Genesis 6 - 04.30.26

SCRIPTURE

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV

OBSERVATION

“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5 NIV)

Scripture emphasizes it with almost unbearable clarity—every inclination of even the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

But—Noah stood out to God…Noah found favor with God.

Noah was a righteous man” (Genesis 6:9)—

not because he was flawless,

but because he believed God.

Noah’s righteousness Came by his Faith in God. Hebrews shares

in the great “wall of Faith” from chapter 11 about Noah:

“It was by faith that Noah built an ark to save his family from the flood.

He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.”

‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

APPLICATION

Righteousness Comes BY Faith

Trust and Believe in God

Paul said it best in his letter to the Philippian Church.

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law;

rather,

I become righteous through faith in Christ.

For God’s way of making us right with himself—depends on faith.

‭‭(Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭9NLT‬‬)

I recently watched the life of Phil Robertson on Pure Flix called The Blind. Larry started watching their reality show (Duck Dynasty) when we were taking turns in Palm Springs caring for his mom on Hospice. He was so taken back by this strange family living in the woods that had godly values and ended each show at the dinner table saying Grace.

The movie had one part that I will never forget because it’s true for every believer yet we don’t ever actually word it this way. When Phil finally surrenders his life to Jesus and goes into the baptism waters the Pastor asks him this question, “Are you ready to die?”

In essence this is what happens when we give our lives to Jesus.

Are we ready to die—So we can Live?

Our Old lives cease and our NEW Lives Begin. The Old has died—The New Begins.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a NEW person. The OLD life is gone; a NEW life has begun!”

‭‭(2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ NLT)

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:4 NIV)

PRAYER

Lord Jesus,

Thank YOU LORD Jesus that YOU Changed EVERYTHING.

No matter how desperate the world may seem, no matter how challenging our circumstances may at times feel—Your gracious Gift of Salvation has made me alive IN Christ. The old is gone. The New Life has begun.

I Trust Jesus…I have died to my own ways of thinking and doing.

Everything else…is worthless.

Thank YOU that I can walk with YOU daily and have the assurance of Knowing YOU are WITH me Now and with me forever.

Teach me how to BE with YOU.

Teach me how To Follow YOU.

Teach me how to Live For YOU…that I may be pleasing and my life may be sweet worship to YOU.

Everything I have is Yours.

Empty me, FILL me, Use me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Tina L Kudelka

Mark 10 - 4.29.26

Scripture

Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. (Mark 10:9)

Observation

Jesus clearly teaches about God’s design in marriage in this chapter. In the beginning of creation, God performed the first marriage between Adam and Eve (Mark 10:6). Today, when a man and a woman get married, they are not signing a contract. They are entering into a covenant before God. It is God who solemnizes marriage. It doesn’t matter if the marriage was arranged (as in the Eastern culture) or was entered into through love and dating (as in the western culture). It is God who seals the covenant of marriage. The man and the woman leave their parents, and become one (Mark 10:7). Marriage is for life. “What God has joined together, let no man separate” - this is God's commandment (Mark 10:9). We are not permitted to break what God brought together. Only God can dissolve a marriage, by the death of one of the two people in it, and then the other person is free to marry. 

Application

There is a heavy spiritual assault on marriage today. Culture has desensitized us to the sacred solemnity of marriage. Hollywood glorifies pre-marital sex and makes it appear normal. Marriage seems to be an after-thought in movies. When disagreements arise, it is easy to walk away and look for another mate. That is not God’s will. 

God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). Some Christians try to spiritualize divorce by saying, “He (she) was not God’s will for me”. That is a baseless excuse. If you are married, God expects you to honor that covenant. Joshua and the children of Israel entered into a covenant with the Gibeonites, against God’s will. They did not ask for counsel from God, and entered into it based on their own wisdom (Joshua 9:14,15). However, centuries later, King Saul violated this covenant by attacking the Gibeonites, and God’s judgement came on Israel (2 Sam 21:1). Later, we see King David repenting and doing the restitution to receive God’s forgiveness for this sin (2 Sam 21:14). 

We are called to love and forgive - and that includes our spouses. Let us look to God’s definition of love. Love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not keep a record of wrongs. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Cor 13:4-7). 

This is not to condemn you, if you have divorce in your past. All of us have done things in our past, which we are not proud of. You have repented. You were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:11). There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1). God is able to take all the broken pieces of our past (all of us have broken pieces), and make it all work out for good. God makes all things work out for good for those who love God and those who are called according to his purpose - “all things” include your mistakes (Rom 8:24).

Prayer

Dear Father, I pray for the married couples in the church. I pray that you will help us to resist the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy what you have given us (John 10:10). Help us to submit to you and resist the devil, knowing that when we do so, he will flee from us (James 4:7). Help us to guard what you have given us as most precious. Help us to love as you have loved us, and forgive as you have forgiven us. I pray for the young people in the church. I pray that they will guard their bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Help them to keep themselves pure for their future marriage partners. Help us to be the bride without a spot, that you are seeking when you come (Eph 5:27). Help us to be holy as you are holy (1 Pet 1:16). In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

- Asha Chacko George

Genesis 4 - 4.28.26

SCRIPTURE:  Genesis 4:2b-7 

“Now Abel kept flocks, Cain worked the soil.  In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering - fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.  The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor.  So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?  Why is your face downcast?  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

OBSERVATION:  When Adam and Eve sinned, they impacted all humanity by introducing sin into the world. Without a doubt, Cain and Abel brought their offerings because God had revealed to them the necessity of the offering. Their son Cain brought an offering to the Lord, and though the Bible doesn’t specifically say why Abel’s offering was regarded by the Lord, and Cain’s wasn’t, I noticed something that stood out!  Abel’s offering included some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions, while Cain’s offering was some of the land’s produce; ordinary crops. God considered Abel’s offering better because it represented his “best”.   It was the firstborn of his flock, reflecting his heart of devotion, whereas Cain’s offering was merely a routine sacrifice, potentially lacking sincerity and obedience. Abel brought a blood sacrifice, and Cain brought a bloodless sacrifice.  (Got Questions.com).

“By Faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did.  By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.” (Hebrews 11:4).

APPLICATION:  “The Lord does not look at the things people look at.  People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ( 1 Samuel 16:7b). The best offering we can possibly present to the Lord is our body;  a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is our true and proper worship.  God desires for us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds as we live to honor and glorify Him. 

PRAYER:  Dear God, You deserve my very best because of Who You are, and for all You’ve done for me!  EVERYTHING I have is from You!   May I be willing to offer You my entire life, and faithfully and cheerfully give back to You what You have required because of my genuine love and obedience to You.  Amen

- Robin Orefice