesis 1:1 and would encourage you to as well. This is the longest number of verses so far with no mention of God. In Genesis 1 it is hard to go a single verse without God. But here, we go multiple generations. What is the focus? On accomplishments, on talents, on celebrity and commerce. Add in a best dressed list and this could be daytime TV.

Not only is there no mention of God, but they quickly take the things that come from God and twist them and misuse them. Think about it? How did Cain get married? Not just where did he find a wife, but actually, who married them? How did they enter into a holy covenant without God? Is it any wonder then that a few generations down that sacrament gets stretched further? Why not marry 2 wives? Why not kill someone and claim 11 times the protection for it that God offered to Cain? Why not sing about it? Wives… I’ve killed a man….

But what will all of this bring them? All of these accomplishments without faith? I don’t want to jump ahead, but come back and you learn about how they end up “all wet.”

What accomplishment are you holding onto as being yours instead of God’s?
Where do you focus on the performer or celebrity instead of the divine who gave the talent?
Are you spending your time reading People or reading God?

BSF Genesis: Week 3, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

Questions

12.
It says there was water above, but in 2:5,6 is says God had not sent rain… streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground

13.
a.
Gen 1 reveals the inconceivable bigness and power of God, creator of all the cosmos. Gen 2 reveals the personal nature of God, forming from the dust, breathing His breath into the nostrils of man, planting, watering, growing, nurturing

b.
God’s power reminds me there is absolutely nothing that God cannot do with less effort than a nod, but that same God loves and cares for and created all of this for me.

14.
a.
We do not experience shame or guilt until we see things through a veil clouded by a sinful heart. Infants are not ashamed to be naked, they are innocent.

b.
I think it is a stretch to apply this verse to Adam and Eve. Where they clothed in the glory of God, absolutely, for God walked with them, but not as a covering for something shameful, but as one carries a fragrance with them. They disobeyed.

c.
The fall of man is not a one time event that we can blame on Adam and Eve. Each of us inherited a sinful nature and have continued to sin in a world that mankind has corrupted by sin. But Rom 6:23 – we are given a gift of salvation and the ability to return to our origins with God, living in His light for all eternity.

My Daily Journal:

Our dog loves to lay in the sun. She’ll find the one beam of light coming in through a window and stretch out under it. But how often do we, the supposed wiser, get pulled into the shadows by our sinful nature?

BSF Genesis: Week 1, Day 3

Today’s Scripture

Questions:

6. I do not believe that a day is necessarily 24 hours. Could it have been? – yes. Could it have been more or less time? – yes. We think of time as a fixed dimension despite our own knowledge that it is not (time slows down as an object approaches the speed of light)

7. Why the earth? As a home for mankind. Why all creation? As a home for the earth. Why mankind? Because He is majestic and loving and chose to.

8. spoke, saw, eternal (he was before the creation)

Journal:

The bigger question isn’t whether a day is 24 hours or what elements constitute heaven and earth. The big question is why is Genesis 1 in the bible at all. I mean, why did God tell his creation about how He created everything and the order of that creation. We aren’t on a need to know basis. It has no impact on any persons daily life (at least not that I can discern) to know that birds came before horses. Frankly, it would have sufficed and been accurate to say, “I’m God, I created everything, period.” But He chose to break it down for us. I think in large part He did it not so that we would concentrate of the beginning of the paragraphs (God said and it was so) but instead on the end when He saw that it was good. We either don’t see that or we forget it. We look at the waters and see them as wet, vast, deep, a bit scary, but we don’t normally see them as “good.” For each element of creation God wants to ensure we know (1) He is in it and created it and (2) in His eyes (the only unfiltered eyes that exist), it is good. When you fill your eyes with seeing God and goodness in all creation rather than inanimate blobs of matter, it changes your viewpoint and changes your heart. Then, we you recognize that God made this “good” comment about each part of creation up until man, when He saw that it was “very good” it changes your eyes and your viewpoint to the heart of God

BSF Acts: Week 24, Day 4: Ephesians 4:17–5:21

Questions:

10.

Off: Live as gentiles: Old self, corrupted by its deceitful desires
On:new self, created to be like God
vs: 17, 22, 23, 24

Off: Falsehood
On: speak truthfully
vs:25

Off:Stealing
On: work, something useful with own hands, share
vs: 28

Off: unwholesome talk
On: only what is helpful for building others up
vs: 29

Off: grieve the: H/S
Off: Bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, every form of malice
On: kind, compassionate, forgiving
vs: 25, 31, 32

Off: Sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking
On: thanksgiving
vs: 3,4

Off: Letting others deceive with empty words, partner with them
vs: 6,7

Off: fruitless deeds of darkness
On: expose them
vs: 11

Off: Unwise
On: wise
vs: 15

Off: drunkeness, debauchery
On: filled with the Spirit
vs: 18

On: speaking with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, always give thanks to God
vs: 20

11. This is a work in progress for me, but as I prayed on this, the one that popped to the top of the list was “put off falsehood and speak truthfully”, but with a twist – My bigger fault in this area is not in lying or trying to deceive others but that I need to do this in my dialogue with myself. I lie a lot to myself: You deserve a…. God won’t care if…, It won’t matter if… You don’t have time to…

Thoughts:

I think we need to look at this information very carefully. Many people, particularly those who have not read it, think the bible is a rule book full of do’s and don’ts. But, first and foremost it is a love story. A loving and engaged Father who wants better things for His beloved children.

I think a better way to look at this passage is as valuable recommendations from a wise and loving parent. Do you want things to be better in your life? Let go of your old way of living, the old hurts and grudges that you haven’t let go of, the unforgiving that you refuse to give – you are not that person any longer!. Want better thing to happen today? Spend less time lying and more time telling the truth, spend less time stealing and more time doing work with your hands. Want better relationships? Quit unwholesome talk and say some kind words to build someone up; quit fixating on immorality and spend time giving thanks. While your at it, sing a song of praise – it lifts your spirit and soul.

BSF Acts: Week 22: Lecture

The past couple of weeks we have studied about Paul telling about the great joy and blessings the church in Macedonia was experiencing that he also desired to have the church in Corinth be able to experience as well. This wasn’t because things were better in Macedonia (they were under much greater persecution and stress). This isn’t because the Macedonians were first, better, or anything else. It was simply because they “gave themselves first to the Lord.”

After leaving Corinth on his second missionary journey, Paul traveled with Priscilla and Aquila across the sea to Ephesus, where they stayed and build the church in their home town.

This week we get to read the opening of a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus. From it we learn about God’s great purpose to bring everything, both in heaven and on earth, together, all under the authority of Christ. These people were like family to God and, from the letter, you can see his joy for them.

I don’t know about how you do things in your family, but in our family we love to have big holiday family feasts. For birthdays, we’ll pick a favorite meal: marinated tenderloin steaks in Opa’s famous marinate with baked potatoes, loaded with Shatto butter and boirsin, Haricot Vert, spinach salad. And of course, amazing cakes and ice cream with toppings like you wouldn’t believe.

But the best part isn’t the food, it is the family working together to bring it all together and participating together in the feast and the joy it celebrates.

1st Division: Eph 1:1-10 God provides

To prepare a great feast, you have to have great ingredients and all the right tools, equipment and skills. But, in the spiritual feast – God provides everything we need. We show up, put on an apron, and everything else is there, ready to go. God has the menu, the food, the recipes, the cookware, even the stoves and grills, like nothing we could put together. Every spiritual blessing, all with Jesus name on them.

What dish are has God put you in charge of for the feast? Are you watching the pot, or is it burning?
Are you stirring the pot and lighting a fire under someone who should be in the kitchen?
Are you waiting to say grace until the meal is served or are you giving thanks at every turn?

2nd division: Eph 1:11-14

God has a purpose in His methods.

Does God need me to help cook the feast? No. He is an amazing chef. He has all the saints and angels. But, he knows eating is only part of the joy. Being in the kitchen, laughing, preparing, tasting, that is where the fun is happening. God could have me sitting alone at a table and serve me. But, he has done so much more – he has invited me into the kitchen. He has given me an apron of my own and dressed me in it – beautifully white and stainless.

What are you waiting for – if you have an apron on, you belong in the kitchen?

3rd division: Eph 1: 15-23

Paul says grace.

Paul prays for the church, the Ephesians and you and me. He prays for faith and love. He prays for wisdom and revelation. He prays for hope, riches and power. Paul gives thanks.

This is a great prayer for the serving of the meal. Everyone is grateful and appreciative of every other cook, of every dish, of the beautiful place settings of for the host of honor of whom the celebration is called. Most of all, we are grateful to the one who brought us to this family, who gave us everything and let us be a part – to God.

Applications:

Dinner will be served – don’t miss this meal, you want every course and every taste.
Don’t underestimate what you have been given. You have nothing but the finest to work with – don’t be shy about using it.

Whose hungry? Amen?

BSF Acts: Week 18, Day 2: 1 Corinthians 1–2

Summary:

The believers in Corinth have accepted the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, but they struggle to let go of their intellectual control. Paul explains the vast chasm between God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom and how foolish their “decisions” to follow certain missionaries are in the face of Christ’s decision to save us by suffering death on the cross. He explains the foolishness and weakness of man and how upside down we are.

Questions:

3. a. Paul was confident they had been sanctified, they called on the name of Jesus, they had received Christ and God’s grace, they had been enriched in every way, they did not lack any spiritual gift, they eagerly awaited Christ’s return.

b. Division in the church – arguments and following different missionaries.

c. Simply put – the answer is to follow only Christ, not any man. Only Jesus was God’s son, died and was resurrected. Only faith in Jesus delivers the gift of the Holy Spirt so that we live by the spirit (note, the reference should be Galatians 5:22–26: gifts of the spirit.)

4. a. Human wisdom involves observing the current state of an object, creating a theory for how it got to that state and then, based on the theory, projecting a belief on how it will change or stay the same in the future. God created the object, created the laws that govern it and put it into motion watching it continually and guiding its path.

b. God give His wisdom to His people through His Spirit.

c. Paul did not speak with his own wisdom or persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power – the Holy Spirit gave him the words to speak and the message was always the same, Christ died, He is risen, He will come again

5. a. Many of the divisions in the church come from minor disagreements over emphasis of tradition or scriptural interpretation where theory, not specific words, are the difference and which do not pertain to the core message and/or the spirit. However, we also must be diligent that our churches remain true to the word of God and do not preach a watered down version. God’s truth cannot be sacrificed at the altar of coexistance.

b. All of scripture is focused on a single point – Jesus and His act of saving mankind from sin. If we focus on the same point and live a life filled with fruits of the spirit and empowered by the spirit, then we live avoid the traps and pitfalls of men and enjoy the grace of and eternal life with God.

Conclusion:

How little changes in a couple thousand years. Living as a soul with a body rather than the other way around is in such stark contrast to all the world sees and professes that we keep trying to put things in line with the other way of thinking. But this is wrong. It is foolishness and short-sightedness. It also causes us to miss out on fully living in the spirit and enjoying the power and love that brings.

Acts: Week 7, Day 2

Acts 14:1–7

Summary: Paul and Barnabas preached “as usual”, effectively and boldy, in Iconium. God confirms His message of grace through miracles. The city is divided into two camps, Apostles and Jews. P&B learn of a plot to stone them so they leave for the outlying towns.

Questions

3. a. Effectively and boldly

b. Because I have learned to rely on the words of the bible and not my own, my witnessing is effective. However, I find that I am mostly bold in situations which probably do not require much boldness.

4. The word was spoken, many are saved, miracles are performed, but opposition was organized against the truth.

5. They rejected the message as being the truth and, as a result, fought it with the same fervor that Saul did before he saw the light. This is not a surprising reaction, although it is wrong.

Conclusion: Iconium, modern Konya, is on a roadway southeast of Pisidian Antioch by approximately 100 miles. According to last week’s notes, we learned that Romans considered a good day travel in this region to be about 16 miles so it would have taken the better part of a full week of travel to get here As you can see from maps of the area, Iconium is on a direct pathway, and roadway of that day, from Pisidian Antioch to Tarsus (Paul’s home town). The city, which was the capital of the area of Lycaonia, sits on the western edge of a great plain at 3600 feet elevation (more on this on Week 7, Day 3 Questions).

As the apostles head in the direction of Tarsus, they begin experiencing more of the fervor that Saul brought to the scene in his previous life. The Jews who stand in opposition to the truth, particularly now that “their God” is being co-opted into a God who is available to gentiles without them becoming jewish, is hitting a little too close to the core of what they hold as “theirs alone.” As a result, the passion against the truth is rising. Even with the authorities in Jerusalem, in opposition to Peter, we saw them mostly imprison, scold, and beat the Apostles. But, here, now, we see the people move quickly from treating them as guests invited to speak in the temple to something less that human that you would kill without trial by a mob throwing stones at it.

We will see Paul return to each of these places where seeds have been planted in future chapters of Acts and in the epistles. However, we also know that he felt the hatred of those who stood in opposition not only of him but of the grace of God. In 2 Tim 3:14 he recounts the persecution that he faced in this area.