Archive | November 2014

GENESIS -THE STORY SO FAR… part 1

Nov16

Good morning y’all . Today we doing a summary of what we’ve learnt so far from the book of Genesis from chapter 1 to 10.

Be blessed 🙂

Chapter 1
This chapter is a beautiful description of creation; how God spoke it all into being and how he looked upon his creation and declared it all to be good. All this happened in 6 days by the way :). Ain’t God awesome!!!. If he created it all in 6 days then surely whatever you need him to do can be done in nanoseconds!

8 times in the chapter it was mentioned God said.(reading from the NIV version). That got me thinking….God didn’t have to do any manual labour or hard work to create all that we enjoy today. In fact the only labour he did was to open his mouth and SPEAK!. Not just any kind of speaking cos some of us know how to open our mouths, unfortunately the wrong things come out. Hey there is hope for us!. Back to God, he Spoke the right word. For example, he wanted light so he said Let there be light and indeed there was light. So what he spoke was in agreement with what he wanted to see. Are you speaking words that are in agreement with what you want in your life, family, business..etc.
There is power in the Word of God backed by faith. We are creators, we have the ability to create with our mouth. Our words are powerful!.
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Chapter 2
Naked but not ashamed that’s because there was no sin. Sin is what brings the guilt and shame. Thanks to Jesus we are no longer ashamed. His blood has washed away our sins and we can boldly come before the father without feeling ashamed or condemned.
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Chapter 3
The best way to beat the devil at his game is to resist him at the onset. From the moment we notice him rearing his ugly head, we rebuke him and flee. Don’t try reasoning with the devil, it just won’t work. Don’t forget the devil also knows the bible. James 4:7 tells us to humble ourselves before God, resist the devil and he will flee from us. Let’s make humbling and resisting a priority in our lives today.

If you are going to indulge sin, then be bold enough to take responsibility for your actions! God knew they had sin but he wanted them to report themselves to him. He came looking for them as usual and lo and behold they weren’t at the usual spot. So God asked where they were. The man’s response was yeah we hid cos we naked and God’s like hold up, how do you know you were naked, have you eaten what I told you not to eat. Now my brother Adam refused to take responsibility and blamed it on his helpmeet. Can you imagine? Did she force him to eat it. He willingly ate the fruit plus he was there when she was about to eat the fruit anyway. God was probably like fair enough let’s ask the woman what happened. And she also didn’t take responsibility for her actions rather she blamed on the serpent.
We all have choices. You can choose to obey or not. God won’t force you, he will try as much as he can because He is a loving father to steer you in the right direction. But at the end of the day the choice is yours. Choose wisely!.
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Chapter 4
Sin is always on the look out for its next victim. 1 Peter 5:8 says
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (NLT Version).
We have to keep close watch on our feelings, emotions and thoughts. Make sure they are in line with Gods word. Cain was angry, envious, depressed, dejected and God knew if those feelings were not kept in check, will lead him to commit sin, hence the warning he gave him about sin crouching at his door in v7.

The only way to overcome sin is to be led by the spirit of God. Yield ourselves to the leading of the holy spirit and starve our flesh of its desires. Something you dont feed will eventually die. Its the same in our spirtual life. If we dont give in to every whimp and desire of our flesh, it will eventually submit and realise who is in control. Romans 8:12-14 says
“My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires. If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God’s Spirit you say “No” to your desires. Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children.” ( CEVUS06 version).
Read full blog here.

Chapter 5
Enoch walked with God……
The term ‘walk’ is used often in the bible when referring to our relationship with God. For example God told Abraham walk before me and be blameless – Gen17:1. I googled the meaning of walk and one of the definitions I found says its to “guide, accompany, or escort (someone) on foot”. Based on the definition, we can conclude that Enoch was guided, accompanied, escorted by God for the 365 years he lived. No matter what happened, he trusted God and obeyed God.

Our christian life is a daily walk of faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us “for we walk by faith, not by sight”. I believe Enoch walked by faith. Hebrews 11 tells us His faith was pleasing to God. We too are called to this life of faith walk. We can achieve this only in spending time with God. Be it in prayer or in our study and meditation of His word, in obedience to his commands. Living with a deep consciousness of his presence.
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Chapter 6
When others around us are doing the wrong thing, we have the choice to either join in or be different and do the right thing. Doing the right thing will earn us favour with God as it did Noah. God will be pleased with us.

Noah also walked in close fellowship with God and thats why he was able to stand out and not be part of all the evil going on. His relationship with God influenced his lifestyle and his choices.
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Chapter 7
Noah was fully obedient to God’s instruction- God gave him instructions on what and who needs to be in the boat. V 5 says and Noah did as the Lord commanded. He didn’t deviate one bit from it. Partial obedience is not the same as obedience. God demands total obedience from us. We see in the life of King Saul how partial obedience cost him the throne. What is God asking of us?. Let’s choose with the help of the holy spirit to obey fully. Isaiah says if we are willing and obedient we will eat of the fruit of the land.
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Genesis 8
God turned his attention to Noah! Wow that’s pretty awesome! Just to know that the creator of the universe, the one who holds it all in his hands will actually turn his attention to us. That He will remember us. That he will make time for us, to listen and communicate with us. For me it’s just amazing. The psalmist says what is man that you are mindful of him…

Not only did he turn his attention to them, He made the elements to work in their favour.V 2 and 3 tells of how God caused the wind to blow and the flood waters began to go down…..I pray God will cause everything around us to begin to work in our favour.
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Genesis 9
Noah planted a vineyard and one day had too much too drink and was drunk. Ham is youngest son came into his tent and saw him naked. He went out and told his brothers. I’ve always wondered what Ham did wrong when he saw his father naked and went to tell his brothers. I guess it was the motive behind his action that was the issue. Perhaps he did it to shame his father or ridicule him. His other brothers on the other hand, did the right thing by protecting their father’s dignity. They took a cloak and walking backwards covered their father without seeing his nakedness.

The lesson here is for us to check our motives. Why do we do the things we do?  We can fool man but God can’t be fooled. He knows the intents of our hearts. The psalmist understood this and said search me oh God and know my thoughts….
Psalms 139:23-24 NLT: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life”.
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Chapter 10
God is not happy when we turn to man instead of him, when we put our absolute trust in what man can do for us instead of what He can do. Jeremiah 17:5 says:
This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. (‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬ NLT)

Nimrods source of power was God and that’s why he was a mighty warrior. He was able to do far above what his peers were doing because he didn’t rely on his ability but rather on Gods ability within him.
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Prayer:
Thank you dear Lord for today. Thank you for all you have been teaching us in Genesis. We ask for grace to be doers of your word and not just hearers.  Open our eyes to see the areas we need to work on with the help of your Holy Spirit. Thank you dear Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen

Thanks for joining today

Tomorrow we continue in chapter 46.

Have a blessed Sunday walking with the King 🙂

***With God all things are possible***

Genesis 45

Nov14

Good morning y’all. Thank God it’s Friday :). Today we are in chapter 45 of Genesis. In this chapter Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers. He invites them to move to Egypt with their father so he can take care of them. Brothers return home and tell their father about Joseph and how God has helped him in Egypt.

Be blessed 🙂

Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers. He cried so much that the Egyptians outside heard him and went to tell the king. His brothers on the other hand were speechless. I’m sure the look on their faces was priceless…lol.

I am going to focus today’s blog on verses 5-8.

Don’t worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.  There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plow fields or harvest grain. But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way. After all, you weren’t really the ones who sent me here—it was God. He made me the highest official in the king’s court and placed me over all Egypt. (Genesis 45:5-8 CEVUS06)

1) Joseph was concerned about his brothers  feelings and he quickly reassured them and told them not to feel bad!(like seriously! concerned about the ones that hurt you!!!). I am amazed at his level of compassion because I know what I would have done if I was in Josephs situation. My concern would not be for the offending party’s feelings. I would want to make them feel bad as much as I can so they understand the gravity of the pain they’ve put me through. But I thank God for brother Joseph because he didn’t yield to his flesh rather we see him react in a godly manner.

He was patient, compassionate, kind and gentle with his brothers. He wanted them to understand that it was God all along orchestrating everything so that he could save them.

I pray when we are faced with situations like this, we don’t yield to our flesh but rather to the spirit.

2) Joseph had the right perspective regards the whole situation. He was able to view the whole situation through the eyes of God. He understood that all that happened, had been God divinely orchestrating his life. Even though his brothers thought it was them, truly it was God all along steering him in the path He wanted for his life.

I believe this could have only come as a result of his relationship and knowledge of God. He knew that God who gave him the dreams was able to bring them to pass and was not going to leave him alone.

Having the right perspective must have also helped him maintain a good attitude during the whole journey from slavery to prison to palace. Without the right perspective he would have been bitter and angry and as a result, he probably would have never made it to the palace!

I pray whatever situation we find ourselves we are able to see it through the eyes of God.

3) Joseph maintained a good attitude. He wasn’t bitter rather he was pleasant, compassionate and gentle. He wasn’t angry rather he was kind, loving and friendly. He wasn’t proud rather he was humble. Even when presented with the opportunity for revenge, he didn’t take it, instead he showed kindness and compassion. He continued to do the right thing and we see how God came through for him. He eventually became the 2nd in command to the king himself.

I pray God gives us the grace to maintain the right attitude as we go through life.

Friends, when we choose to see the good in the midst of our trials; when see the sovereignty of God in our lives and realise that HE alone has the power to do and undo; when we realise that the enemy can only try but can’t succeed unless the Lord permits them because he has a purpose  for it, then I believe it will be easier for us to forgive those who hurt us, show compassion, have a right perspective and maintain a good attitude.

I will conclude with James 1: 2-4 and Romans 5: 3-5

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.( James 1:2-4 NKJV)

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.( Romans 5:3-5 NKJV)

Prayer:
Dear God we thank you for today and for your word. We ask for the grace to show compassion to those who have offended us. Help us have the right perspective and see the situation through your eyes. Help us maintain the right attitude as we go through life; that we would not yield to our flesh but rather to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Thank you Lord for we ask in faith and believe we have received In Jesus Name. Amen.

Thanks for joining today and I know you have been blessed 🙂

I am blogging through the bible with Good morning girls. Check us out at http://www.goodmorninggirls.org

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Note there will be no chapter blog tomorrow. The next chapter blog will be on Monday for Genesis 46. But God helping me, I will post a blog tomorrow summarising what I’ve learnt so far in the book of Genesis 🙂

Have a blessed day and remember God is sovereign 🙂

***With God all things are possible***