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And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Genesis 14:15 (ESV)

This is quite amazing, Abram moved in active and confident faith in God. He was bold in pursuing this army which had recently defeated many peoples including slaying giants.

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” Genesis 15:1 (ESV)

God is our defence and our great treasure and reward. We should trust in and rejoice in him as such.

And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 (ESV)

Like Abram we must put our trust in God’s word

And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. Genesis 15:10 (ESV)

This was a common covenant made between men as partners in some business or enterprise at the time, God was saying here that he was very serious about keeping his promise to Abram, this should have filled Abram with assurance and strengthened his faith

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: Matthew 11:4 (ESV)

What Jesus did and said authenticated him as the promised Messiah

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12 (ESV)

Since the days of John the Baptist Gods kingdom has suffered oppression and resistance by violent men. This should serve as a reminder for us to pray for those imprisoned for the Gospel that they would not lose faith.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matthew 11:27 (ESV)

It is Gods gracious will for us as his elect to know the truth and it is only through Jesus choosing us that the Father is revealed to us that we may know him. We should thank God that we have been elected by his grace.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29 (ESV)

We should joyfully take on the yoke of discipleship under Jesus. In this we will find rest for our souls. All other efforts are futile and too heavy to bear (the wight of legalism or the slavery of open sin). Jesus is our gentile teacher.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)

God has given al men an inner knowing that life continues after death.

also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. Ecclesiastes 3:13 (ESV)

God has given us this life to enjoy with him.

and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” Genesis 12:12–13 (ESV)

This was all in Abram’s mind, he was fearful and thought the worst instead of trusting God in faith. We can learn from this that we should not try to figure everything out in our own minds in fear but should instead trust God in faith.

and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. Matthew 10:22–23 (ESV)

We are called to endure and persevere, God grants us the grace and strength we need to do this

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 (ESV)

We should not fear man, instead we should fear God!

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32–33 (ESV)

If God is taking care of the birds we know he will take care of us so we should stand up for him and not fear man or be ashamed

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:37–38 (ESV)

Jesus demands our allegiance and to have priority in our lives and affections. We need to examine our hearts and be sure we treasure him more than anything or anyone else

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)

Lord help us to do the right thing at the right time

The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Genesis 10:6 (ESV)

Cush, Egypt and Put were not cursed only Canaan was.

These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations. Genesis 10:31 (ESV)

Notice the bible distinguishes people by their language, clan, land and nation and not by the colour of their skin, this is a fairly recent invention created to divide people in a way that God has never intended. Defining someone by the colour of their skin is very simplistic and quite disrespectful to the individual when compared to richness with which peoples are defined in the bible.

Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:9 (ESV)

This is where all languages originally came from although languages have changed and developed over time

But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:12–13 (ESV)

Jesus teaches us that the mission of salvation can not be achieved by us staying in “respectable company” (we need to go out into all the world and share the good news with everyone) and that God’s priority is self sacrificing love rather than man made ritual and protocol.

No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16–17 (ESV)

The new way that Jesus brings can not be contained by man made traditions and religious observance, we now relate to God in terms of a responsive living relationship and not a religion of unfulfilled forms and shadows. Jesus has fulfilled the law now we live our lives in the new order that he has made through the cross.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37–38 (ESV)

This is still true and we should still pray this with all our hearts and be willing to be the labourers that are sent out

For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 2:26 (ESV)

All our work will only be of true benefit to us if we put our faith in God which pleases him, otherwise work can become like a slave master.

And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. Genesis 8:21 (ESV)

As human’s we are evil from our youth, this confirms the biblical teaching that we are all sinners in need of salvation which is only available through Jesus Christ.

he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” Genesis 9:25 (ESV)

Notice Noah said cursed be Canaan (Ham’s son) not cursed be Ham or any of Ham’s other children. In the past this curse has been misquoted to say that Ham was cursed and therefore the African nations that came from Ham are cursed. This is simply a lie as the curse fell to Canaan and his children who were the 7 people’s of Canaan.. the promised Land.. “Black” people have not been specially cursed.

So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. Matthew 7:17 (ESV)

Jesus has given us a very simple way to tell if someone is a true teacher, or even a true believer. What do they actually do, that is the fruit. We don’t need to know their hearts (roots) we just need to observe their conduct (fruit).

For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool!Ecclesiastes 2:16 (ESV)

One appointment we all have to keep, so don’t make the pursuit of wisdom be your whole life, give your life to the one who has conquered death… Jesus!

But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. Genesis 6:18 (ESV)

We can be grateful that God has made a covenant with us through Jesus to save us from the wrath to come. In the same way God made a covenant with Noah to save him from the flood

And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him. Genesis 7:5 (ESV)

One of Noah’s distinctive virtues was what he was obedient to God’s commands

The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. Genesis 7:20 (ESV)

This was not a local but a global flood

so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:4 (ESV)

There is nothing wrong with seeking reward, it is natural to seek reward, the issue comes in where and who we seek to receive the reward from, we should seek to be rewarded by God in his time and his way. We do not deserve the reward but we gladly receive it as a benefit of Gods great grace. Gods reward can be a good motivation for all we do in the way we live as believers.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 (ESV)

You will care about whatever you invest in

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

In our capitalist and consumer driven culture we must consciously choose to serve God and not our own temporary pleasures through the pursuit of more money

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26 (ESV)

Humans are worth more than animals in Gods eyes, another blow to evolution.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

We should seek God first, this was the word our Pastor Dennis preached at our new years eve / new years day service as we crossed into 2014

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:8 (ESV)

We must not be cowardly and quiet but boldly ask God for what we need in accordance with his will.

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11 (ESV)

Boldly ask God for good things!

And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Ecclesiastes 2:10 (ESV)

Solomon’s attitude here was really wrong, he felt his hard work entitled him to any pleasure he desired, this only leads to hedonism and is why Jesus taught us in todays reading to seek reward from God and store our treasure in heaven