Christian Paradigm Shifts

  Today's reading was about Jacob working for Laban for seven years in order to marry Rachel. But when his time was complete, Laban gave Jacob Leah instead of Rachel.   Jacob had been tricked!! Needless to say, he was not a happy camper and complained to Laban. Laban agreed to give Jacob Rachel only on the condition that Jacob work for another seven years Jacob agreed.   Needless to say, two sisters marrying one man only means trouble will be brewing.   Here is the text I want to focus on:   When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” 2  Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!” 3  Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.” 4  So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife,

Part of today's reading was about Abraham's test in the sacrificing of his son.   Here is the part I'd like to concentrate on which is from Genesis 6-14:     6  So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7  Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” 8  “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. 9  When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10  And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11  At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,”

    Today's reading was about Abraham's intercession or prayer for Sodom, the city's destruction and the rescue of Lot and his family.   I want to focus on the following portion: 23  Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon. 24  Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25  He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. 26  But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt. 27  Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord ’s presence. 28  He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace. 29   But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the

  Today's reading from the NLT Year Chronological Bible was about Noah and his family entering the ark.   Here's the part of the passage I'd like to concentrate on:    8  Then God told Noah and his sons, 9  “I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, 10  and with all the animals that were on the boat with you—the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals—every living creature on earth. 11  Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.” 12  Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. 13  I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. 14  When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, 15  and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will th

As I am reading through the NLT One Year Chronological Bible, I am looking for signs of God's grace toward the people He made in his image. Grace is God's unmerited favor towards people.   I came across two individuals that God showed grace towards ~ Cain and Noah.   You may be saying to yourself, "I can understand grace toward Noah but Cain? Didn't he kill his brother and was cursed by God?"   Yes, Cain was cursed by God for killing his brother but even God's judgment was tempered with grace.    Here's the passage:   8  One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.”And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. 9  Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” 10  But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11  Now you are cu

 A New Year has just begun...   A fresh start....   A new beginning.....   Another opportunity to grow closer to Jesus...   My one word is....     My verse for the year....       On Wednesday's I'd like to share songs about grace...   Here's the first one...    Have a wonderful and blessed New Year!!   His grace is sufficient for me and for you!!