Genesis 13:3-4
“And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord.”

As we read the story of Abraham, we find erecting altars was a regular part of his walk with God. On five separate occasions, he took time to build an altar and call on the name of The Lord. These altars were tangible ways for Abraham to express his commitment and devotion to the Lord, for all God had done for him. The story behind this altar is of particular importance, as we seek to walk with God.

The last scene in the life of Abraham was a low point for the patriarch. Difficult circumstances had led…

Matthew 6

The longer I live the more I have come to realize that so much in life is passing. Things I once coveted and had to have, are bundled up and given to the Salvation Army. That “new car smell” has been replaced with “what’s that smell?” Even relationships that were once so close, have grown distant. The words of Christ shout a deafening cry,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Matthew, Chapter 6, not only exhorts us to lay up heavenly treasures, it also sheds light on the spiritual activities that will help us do it. We are told to give, pray, fast and let go.

One of the great struggles we face…

Genesis 12:10
“Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.”

Life is filled with ups and downs. Sometimes, it seems like we are living under the sunshine of God’s favor, while other times, we seem to be under a dark cloud of difficulty. Abram and his family were facing a dark time. They were living as sojourners in the land of Canaan when famine struck. This was, no doubt, caused by lack of rainfall. They soon realized, their only course of action, was to head to Egypt. As they journeyed, Abram was gripped with fear. He knew the danger they were stepping into and feared for his safety. Believing that once the rulers of the land saw his wife, they would kill him, and take her. He devised a plan that would keep…

Matthew 5:1-2 “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .”

Matthew 5-7 contain one continuous message that Jesus preached to His followers on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Although it is called a sea, it is actually a lake. The Greek word for sea and lake are the same word.

Verse 1 gives us the setting in which this sermon was given. We read, “seeing the multitude, He went up…” This great message on Christian ethics and Christian living was motivated by seeing the multitude. The word “multitude” simply means a large group of people. It is used in the Gospels to speak of the great number of people who, while being drawn to Jesus, had not yet received Him. The multitude illustrates…

Genesis 10:10
“And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…”

Genesis is the book of beginnings. In it we are introduced to many things which play a prominent role as the rest of Scripture unfolds. Here in Chapter 10, we are introduced to the city of Babylon, which becomes a major player in the Biblical narrative.  it is mentioned 257 times in the Bible. We learn Babylon was built by a man named Nimrod (whose name means rebellion); he built Babylon in defiance of God. His purpose in building the city is recorded in Genesis 11:4

“Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Babylon is important because of its symbolic representation of man’s false religious systems. The focus of the city of Babylon was a tower to the…

Genesis 9:21
“Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.”

Once the waters had resided and the ark settled, Noah and his family exited the ark to begin a new life. They would have to survey the land, build shelter, plant crops, and much more. It is interesting to me, of all the events that must have transpired, the Scriptures only focus upon a few. We read in Genesis 8, Noah offered sacrifice to the Lord. We can assume, after all he experienced, he was still a very godly man. We read in Chapter 9 that a covenant between God and man was re-established, based upon the shedding of blood. When we come to the story before us, having settled in the new world with his new life, we find Noah indulging in wine and becoming fall-down drunk. As we continue through the…

Matthew 4:1 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

People seem to be fascinated with fighting. I can remember being in Jr. High School and hearing the word “FIGHT” resonate across the playground. All activities stopped and the whole student body ran in an attempt to get a front row seat to view the scene. Things have not changed; people gather to watch boxing matches, UFC events and even hockey games, all for the thrill of the fight.

Here in Matthew 4 we have a fight for the ages. It is the greatest of fights because it is between the greatest of opponents; the devil and Jesus. It reflects the fight we all face. I notice in this epic battle a few key elements that will help us as we seek to overcome the temptations the devil throws our…

Genesis 8:1
​”Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.”

The last time Noah heard the voice of God he was instructed to enter the ark and shut the doors. Since that time, forty-seven days have passed. These were days of difficulty, unrest, fear and anxiety, as Noah and His family stepped out into the unknown. In a time when Noah needed the voice of God more than ever, it seemed that heaven had gone silent. What a blessing it is to read “God remembered Noah…”

Perhaps it would be of value to consider what it means that” God remembered Noah”. First off, it does not mean God had forgotten him. Often, in the midst of our darkest trials, we get the feeling God has forgotten…

Genesis 7:5
“And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.”

Obedience is critical to any relationship with the Lord. If we are going to grow in Christ, experience the promises of God, and effectively witness to others about relationship with Jesus, we must learn obedience. Samuel told Saul that to obey is better than to sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22) and Jesus declared, if we love Him we will do what He says (John 14:15). Noah is a great example of what an obedient life looks like. There are three things that stand out, to me, about his obedience.

First, Noah did what he was asked to do. When the divine command was uttered, Noah got busy. We do not read of him questioning God about the meaning of rain, or a flood, nor does he argue with God about the difficulty of the task. Instead, Noah…

Genesis 5:1
​ “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.”

The Bible teaches that man was originally created in the image of God. Since God is eternal, man was created to live forever. Since God is triune: Father, Son and Spirit, man was also created as a triune being: spirit, soul and body. Since God is holy, man was originally created without sin, placed in a perfect environment, and enjoyed sweet communion with God. Tragically, we read man’s condition did not last long. Within a few verses of the narrative, we find the first man and woman giving into the tempter and sin entering the world. The effects of this sin were both immediate and far reaching. Immediately they were changed, knew their sin, and were separated from God. The far reaching aspect of…