Read the story of Jacob's flight (Gen. 28:10–22). Note the messages of encouragement and assurance God gave him through a dream. What was Jacob's response?

Jacob was thankful to God for the promise that He gave him. Jacob did two things. The first thing that Jacob did was establish a foundation for the house of God, Jacob established a place of worship. Secondly Jacob established a tithing system wherefore he could give back to God thanking him for his goodness. When God does something particularly good for us we too must worship Him and we must also give back to God as a display of our thankfulness.

How much awe, reverence, and fear do you have when you worship the Lord? Or is your heart hard, cold, and ungrateful? If the latter, how can you change?

We must be on constant guard concerning the way that we approach God. While we reverence the awesomeness of God we must also recognize the God want’s us to draw near to us. To change our hearts about worship we must continue to read the bible and meditate on the scenes of worship in the scriptures. In our personal devotional time we must have heart searching prayer. If we are willing God will help change our attitudes toward Him.

Prayer: Father thank you for the example of Jacob. Today we want to establish a Bethel in our hearts so that you take up residence inside of us. Help us never to lose site of your awesomeness. Thank you in Jesus name amen.

Related posts:

1. What's in a Name?
2. A Pillar of Mission The Apostle Peter: Organizing the Early Church
3. The Genesis of a Family Disaster

The Faith of Abraham

Read Genesis 12:1-8. What do these verses reveal about Abram ( later Abraham) and his calling by God?

The first thing that we notice about Abraham is that he was obedient to God. Abraham left from the land that was familiar to him and went to follow God by faith. As we continue we see that wherever Abraham goes he builds and altar to the Lord. Abraham was a man of faith, and he was a worshiper of God. Worshiping God was something that was very important to Abraham and he did not wait long before he established a place of worship wherever he went.

Read Genesis 22:1-18. Why this terrible test for Abraham? What was the real message God wanted him to understand? Vss. 8,13,14

Initially when God called Abraham He told him that he would make him a great nation. Abraham also had his son Isaac at an old age, which was another test of Abraham's faith. God has promised Abraham something and now God was asking him to sacrifice the only visible means to the promise. This was a tremendous test of faith for Abraham on many levels. God wanted Abraham to trust God and God alone not what he could see, but simply take God at His word by faith. In addition to this Abraham’s act would point toward to what God would ultimately do in giving Jesus Christ for the sins of the world.

Dwell on the kind of faith that Abraham exhibited there. It is truly amazing; one hardly can imagine it. What should this teach us about the weakness of your own faith?

When we look at the faith of Abram it lets me know that we have a long way to God. The encouraging part is that Abraham was human just like all of us and if he could do it we can do it. I believe God wants us all to not only have the faith of Abraham but have the faith of Jesus. (Rev 14:12)

Prayer: Father thank you for the example that you have left us in Abraham. Father teach us to trust in you as Abraham did , and even more so as Jesus did. Thank you in Jesus name amen.

Related posts:

1. Atonement Announced -Abraham Saw My Day
2. Do Not Be Afraid
3. Faith Healing "Who Touched My Clothes?"

Read Genesis 6:1-8 What process do we see taking place here, and why is it so dangerous? What results did this lead to?

The first thing that we see is that God’s people began to intermarry with the people of the world. Today we see this as well when believers intermarry with unbelievers. Because of this intermingling God was displeased and therefore limited the amount of time God’s Spirit remained with man. As the son of God began to mingle with the daughters of men this only lead to a decreased moral standard. As the wickedness on the earth increased , it got so bad that men only thought evil continually. The results of this train of behavior was God wanting to destroy the earth. Each entrapment of sin always begins with a small step. As we take small steps in the wrong direction it decreases our sensitivity to gravity of our actions.

What was the first thing the Bible records Noah as doing after he came out of the ark, and why is that important? Gen 8:20

The bible records that Noah built an altar and sacrificed to God. This act of Noah showed what his priorities where. Before even beginning anything else Noah wanted to establish a place to worship God and sacrifice toward Him. This is important because it establishes the centrality of worship and sacrifice in the life of the Christian. The idea of worship which points toward to the risen savior should be preeminent in the life of the believer.

How do you daily show your acknowledgment of God’s grace in your life? Or more important, How should you show that acknowledgment?

You display this in the way that you live you life. How grateful you are how thankful you are how you treat others, how you help others, how merciful you are. All these things are manifested in the life of the believer who is actuated by the grace of God.

Prayer: Father thank you for you grace that you give us. Help us to be masterpieces of you grace and manifest this in are daily lives. Thank you Father in Jesus name Amen.

Related posts:

1. Sun Worshipers
2. Models of Faithfulness
3. The Bible's First Drunk

Read carefully the first recorded story of a worship service (Gen. 4:1–7).Why was Cain's offering not acceptable to God and Abel's was?

When we look at these two offerings there appears to be no apparent reason why God would choose one over the other. The offering that Cain brought was a sacrifice from the ground and the sacrifice that Able brought was the firstborn of his flock. Looking closer in Genesis 3 we see two things which give us a clue as to why Abel’s offering was accepted and Cain’s was refused. In genesis 3:15 God announces "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." This passage is a prophecy which points toward to when Jesus Christ will ultimately triumph over sin. Also in Genesis 3:21 the bible says that "Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them." Both of these texts point toward to what God would do in Jesus Christ for humanity. Just as God scarified an animal to clothed Adam and Even and just as God would give His firstborn for us Able too gives a animal sacrifice of the firstborn of his flock. Abel's sacrifice demonstrated his faith in what God would do through Jesus Christ(Heb 11:4).

Examine your own thoughts, motives, and inner feelings about worship. How Christ-centered is your worship, or might you be focusing too much upon yourself?

I believe the major thing that keeps our worship life fresh is our service life. If we are not helping others then we often lose the substance of our others. We we are engaged in services to others if makes our worship more meaningful and authentic. When our life is Christ-centered we do the same things which Christ did.

Prayer: Father thank you for what you did for us in Jesus Christ. Please help us to live our lives looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith.

Related posts:

1. Worship in Eden
3. Patience in the Gospel (2 Tim. 4:2)

Worship in Eden

Read the tragic story of the fall in Genesis 3:1–13. What changes now took place in Adam's relationship to his Creator? (vss. 8–10). How did Adam respond to God's questions to him? (vss. 11–13). What does his response reveal about what had happened to him?

When Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he realized realized that eating it’s fruit caused an internal change in himself. Adam was not initially struck with the gravity of his actions but it was processed he realized what he had done. In patriarch and prophets Ellen White says this.

After his transgression Adam at first imagined himself entering upon a higher state of existence. But soon the thought of his sin filled him with terror. The air, which had hitherto been of a mild and uniform temperature, seemed to chill the guilty pair. The love and peace which had been theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a dread of the future, a nakedness of soul. The robe of light which had enshrouded them, now disappeared, and to supply its place they endeavored to fashion for themselves a covering; for they could not, while unclothed, meet the eye of God and holy angels.(pp 57)

After Adam recognized the he was naked he proceeded to cover himself with fig leaves. When Adam heard God walking in the garden he hid from him. Adam no longer was drawn to the presence of God but it repelled him because of his sin.

Think about times in your life when some experience, perhaps some sin, made you feel guilt, shame, and the desire to hide from God. How did this affect your prayer life? What did it do to your ability to worship Him with your whole heart? Not a pleasant feeling, is it?

I have experienced this before and I know the feeling. When I know that I am doing something that is not right then I am not as inclined to prayer of study of the scriptures. It is in these these times that we need to really seek after God and pray to Him for help and strength.

Prayer: Father sometimes we run away from you when we should be really running toward you. Help us to see our need of you even when we are feeling guilty and ashamed. Thank you in Jesus name amen.

Related posts:

1. Worship and Church Community
2. Shame