Genesis 4: Honesty with God

Honesty with God

Many of us know the story of Cain killing Abel due to jealousy and shame because Cain did not honor God with his sacrifices. Abel sacrificed his fattest portion to God and Cain sacrificed what fell on the ground. Now, in this time sacrifices were a part of the culture. When you sacrifice to God, it was not what you could muster up, but what was your fattest portion. That means, if you tended to trees and bushes that bore fruit, then you do not sacrifice what is rotted, you give what is the best in honor to God. Abel did that with his livestock. Cain brought forth sacrifices/fruits that fell to the ground. These fruits may be bruised and dirty and essentially not the best to bring forth to God to represent your thanks and sacrifice to Him.

Now, how does that play into your life? When you look at your relationship with God, what is it you are sacrificing? In other words, what are you hanging on to that God would rather have you sacrifice? Is it trust in Him? Is it tangible? Maybe it is money you are hanging on to. How is your tithing? Is your tithing based on a fear that you won't be able to survive?

The funny thing is, we are to trust in God and know that He will provide for us if we do what it is He wants us to do. If we just stay comfortable and make sure we are happy then we are missing out on truly giving up things for God. God doesn't want us to rely on the tangible, but know that He will provide for us. But we can't hold back from Him. We have to sacrifice.

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Revelation 18: Babylon Falls, Kings Weep

Babylon Falls, Kings Weep

This a probably a different Babylon in this chapter than the one mentioned in Chapter 17. The Babylon in Chapter 18 has some characteristics that are not contained within the Babylon of Chapter 18, such as great city, port city (coastal), habitation, marketplace, guilty of greed and self-indulgence and destroyed by sudden act of God (Dave Guzik). In verse 9 we read "and the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning." That means the leaders (not all necessarily will be kings) who were connected to her and benefiting from her (power, greed, ungodly things) will lose the influence and power they had with Babylon as it will fall. As I stated in yesterday's post, the Lamb wins again.

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Revelation 17: The Lamb Wins

The Lamb Wins

I may have mentioned this before, but in reading through the Book of Revelation it is easy to fear the end of days with all of the visions that are reported through the writing. But, the visions are not necessarily to be taken as the images that are represented. So, when you read  through chapter 17 and read of the prostitute and the beast and all of these different images, these more than likely are representations of ideas and events that have or have yet to take place. Regardless of the image and turmoil and tribulation, remember this as stated in Revelation 17:14 "They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful." Jesus wins in the end. The power of Jesus, bestowed unto him by God will prevail over evil. On a small scale, look at being loving and how that can change your heart from being hateful toward someone. Love like Jesus. Overcoming temptation through the power of Jesus and receiving the self-control can keep you away from bad decisions. The Lamb wins.

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Revelation 5:The Scroll and the Lamb

The Scroll and the Lamb

Through reading an interpretation of the scroll and the lamb (Revelation 5:1-10) serve as God's will (the scroll) and Jesus (the lamb). The scroll is written on the front and back, which was not typical, could also represent the old and new testaments of the Bible. The scroll being handed to the lamb could signify that Jesus is the only one who has it within him (and his death) to unlock what is God's will. Therefore, if you really want to know what God wants from you, go to Jesus. Read about him and understand how he lived and why he lived and then you will know, what God wants from you.

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Mark 14:6- Anointing of Jesus

Anointing of Jesus

In Mark 14:6, we get to see Jesus stand up for a woman who, in a sense, was being bullied by people. A woman used expensive oil and poured it over Jesus's head. It was used to anoint him, which symbolizes empowering, blessing and protection in religious ceremonies. Many were upset that she "wasted" the oil on Jesus when it could have been sold for 300 denarii (which would be worth today $30,000 USD).

What these men overlooked was their own selfishness. They overlooked what was being done for Jesus and thought of what they could have done with the money. I equate that to skipping on tithing because you would rather use the money for your own personal gain.

Jesus stood up for her and asked the men why they troubled/bothered her understanding that she did a beautiful thing for him. She did what she could to anoint his body for burial. Jesus is saying that he is going to die.

 Jesus knew he was fulfilling prophecies. He knew the role Judas would have and what part Peter would play. He knew that they would "not always have" him. He foretells his betrayal and his death on the cross.

Jesus knew what his purpose was and went through with it anyway. The more I read about Jesus the more my heart breaks for what our sin did to him. The more my heart breaks for how he was treated when he dedicated his life for us.

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