The Bible Bus: January 3, 2008 Reading Schedule

January 3, 2008 Reading Schedule

Read Genesis 7, 8, 9 and Matthew 3

2 comments:

Anonymous said...: Genesis 7:1-Wouldn't it be awesome to hear God say to us, "You are righteous before Me in this generation?" I want that!

Fun fact: there are a lot of 7's in chapter 7. (I didn't say it wasn't obvious)

8:20-I think this is so cool. After being cooped up in a smelly, crowded ark with only his immediate family (think being stuck in the car with you know who for a looong road trip....you know what I'm sayin') and animals he couldn't barbeque for, OK, I forget exactly how long,but it wasn't brief, what does Noah do? He comes out of the ark, and he builds an altar to the Lord, and offers sacrafices. WOW. What a far cry from what most people, probably including myself, would do. He GAVE THANKS, instead of grousing about what a horrible experience that had been! He didn't say, "Oye! That was terrible! I need therapy for post traumatic stress disorder! I need Xanax for claustrophobia flashbacks! I need some alone time for ME after being with the lot of you for so long. Oh, I'll never forget that stench! God better never put me through anything like that again!" No, he gets out, and he goes right to the Lord, falls on his face, and worships with a sacrafice. What a wonderful example for us. When we come to the end of that valley, that bad experience, instead of reflecting back on how painful, horrible, awful it was, I think we'd do well to look ahead and give thanks.

8:21 flies in the face of what we're being taught by the world: Follow your heart! We're all basically good inside; it's someone else's fault you "turned out" this way! NO! God's Word is very clear: The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. I know I didn't need to teach my kids to sin. We are wretched, horrible creatures whose only good anything comes from Christ! Whoa....got a little worked up there...I'm cyber pacing.

9:2 Well, there goes the friendly relationship between animals and people. Now they're afraid of us, and in some cases, vice versa. Too sad. Of course, that might have had something to do with the end of vegetarianism in 9:3. NOW they could barbeque! (Just not pork, but we'll get to that later. I sure am glad we're not under the law anymore.)

9:5 tells us that a man's brother was now bound to avenge his death, another topic that will be visited more in-depth in future books.

9:21-26: I really hate it when people tell me Noah was a drunk to try to provoke an arguement. See, almost everyone, saved or unsaved, has read at least some of Genesis, cuz folks figure when they read the Bible, they should start at the beginning. OK, my take is nothing is written that suggests this was a habit of Noah's, nor that he even got drunk on purpose. I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt, and even if he did, it's not like I can point fingers, and neither can many of the folks who try to start the debates. Alcohol is a touchy subject, so I won't go there, but back then it wasn't like they had a lot of choices in what to drink. No vending machines in the desert. I really didn't get this passage til someone (I think it was PD) explained that when Ham walked saw his dad, it wasn't like the mortification of walking in on your dad shaving in his tidy whities and fleeing in horror. Apparently Ham somehow mocked his dad to his brothers. I thought Noah had been a little harsh in such a curse for a mistake, but Ham got pretty disrespectful. I wonder if his brothers told Noah or if he could hear and was just in too much of a stupor to respond. I noticed that when Noah vented his anger, he cursed not Ham, but Canaan, his son. Anyone know why? Is it becuse Canaan maybe had a hand in it too, or because that was the ultimate zinger to Ham, to curse his son?

Gosh, I feel like I've gone on forever; these will become more condensed when I am back in school. Now I have an idea of the pressure pastors feel as they desperately want to make a point and are watching the clock. This is why we must all be patient if now and again they go over...right?

Matthew 3 got me hungry for some fruit, so I squeezed some fresh OJ. As we were picking the oranges yesterday, I mentioned the good fruit/bad fruit analogy to my girls. Of course, I had to explain to them that even though we got a sour orange or two that no, we really couldn't go and burn down the tree.

3:8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Something I touched on a little on day 1: I have seen several people get saved, and rejoiced over it. I've watched as they began to go to church, get involved in activities, learned some songs, glommed onto the lingo a bit....but have had no lasting change, no fruit in their lives. Habits and traits, temporarily abandoned,come back. Sin that went away creeps back, slowly....it can happen to all of us, yes, but guys, we gotta tell these newbies that it's more than saying the words...the proof is in how you walk it out, if you're telling people about God and what He's done in your life, if you're communicating with God through prayer and His Word....I know we can't judge anyone's salvation, but if there is no fruit...or bad fruit...well, just read v 10.

3:11-Jesus bapties us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. I am reading a book called "Under His Influence" by Lloyd Pulley and listening to some tapes by June Hesterly...both are amazing. I am really learning more about the Holy Spirit and Who He is, and what exactly the baptism of the Spirit is....all without handling snakes!

3:17-I'll end the way I began, with something I'd just love to hear from the Lord: "This is My beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased."

Jesus Style Love,
Chris <><; January 3, 2008 at 9:53 AM
Anonymous said...: Gen.7

v.1 - Isn't cool that not only does God see our sin, but our righteousness. It reminds me of the verse, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. 2 Chron. 16:9. He sees Noah. He sees you and I. My prayer is that He finds me
righteous/loyal and that He will show Himself strong on my behalf.

v. 5 Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded.

Lord, help me to do all according to your commands.

v. 16 It is the Lord that does it. "The Lord shut them in" (the ark) Again, it is God who does the work.

Gen. 8
v. 15 - God spoke. These people were so in tune w/God that they heard His voice, believed Him and obeyed Him.

Gen. 9
v.25-27 Sowing and Reaping

Consequences to our action.

What am I reaping?

With Noah he sowed obedience and trusted Ggod; Noah reaped protection from the flood. With Ham (Noah's son) he sowed disrespect and reaped a curse on he and his descendants.

God is a good God and He desires to bless and protect those who follow Him, but as we see in scripture, God will not be mocked.

Lord, I pray that I will follow you and your ways all the days of my life. Help me to make the right choices like Noah and to do all that is right. Help me to believe and for my actions to follow my belief.

Matt. 3 -

v. 7 Pharisse & Sadducess come on the scene. They are being warned to bear authentic fruit and not to have a false sense of security that it is their ancestor's relationship with God that will bring favor, but John says that God is able to raise up children even from thes rock/stones. What God wants w/us is a close personal parent/child reationship not a long distant relative (obsecure ancestory, but a close relationship as in parent/child.

v. 17 - God clearly declares that Jesus is the His Son in whom He is well please. So I wonder why were so many people wondering who Jesus was.

It is great to spend time with you all and to spend time in the Word together. I hope God is richly blessing you through His Word as you seek Him.

Blessings!

Lynnette; January 3, 2008 at 10:28 PM