A Mountain-Top Experience

O.T. #36  "A Mountain-Top Experience" 
April 29, 2013
Genesis 17-Part 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. Genesis 17:1

LET IT GLOW

Last night, my husband and I were coming back from Little Rock, going over the Ozark
Mountains. It had been raining earlier, so the air was trying to cool off. Clouds form in the form
appearance of fog around the mountain peaks. What a sight to behold! Seeing this, brought to my to mind when God came to speak to Moses in a thick cloud (Exodus 19:9). The only things
missing were the voice of a trumpet, thunder, and lightning. I saw how powerful our Almighty
God is! It was a humbling experience, a mountain-top experience.

Thirteen years passed with God's silence between Ishmael's birth and the events of chapter 17.
God had to wait for Abram and Sarai to die to self so that His resurrection power might be
displayed in their lives.
Twenty-four years Abram was living under the shaping Hand of God. He was not the same man
in character that he was when God first called him.

Here is the first mention of God revealing Himself as God Almighty-El Shaddai, which
means all-powerful, all-sufficient keeper of My promises, from David Wilkerson's book, Knowing God By Name.

Liberty Bible Commentary says "Abram's corresponding conduct must be to walk before
El Shaddai  in uprightness. The name for God presented in this context means, 'powerful,
mighty,' and may be derived from a word for mountain, thus picturing God as the overpowering, almighty One who will provide descendants for Abram when all else fails."

God reminded Abram of His covenant, by saying that God will:

• multiply Abram exceedingly;
• make him exceeding fruitful;
• make nations of Abram;
• bring kings come out of his lineage;
• establish His covenant between God and Abram's seed in generations to come for an everlasting covenant;
• be a God to Abram and his seed after him;
• give the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession;
• keep His part of the covenant, and all of Abrams' men descendants would be circumcised.

God laid it all out. Christians, children of Abram, have the same promises-we will be spiritually fruitful, have spiritual children, we are princes and princesses (Jesus is our King), and our land to inherit is called heaven. What more could we ask for?

Is Jesus my mountain? Do I come to meet the mountain of God daily?


LET IT GROW

What did God tell Abram to do, or what did Abram do before God?
Almighty God told Abram to:

• walk before Him;
• be perfect; Perfect means without blemish; without spot; undefiled.
• Abram fell on his face and God talked to him;
• be circumcised, every man child among them.

This is the first mention of circumcision.
Circumcision  was a token of the covenant, a tribal mark. Old covenant blessings came by
physical descent, of which circumcision was the sign; new covenant blessings are spiritually
conveyed and are expressed by a new sign, that which is written in our hearts and lives. (Falwell)

Nowhere does the Old Testament teach that circumcision saves a man. It is but the outward
symbol of the covenant between God and men. It was to remind them of the inward circumcision
of the heart that accompanies true salvation (Deut. 10:16, Jer. 4:4). Believers today are in the
New Covenant and are the true circumcision (Phil. 3:1-3), which is experienced spiritually
through the death of Christ (Col. 2:9-15). The entire body of sin (old nature) has been put off,
and we may live in the Spirit, not in the flesh. (Wiersbe)

Is our heart changed? Are we living in the flesh or the Spirit? Romans 8 contrasts the flesh and
the spiritual life.

LET IT GO

Meet with God on His terms, not mine.

Trust God's promises to Abram to apply to us Christians today.

Go to the Rock that is higher than I.

Share with others my change of heart so they can have a heart change.

If Waiting Was Easy, Everyone could Do It

O.T. #35  "If Waiting Was Easy, Everyone Could Do It"
April 26, 2013
Genesis 16
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.  Genesis 16:9

LET IT GLOW

I can't wait! There. I admitted it. Waiting is not my better virtue. I'm talking about waiting for anything and everything. Just waiting for God to move, handle situations, issues, problems. If
waiting was easy, everyone could do it. Then we wouldn't make mistakes by doing things our
way nor rushing ahead of God.

Our first child was a sweet little girl. We waited  three and a half years for our son to be born.
Some couples have waited long, I realize. Poor Sarah had to wait a long time-25 years, for a
child. I couldn't have done that, I think to myself. On the other hand, if I must wait 25 years for something, I must, in order to be in God's will-I'll wait. How about you? Are you waiting for something?

God made the covenant and would fulfill it. All Abram and Sarai had to do was wait by faith
(Heb. 6:12). Follow Him one day at a time. That's all. We know that God's purpose for Abraham's
life was to use him to build a nation that loved God, to be a father that served and obeyed God
with all his heart and showed the world how to live for Him. But it took 25 years of waiting for
this child of promise, Isaac to be born. During that time, God developed Abram's character.

Gals, shall we look at this chapter from a woman's perspective?
Poor Sarai. The waiting must have been hard. Every time she heard a baby cry, her heart sunk
low. Men don't understand. They have their work. Women have this innate, built in mothering instinct, cuddling and soothing their own child. Most of the time, previously, Abram had listened
to God, but now he was listening to his wife, instead. She wasn't listening to God say wait. She
had waited long enough. It was time to take action. The clock was ticking and she wasn't getting
any younger. (I'm not trying to justify what she did, but trying to better understand Sarai.) She,
too, waited 25 years for her own son to be born. Obviously, after 12 years of no baby, God
needed some help. So she schemed. If Hagar, her maiden, had the baby by Abram, she could
take care of it and raise it as her own. (We know faith is living without scheming.) Her scheme
didn't work. It didn't turn out like Sarai planned.
Sarah pictures the New Covenant and Hagar the Old Covenant; Hagar was a slave while Sarah
was a free woman; Ishmael was born of the flesh, yet Isaac was born of the Spirit.

Sarah could have changed her mind after sharing the idea with her husband. In fact, her husband could have refused the plan, but he didn't. Then as time went on, Hagar took Sarah's place of importance. She became so prideful of carrying Abraham's baby. Sarah couldn't stand it any
longer-Hagar had to go, which meant harsh treatment to run her off. Good riddens to her.
Poor Sarah. Things aren't getting any better around the tent.

Is God taking His time in answering your prayers? Are you tempted to jump in and take care of things? Can we learn from Sarah's mistakes, girls? If God says wait, then we must wait. Do it His way, or we will live to regret it. How many times did Sarah regret her not waiting? Every time
she saw Ishmael or hear him cry?

LET IT GROW

Here is the first time in Scriptures that we the angel of the Lord appears. It is a preincarnate appearance of Christ. It is a Christophanies (temporary visible appearances of Christ). (Falwell)

I find encouragment in the Lord speaking to a slave girl, of all people. Hagar ran away into the wilderness. The Lord's message to Hagar was to return and submit to her mistress. She was given
a promise-her seed would be multiplied. She was instructed to name her son Ishmael, which
means "God hears" and told he would be a wild man and dwell in the presence of his brothers.
Hagar called the name of the Lord El Rai, which is a God of seeing or a God vision; not so much
a God who sees, but a God who permits Himself to be seen.
Did Hagar obey? Yes, she returned and submitted, had a son, and called him Ishmael. Abram
was 86 years old when Ishmael was born.

It was 13 more years before God spoke to Abram again. Poor, poor Sarai. Hagar had a baby and
she didn't. Do we do that? Think poor, poor _______? (Insert your name in the blank.) I do. I
told you at the beginning of this lesson,  waiting is not my thing. Patience is not my virtue. I
have to get it from the Lord-strength to wait on Him. Is God telling us to return to His will and submit to Him or someone else?

Isaiah 40:31 says But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and
not faint.

How long will you wait? Will you take matters into your own hands, or wait?

Joseph Campbell said, "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have
the life that is waiting for us."

Will you wait on God and His timing?

LET IT GO

Wait as long as God wants me to wait.

Renew my strength in the Lord's Word.

Don't scheme to get it done my way.

Twinkling Promises

O. T. # 33  "Twinkling Promises"  April 25, 2013
Genesis 15
And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:6

LET IT GLOW

Can you count the number the stars? Monday morning I went outside around 5:30 to look for the expected meteor shower. Though it was somewhat cloudy, I could still see many stars twinkling
in the somewhat early morning sky. I turned all directions, even walked to the four sides of the
house-none did I see. I was disappointed, but then I saw the beauty of the sky. I probably could
have counted the stars that morning, but had no need to do it. God had it all under  control.
Instead,  I sang a song of praise to Him in the quietness of the morning. Abram would have
looked up into the same sky one night. I'm talking about the night the Word of the Lord came to
Him.

The Word of the Lord came to Abram twice in chapter 15. What did God tell Abram?

• Fear not. Maybe Abram feared the kings retaliating and attacking him.
• I am thy shield. Shield refers to a small shield or buckler; a protector.
• I am thy exceeding great reward. Reward means benefit, fare, worth, wages.
• Eliezer is not thine heir, but a son coming  from your own body.
• Thy offspring will be as many as the stars. 
• I brought you out of Ur to give you this land to take possession of it.
• Bring Me a three year old heifer, goat, and ram, along with a dove and a young pigeon.
• Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own; will be enslaved for 400      years. The Hebrews spent 400 years in Egypt.
• I will punish those who enslaved them and bring them back here with great possessions.
• You will die in peace and at an old age.

The stars Abram saw that night came with a promise. I wonder if he tried to count them.
Abraham had God's promise of protection and provision so he need not fear. Abraham offfered
the sacrifices and labored to keep Satan (the birds) away. But nothing happened until Abraham
went to sleep. God walked between the pieces of the slain animals. This was a covenant that was all of grace and depended solely upon the Lord.

Salvation is based on the sacrifice of Christ and the grace of God; assurance comes from the
Word of God. As children of faith, children of Abraham, we too are assured of those promises-
our inheritance is in heaven, He is our shield and reward.

Kay Arthur said, "God's Word never fails, and that fact should give you great peace."


LET IT GROW


Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament points out at least 7 words or phrases that
appear in this chapter for the first time:

1.  The Word of the Lord (verse 1)
2.  Fear not (verse 1)
3. Reward (verse 1)
4. Heir and inherit (verses 3, 7)
5. believe (verse 6)
6. counted (verse 6)
7. righteousness (verse 6)

Verse 6 says, And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

The word righteousness, root word righteous, means right, moral, virtuous, cleansed, just.

It wasn't any works that Abraham did that made him right with God, but it was his faith,
believing God's promise to give him a seed, a child. Abraham was justified by God 14 years
before he was circumcised. Paul said in Romans 4:6 and 22 that circumcision is a sign of faith,
not a means for obtaining justification. All Abraham did in verse 6 was to confirm, affirm, or say
amen to God's promise of verse 5. (Liberty Bible Commentary)

True faith persists until the promise is fulfilled. That is what makes it faith that pleases God!
Faith is a matter not of merit, but of the readiness to accept what God promises. (Blackaby)

Abraham was justified by faith. Did you notice that God allowed Abraham to question Him
about how this was going to be true for him? Also, God reveals the future of Abraham's
descendants. God took 25 years to fulfill his promise to Abraham.

Here are some questions for us to ponder:
  *How long would you wait for God to fulfill His promise to you?
  *Do you have the intimate relationship with God that believes Him and waits for Him to do
    what He said?
  *Is there anything that has diminished in your life since your spiritual conversion?
  *If so, are you willing to take time now to return to God in that area of your life?

LET IT GO

Surrender to God's will.

Walk by faith, trusting Him, no matter how long it takes.

Wait on God.

Fear not.

A Reward is Offered

O. T. #32  "A Reward is Offered"
April 24, 2013
Genesis 14
And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And
he gave him tithes of all. Genesis 14:20

That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing
that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich. Genesis 14:22

LET IT GLOW

A reward is offered for the return of a family pet or something lost. Should the finder return it for
the reward? Abraham found himself in such a predicament. Read on to find out what Abraham
did.

Four kings took their armies and fought against the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah, winning, taking everything, even Lot and his possessions. Abraham learned what had happened.

He took 318 trained servants, three allies and their men, pursued and defeated the victorious
kings, and returned Lot and all the captured people and possessions of Sodom. But Abram knew
that regardless of his ability, only God could give him the victory. (Blackaby)

From this, we learn that in life's battles, character is tested. Conflict reveals character. Life
always brings some measure of conflict, even real battles. But God is always with those He
chooses to:

1. bring them through the battles,
2. bring them to new understanding of Himself, and
3. shape their character in new and fresh ways.

Conflicts are God's means of developing character, especially faith in Him.

[Resource: Created to be God's Friend, by Henry T. Blackaby]

Did Abram take credit for the victory or give God the glory for His victory?

When he returned home victorious, Abram received visits from two kings.
The first king of Sodom offered a reward to Abram, in verse 21, the goods rescued. Abraham
refused to accept anything, not even a thread of a shoelatchet, (thong of a sandal, as NIV says),
so the king could not say that he made Abram rich. Also, this prevented the king of Sodom from
holding it over Abram as owing a favor in return. (Abram did take food for his men and allowed
the allies to decide if they wanted any rewards.)

Abram did good, didn't he? He gave God the credit for the victory.

When a prayer is answered, do we give God the credit, glory for it?

LET IT GROW

The second king to visit Abram after the victory was Melchizedek king of Salem. Not only was
he a king, but he was also a high priest. He brought bread and wine, then gave a blessing from
the Most High God (El Elyon), who delivered Abram's enemies into his hand..

Some scholars think this was a theophany (appearance of God Himself), while others think not
since he was from Salem.

Here is the first instance of tithing in the Bible. Today's believers follow Abraham's example as
they bring tithes to the Lord. Abraham refused the riches of the world but shared his wealth with
the Lord, and God richly blessed him. (Wiersbe)

This tithe is first mentioned in Scripture of giving ten percent. Tithe, mansrah, means a tenth, according to Strong's Concordance.
Because of our love for our Lord Jesus, we want to give something back to Him, since He has provided all that we have.

How faithful are we to tithe? If not, then blessings are being missed and our heart is in the wrong place.


LET IT GO

Give God the glory for all He does.

Open the purse and give a tithe.

Share with others what God is doing in my life.

Falling into the Pits

O.T. #31 "Falling into the Pits"
April 23, 2013
Genesis 13-Part 2
And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled,
and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. Genesis 14:10 

LET IT GLOW

After the rain, one has to wear rubber boots out into the cow lot. Puddles are everywhere contain-
ing the wastes of cows. Not only is it a stinky mess, but a slimmy, muddy mess.You have to walk slowly so as not to slide down or stumble over a hidden rock. It certainly isn't my choice of a
path for walking. Lot must have been on the same path. What happened?

A conflict occurred in Abraham's family after leaving Egypt. He and Lot, the nephew, had so
many animals that the land could not feed them all. (verse 6) Christ is a divider (John 7:43, 9:16, 10:19). In this case, dividing was good. Lot pitched his tent and looked toward Sodom, the sinful city,
then choose the plush land of Jordan and moved closer to Sodom. He finally moved and lived
in Sodom, where the wicked people lived.

We can contrast the two men, Abraham and Lot:

• Abraham walked with the light/Lot went toward the darkness;
• Abraham became a friend of God/Lot became a friend of the world;
• Abraham was given all of the land/Lot took part of the land;
• Abraham's family was blessed/Lot's family was destroyed;
• Abraham kept his tent and altar/Lot soon lost both.

Is my life different from those living in the worldliness?

LET IT GROW

Lot thought his move was going to be one of gain, but it turned out to be one of loss. The kings mentioned at the beginning of chapter 14 were at war with each other. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell into the slimepits. Their people left for the mountains and the cities
were captured (14:10). Remember, these were wicked people who didn't worship God. These cities were full of homosexuals, too. Easy come, easy go. Lot lost everything-captured.
Slimepits were holes from which bitumen had been excavated. (Liberty Bible Commentary)
Bitumen is any of a class of natural substance such as petroleum and asphalt. (Webster's
Dictionary)

Isn't that where sin leads-the slimepits?

As it turns out, there was an escapee and Abraham had an informant of the situation. Blow the trumpet, here comes the charging Calvary. (Oh, it's not a western.) He took 318 trained servant
men, chased  after the enemies, and rescued Lot and his bunch. Isn't that like Abraham, taking
care of Lot?
The separated believer helps the backslider. It took traveling 120 miles to overcome the enemies,
but Abraham did it. Can you picture this man over 75 leading the charge?
Lot got in trouble when he walked by sight and not by faith.

Lot followed the path of friendship with the world (James 4:4), then love of the world
(1John 2:15-17), then conformity to the world (Rom. 12:2), and finally, judgment with the world (1Cor. 11:32). (Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament)

Which way are we walking?

LET IT GO

Watch were I am walking and looking.

Make sure the path I am on is one on which God has me.

Remain friends with God, not friends with the world.

If possible, rescue the backslider.

Where You Pitch Your Tent Matters

O.T. #30  "Where You Pitch Your Tent Matters"
April 22, 2013
Genesis 13-Part 1
Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and
pitched his tents near Sodom. Genesis 13:12 NIV

LET IT GLOW

I have only had a few experiences in camping out in a tent and those were good ones. However,
a few years ago, at a nearby state park, some campers did not have good experiences one
particular weekend. You see, there were flash floods that weekend and the rivers rose rapidly.
Many people that camped along that particular river  lost everything, some even lost their lives.
So you see, where you pitch you tent does matter. Shall we check out where Abraham and Lot pitched theirs.

We saw Abraham's initial response of faith, following God, living in a tent and sacrificing on
altars to Him. However, when the famine came, Abraham's faith lapsed. Instead of staying in
Canaan and trusting God, He, his family, servants, and all he had went down to Egypt. He was getting in deeper in sin when God stepped in and exposed a lie of Abraham and Sarah's. Pharaoh asked them to leave and they did. They had to go back to the very place where they abandoned
the Lord, left the Lord's will. Abraham's faith returned, as he went back to Bethel where the
altar to God was. He needed to make a new start. We see that God's promises were still effective because the land as far as Abraham could see was to be owned by his family.

I wonder if Abraham's faith grew as he walked through the Promised Land. Is my faith growing
as I walk with God? 

LET IT GROW

Abraham still had to reap the consequences of his trip to Egypt:

• He lost time. Those weeks that Abraham and his household were away from the Lord were lost and never to be regained.
• He lost his testimony of the true God before Pharaoh after deceiving him.
• Sarah's maid servant Hagar, came from Egypt (16:1). Her presence resulted in trouble as Sarah's carnal scheme Hagar to bear a child to Abraham, instead of waiting on God for a son. Whatever we bring with us from Egypt will result in trouble.
• His increase in possessions helped to cause the later dispute between Abraham's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen.
• He let Lot choose the land for him to dwell. Though Abraham took Lot out of Egypt, he couldn't take Egypt out of Lot. Lot came out of Egypt and shared Abraham's tents, but not     the altar to worship God. Lot pitched his tent, looking toward the wicked city of Sodom,   where the watered plains and green grass was. Later, we'll find out what happened to Lot      and his sacrifice made.

Even if we have left our Egypt (worldliness and rebellion), has Egypt been taken out of us? Do
we still look back at the way it was, or have we learned from our lessons? Are our eyes on God
or the world?

LET IT GO

Let go of my Egypt, worldliness, rebellion, and fleshly desires.

Repent and return to God and where His will was.

Walk by faith, not by sight.

Keep my eyes focused on Jesus and remember His mercy.

Watch out where I pitch my tent, consequences will result.

  

Going the Wrong Way

O.T. #28  "Going the Wrong Way"
April 19, 2013
Genesis 12-Part 2
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.  Genesis 12:7

LET IT GLOW

I had two job offers and took the one that offered twice the money as the other. Knowing it was the wrong job, I left the Lord's will, went the wrong way, and went my own way with a lapse of faith. I spent over three years wandering around in my spiritual Egypt. Then the attack came and I had to quit the job. I humbly confessed my rebellion to the Lord Jesus. Later, I had to go to the other job and ask forgiveness and was hired.
Certainly, I can't point my finger at Abraham and ask him why he went down into Egypt. How about you? Have you gone to Egypt before? Have you left God's will knowing full well it was rebellion.
Let's review before going on down the road to Egypt with Abraham.

What was Abram's response to God's call?

Warren W. Wiersbe, in his book, Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament says:

God called one man to begin the fulfillment of His promise to send a Savior to the world. ( Gen. 3:15) Abram means high father; Abraham means father of a multitude. This man was of the line of Shem (11:10) and the father of the Jewish nation.

1. Abraham's response was one of faith. God called him in Ur of the Chaldess, but he had lingered at Haran until the death of his father. God demands total separation to Himself, even if death must accomplish it. This call was completely of grace and the blessings of the covenant wholly from the Lord's goodness. God promised to give Abraham a land, a great name, a great nation, and a blessing that would spread to the whole world. Abraham had no children and he and his wife were getting old. Note the "I wills" from God, if Abraham would believe.
2. Abraham's compromise occurred when he took Lot, his nephew, with them on the journey of faith. This caused problems, so God had to separate Lot from Abraham before He could advance His plan for the patriarch's life. (verses 4-6)
3. Abraham didn't hesitate to confess his faith before the heathen in land. Wherever he went, he pitched his tent and built his altar (13:3-4, 18). The tent speaks of the pilgrim, the person who trusts God a day at a time and is always ready to move; the altar speaks of the worshiper who brings a sacrifice and offers it to God. (my emphasis)

Friends, we are walking on our Christian pilgrimage. Are we trusting God a day at a time? Are we always ready to move when and where He leads? Is our life on the altar daily?

LET IT GROW
 

Continuing with Wiersbe's words:

4. Abraham has a lapse of faith in verses 10-20. A famine in the place of
    God's leading! What a great disappointment this must have been to the
    pilgrims. God was testing their faith, to see if they were trusting the land
    or the Lord. Instead of remaining in Canaan and trusting God, they went
    down to Egypt. Egypt symbolizes the world, the life of self-confidence;
    Canaan illustrates the life of faith and victory. Abraham abandoned his
    tent and altar and trusted in the world! (Isaiah 31:1)

5. Abraham's deception involved Sarah telling a lie, really a half-truth, that
    she was his sister (instead of his wife). One sin leads to another: first
    Abraham trusted Egypt; now he trusted his wife's lie to protect him.

6. We see the discipline of God as He stepped in and exposed the lie, then
    Pharaoh had to ask them to leave. Someone has said, "Faith is living
    without scheming."

7. Finally, Abraham's return of faith is seen in 13:1-4. He had to get back to
    the placed of the tent and the alter, back to the place where he could call
    upon the Lord and receive blessing. Christians must go back to the very
    place where they abandoned the Lord. Go nowhere in this world where
    you must leave your testimony behind. Any place where we cannot build
    the altar and pitch the tent is out of bounds.

Have you left the Lord's will? If so, you need to return to where it was and doing what His will last had you doing.

LET IT GO

Leave the world behind and walk by faith with God, even if there is a spiritual famine.

Daily listen to the Holy Spirit as He directs and obey.

Keep placing self on the altar of God.

Don't compromise doing the Lord's will my way.

Stay where God has me until He moves.

Return and repent when I leave His will.