The Simple Life

And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords. Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one? —and my life will be saved!" Genesis  19:18-20 Lot, a man who once lived in the country and had many sheep, could not follow the leading of the Lord because he was now too soft. The rugged Lot, accustomed to the simplicity of life in the city, begged not to be tossed into the rugged wilderness. Ideas have consequences. Lot's ideas were disastrous. Lot, like many, seemed to be one the masses could easily influence. The idea of being isolated in the wilderness was unthinkable, yet the unthinkable is why he was in trouble in the first place. We are all influenced by our culture, and those whose roots go deep into a Godless culture will find dis...

So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, "Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. Genesis 19:14 So you want to get out of Sodom? Not so easy, is it? Perhaps you should have thought about an exit strategy before you started. Obviously, Lot's lifestyle and previous discussions did not support the gravity of this situation. His future sons-in-laws thought he was kidding. When the time comes for you to be serious about a situation that needs attention, will those who know and love you know you are serious? There will be a day when you will want out. How many casualties will be strewn about because you neglect God, family, and friends? Compromise of principle always leads to weakened resolve and becomes the gateway to disaster. Therefore, I need to know the principles in God's Word and dedicate myself never to compromise, regardless of the apparent cost. http...

And they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them." Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof." But they said, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. Genesis 19:5-9 Tragic. What causes a "righteous" man to act this way? "…and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked" (2 Peter 2:7) The choices, compromises, and truth-spinning we do can and will affect us and those we love in...

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. 2 Peter 2:4-10 God will punish those who deny Him His rightful place. Lot lived i...

So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" And the Lord said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty- five there." Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppo...

So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" And the Lord said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty- five there." Again he spoke to him and said, Suppose for...

And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt." Genesis 16:2-5 It never works well to help God with a plan on which He needs no help. God does not need us; He wants us. He does not use us to accomplish His will; He allows us to be in on His completing His will. It is not about our faith but about His faithfulness. Really. Continue to read the Scriptures and see h...

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." But Abram said, "O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir." And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: "This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir." And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:1-6 Early and often, we find God reveals Himself through our obedience to Him and in miraculous ways. Yet, we often want to figure it out on our own. We want to consult the many who love consulting the other ...

Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Genesis 13:8-11 Lot thought that he would need to grab the best for himself. But, throughout his journey, Abram learned that it is not man's logic or wisdom that will bring about success, but rather, it is God. God alone is responsible for the only important things in life. God is the one who created and sustains life. God, alone, is the one who...

Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Genesis 13:8-11 Why the fights? It was over what was best for self, easiest for self, and what made one's life simpler, better, and more productive. This life is all about us, so we must fight for what gives us the best life. Trouble always starts with self-centered thinking--always. When I make life about me, I lose. When I make marriage about ...

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, "I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 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  12:10-13 This learning that we must trust in God is a long process. For some reason, and I am sure it is an excellent reason in Abram's eyes, he needed to tell the authorities that Sarai was not his wife. It could be, like today, that women in that day were objectified and used and owned and Abram was starting to play into their game. Abram and husbands today are to be those who guide, protect, care for, and love their wives like Christ loved the church. The minute a man begins to look after his...

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Genesis 12:1 God has a way of showing us that if we trust in anyone or anything other than Himself, we will be disappointed. Abram was told to leave home, the comforts, the ease, and the future he could have in the family structure already in place. He obeyed. Obedience is more important than sacrifice. It is more critical than logic. It is more important than public opinion. It is more important than comfort. God did not make us to enjoy this world, but to enjoy Himself, and, i...

Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers." He also said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant." Genesis 9:20-25 Fermented drink causes all sorts of unwanted and regretful behavior. Therefore, it is best to leave it alone. It is not as if there is a void of excellent beverages available i...

And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in. Genesis 7:16 And the Lord shut them in. Imagine those who spent a hundred years or so making fun of Noah, the crazy old guy who built a boat in the mountain. Imagine the look on their faces when they felt the first raindrop and saw and heard the water rushing upward from the ground. I imagine a line of sprinters running towards the ark, banging on the door, and pleading with Noah to hear and open it. I imagine people repenting, shouting about their wrongs, and begging for mercy. Only it was too late. God shut the door. Many believe that God never gives up, yet He does. He shut the door. All those who were on the outside stayed on the outside. Just days before they could have joined in, but something kept them from it. Perhaps the ridicule that was ever present, or the idea of thinking for a moment that an older man building a boat in the mountain was sane was too much to ov...

Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. Genesis 6:14 Can you imagine being given an assignment from God to make a boat, a rather large ship, in the mountain? Noah was the "one" who listened to God, and God was no doubt looking for one He could use to show the world who He was--just as He is today. But that individual needs to be willing to be one who would face the impossible and remain tenaciously focused on the task. How does one build a giant ark in the mountain? One board at a time, one nail at a time, and one day at a time. After a hundred or so years, there is a finished product, and God uses this to demonstrate who He is and to save a remnant. Today, I need to be willing to be that person--the one whom God would use. I need to position myself to do the impossible to show God clearly to the world in which I live. I need to trust in God and enjoy the position of faith in which He puts me, even if nobody else joi...

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:8 There was one man who found favor with God. So often, this is the case. It is consistent throughout the Scriptures that most have fallen prey to the schemes of the Evil One. Most have fallen into love with self overall and this earth and its pleasures. Most are looking for satisfaction and approval from the majority. Most fear missing out on what this majority offers, even though it is hopeless, worthless, and a path to destruction. Jesus told us that the gate is narrow. Why, then, are we so into what is popular? It is as if we are looking for significance and security in all the wrong places. It is as if we enjoy following the blind, listening to the mute, and preaching to the deaf. There was one who God found here--Noah. There was one whom God pointed out in the book of Job--Job. There always seems to be one who gets it. It would be wise to identify that one and identify with them. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5 Man has choice, real choice, and therefore real consequences are attached to that choice. God could have done it differently. He could have made us robotic. He could have attached strings to us and allowed the angels to control our every move like the string puppets of old. He could have been like earthly kings who used their power to amass a large group of yes men and women who secretly hated the powerful thumb of the mighty king. But He did not. He chose to love, which means He allowed us to choose and live in the context of those decisions. When we ask why evil happens, the answer is simple: it happens because we are evil--all of us. When we ask, "Why does God allow evil?" we usually talk about someone else when we should talk about ourselves. God is not tolerant; He is patient. We need to see that the love of God has ...

In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. Genesis 4:3-5 God has told us that there is a particular way to Himself. God has made provision for our sins and needs and is very detailed about how we vicariously go about life. We will either listen to God and be significant and secure, or we will ignore what He has said and try, without success, to find significance and security on our own. Those who try to find significance and security on their own will fail and struggle all their lives with anxiety, depression, and overwhelming feelings of hopelessness. For now, that choice is ours.   https://www.podbean.com/relate365

The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Genesis 3:12 God is sovereign, and I have a choice. I need not reconcile how that works because it does. Here, Adam tried to play the sovereignty card. After all, it was the woman whom God gave to Adam who caused the problem. If God had not given him Eve, he would have been just fine and would not have sinned in that terrible way—or so he thought. Adam blamed God for his sin. However, God did not accept that argument. I have a choice. My choices matter. I will be accountable to God for my choices, which will either make life better for those around me or be disastrous. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:6 This was the "dirt body" at work. Eve held a special place, yet she abandoned this place by allowing her feelings, logic, and desires to control what she thought about what was right and wrong. Eve was not made like the animals, from dirt, or like man, from soil, but from man. She held a special place in Adam's life, a powerful influence, and a solitary companion. Satan knew of this special relationship and played it well. He knew that the woman enjoyed the beauty, and this beauty put desires in her heart. She thought that beauty would satisfy her. For some reason, she felt and began thinking with her feelings instead of her mind. Ultimately, she allowed Satan to twist the truth by suggesting that God was keeping some...

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.  Genesis 1:7  In the beginning, God. In the beginning, God created. In the beginning, God formed. In the beginning, I was nothing, a pile of dust, a lifeless, meaningless lump of clay.  God made me something from nothing. He breathed into me a life that will never end. He sustains my life. One day, this body that controls me, guides me, and demands to be pleased will again be lifeless and return to the state of "clay" from which it originated. How then shall I live? https://www.podbean.com/relate365