Digging Deeper~ 10th week after Pentecost

Gen. 37:1-4,12-28: Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery because they were jealous of the fact that their Father loved him more than them.

Ps. 105: 1-6,16-22,45b: Descendants of Abraham & Jacob through Joseph the chosen one to save his people; sing praises to God for all the good things he has done. 

Rom. 10:5-15: Confession that Jesus is Lord with faith will save, but someone must go and tell others so they will believe and be saved.

Mat. 14:22-33:Jesus sent his followers ahead in a boat on the water so he could pray. After Jesus prayed he started to walk across the water to meet them on the other side. but they saw him and were afraid. Jesus told them to not be afraid as it was him. Peter said, "If it is you, tell me to walk on the water to you. " Jesus told him to do so, and Peter got out of the boat and began walking on the water to Jesus. But when he saw the waves he became afraid and started to sink. When that happened he called out to Jesus for help & Jesus grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the waves. Then asked him where his faith was.

 The theme is slavery & faith

Joseph was sold into slavery because his brothers were jealous of how their Father  loved him more than them (Gen. 37:1-4, 12-28). But because Joseph kept his faith in God and ended up saving his people during a time of famine. Because of his faith in him, God used his descendants to bless the world with Jesus (Ps. 105:1-6,16-22,45b). God also later blessed Joseph's people with freedom from generations of the slavery they were born into. 

We too have been born into slavery~ spiritual slavery. All mankind have been born into the slavery of sin. Satan is our master in the kingdom of sin. Why does Satan hate us? Because he are loved my God the Father and he is jealous. But there is good news! We do not have to stay in this slavery, like Joseph did for his people, Jesus provide a way to save us. You see, Jesus bought our freedom out of the kingdom of sin when he paid the sin offering with his own blood on the cross. And then he made a way fro us to lived forever , spiritually (Rom. 10:5-25). Like Moses he will lead us out of the kingdom of sin if we will but follow him. But some times we do forget that he is in control & sink into sin as Peter sank into the waves. But  we, like Peter can call out to him, he will pull us out of those dark scary waves (Mat. 14:22-33). . 

Challange of the week:

This week, check to see where you are~ spiritually. If you find that you are a slave in the kingdom of Sin.  If you are drowning in the waves. Call out to Jesus and be saved from it. 

Accomplishment of the week:

So what did Jesus and you do this week? What did do for your spiritual health?

Digging Deeper!~ 9th Sunday after Pentecost

Gen. 32:22-31:Jacob fights with an angel to be blessed. Then the angel informs Jacob that his name has been changed to Israel. Which is the name his people will be called from this point on. 

Ps. 17:1-7,15: a prayer for God to bless.

Rom. 9:1-5: Paul speaks of his wanting the Israelites to be saved. 

Mat. 14:13-21: Jesus feeds 5 thousand men plus women & children after he has blessed the small amount of food that they had & all were filled. 

The theme is being blessed. 

Jacob fought with an angel all night trying to get him to bless him. In the end he was given a new name from God. This name would be given to all who were related to him (Gen. 32:22-31). Jesus blessed some Israelites who had come to hear him preach, as he fed them spiritually with the preaching and physically with food (Mat. 14:13-21). In Romans Paul speaks of his desire for the Israelites to be blessed with the Good News of Salvation (Rom. 9:1-5). We too can pray a prayer to be

 blessed. One good prayer to pray is found in Psalms 17:1-7.15. 

Challenge of the week:

This week let us seek to not only be blessed by God but to bless him. 

Accomplishment of the week:

So, what did you and God do this week to bless each other?

Digging Deeper~ 8th Sunday of Pentecost

Gen. 29:15-28: Jacob worked 7 years for Rachel, but ended up marrying 2 sisters because of his Father-in-law's deception when he put Rachel's sister, Leah in place of Rachel at the wedding & wedding bed. But because Jacob loved Rachel so much. He worked 7 more years for her. 

Ps. 105:1-11,45b: Sing praises to the Lord giving thanks for all that he has done . Hallelujah!

Rom. 8:26-39: The Holy Spirit prays for us when we do not know how to pray for he knows our heart. Remember that God works all things out for those he has called. Nothing can separate us from the Love of God.

Mat. 13:31-33,44-52:The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that starts small and grows big; and is precious like a very valuable pearl; or a fish net that caught both good and bad fish. In the end, when God's angels pulls in the net they will throw out the bad fish (people). 

Jacob marries 2 sisters and through the children he has with them, the kingdom of Israel is made(Gen. 29:15-28). God builds his kingdom through those of us who are born again. Jesus was trying to explain what the kingdom of God was like in Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52. People are like the fish that is caught in the net. When time come to an end the angels will take the bad fish which are the unsaved people and throw them into hell. Because we are in the kingdom of God when bad things come & we do not know how to pray, The Holy Spirit who knows our hearts will pray for us. Let us remember in those bad times that God will work everything out for those he has called. And nothing can separate us from the love of God (Mat. 13:31-33, 44-52). Because of this we should sing praises of thanksgiving to the Lord (Ps. 105:1-11, 45b).

Challenge of the week:

This week, take the time to sing praises of Thanksgiving to the Lord for all he has done for you. Even if it was a bad day.

Accomplishment of the week:

So, how did taking the time to think on God and all the good things he has done & singing to him help you?

Digging Deeper~ 7th Sunday of Pentecost

Gen. 28:10-19a :Jacob has a dream that the angels were climbing up and down from heaven to that place on earth on a ladder. Then he dreams that the Lord is standing at the foot of the ladder and tells him that he is to be the Father of a great nation.  Jacob names the place Bethel. Ps. 139:1-12,23-24: God knows everything about us and is always with us. A prayer for God to test us to see if we are on the right path, if not help us to chance that.  Rom. 8:12-25: Paul tells the Roman believers that they are saved from slavery of sin & become the children of God. Mat. 13:24-30,36-43: Jesus tells the story of the weeds & then explains it to his followers. The theme is being God's people.  Jacob had a dream & in it he saw angels going up and down a ladder from heaven to earth. Then she sees the Lord standing next to the ladder. the Lord tells him that is is going to be the Father of a great nation. a nation that will be set apart for God. That is just what happened! He had 12 sons and they became the tribes of Israel~ God's chosen people (Gen. 28:10-19). .  God wants us to be his people also. That is why Jesus came to earth. He knew that we were spiritually in slavery called sin & that we needed someone to free us from that slavery. To do that, a price had to be paid. The price was a blood sacrifice of a perfect person. Jesus was that person. He died on a cross to free us from the slavery of sin (Rom. 8:12-25). Jesus tells a story about seeds that are sowed on the earth. A man sowed good seed, but the enemy sowed bad seed into the field also. those bad seed is called weeds. Jesus explains to his followers that God sows the good seed of the Word of God we call the Bible. But the enemy of God~ Satan sows bad seed into the world. God is allowing both seed to grow up together until it is time to harvest. Our souls are harvest. that is when we die( Mat. 13:24-30,36-43). It is like the earth is a flower garden and we are either flowers or weeds. If we have accepted Jesus as our savior, we are flowers & if we have not we are weeds. God knows who are flowers and who are weeds (Ps. 139:1-12). But he wishes for all of us to be flowers in his flower garden. We can choose to be a flower or a weed. If we are a weed, we can go to God and ask him to  search us and see if we are a weed (Ps. 139:23-24), and to save us from our slavery of sin & then we become the flowers in his flower garden on earth. I like to look at it this way, when a Christian dies, god has picked that "flower" and put them into his bouquet in heaven. When we are God's flowers, we are also his people. Challenge of the week: This week take the time to sit with God and examine yourself to see if you are a weed or a flower. If you are a weed, get right with the Lord. If you are a flower make sure you are acting like the people of God should. Accomplishment of the week: So what did you and God work out this week? How has that helped your walk with the Lord?

Digging Deeper~ 6th Sunday of Pentecost

Gen. 25:19-34:The birth of Esau & Jacob: How Jacob steals Esau's birthright from him. 

Ps. 119:105-112: A prayer of praise to God and his Word: and for saving from enemies.

 

or Ps. 25: A prayer asking for mercy, saving from enemies & praise to God for his goodness.

Rom. 8:1-11: Jesus made it possible for sinful man to be free from bondage to sin when he paid for our sins on the cross. 

Mat. 13:1-9,18-23: Jesus tells the story of a man who goes out to plant seed. He also tells of the seeds and how we are like the seed. 

In Genesis 25:19-34, we read of the birth of Esau & Jacob's births. Esau was born first so he should have been the man that would be the Father  that provided the seed of God's chosen nation. But when they grew up Esau sold his birthright to his bother Jacob, who became the Father of God's chosen. This made Jacob and Esau enemies for many years. 

We too have a birthright to be sons and daughters of God,because of what Jesus did for us (Rom. 8:1-11).  But there is an enemy who wants to steal that right from us. Jesus tells of the spiritual seed of God's word and what can happen to it when it hits different types of souls. One thing that can happen to it is that the raven's can come and eat it. He also tells of how Satan is the enemy of our souls and how he tries to steal our birthright as heirs of salvation(Mat. 13:1-9,18-23).  Let us be careful that we do not sell our birthright for a short lived pleasure as a bowl of soup.This week has 2 prayers that we can pray thanking God for saving us from our enemy of the soul (Ps. 25; Ps.119:105-112).Let us pray these prayers this week.

Challenge of the week: 

This week, check yourself to see if you are indeed saved from the slavery of Satan. If you are not turn to God and ask Him to save you from this slavery and start following God. If you are already saved, check to make sure that you are not selling your birthright for an earthly pleasure that will not last very long. When you have done these, you can sing the songs that are in the verses in Psalms 25 and Ps. 119:105-112). 

Accomplishment of the week:

So where did you find yourself? What did you do to change it if you are not where you should be? Did you take the time to thank God for salvation from the slavery of sin?