Quiet Times Search

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Although the voice was kind, the question felt harsh
Do you want to get well? - John 5:6
He thought: why else would I have spent every day for the past 38 seasons lying here?

How long can we sustain desire against continual disappointment?
The man at the well began to lose any virtal heart-connection to what he want - he had abandoned desire

By asking him what he wanted, Jesus took him back into desire
Why? It is where we must go if we are to meet God

Christianity is not an invitation to become a moral person or a program to get us into a reforming society

Christianity begins with an invitation to desire

What do you want me to do for you? - Luke 18:41
Jesus continually took people into their hearts - to their deepest desires

What does Jesus choose to talk about with the women at the well?
Her immorality? No
He speaks to her about thirst - John 4:10
Lets talk about your heart's thirst since the life you've chosen isn't working

All you who are thirsty, come to the waters - Isaiah 55:1-2
Message had gotten lost by the time Jesus' showed up
Jew of the day were practicing soul-killing, lifeless religion of duty and obligation

No wonder Jesus was feared. He came along and started appealing to desire

To the lost - Jesus spoke of finding your way
To the weary - Jesus speaks of rest

Again and again Jesus took them back to their desires
Ask and it will be given to you - Matthew 7:7

What is it that you want? - Would have fallen on deaf ear if his message was unrelateable

• Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
• Tree of Life

Does Christianity condemn desire? Like the Puritans

It is not a matter of desire is good or not - it is what we do with it
Christianity recognizes that desire has gone mad within us but not seeking to fix the problem by killing our desire

Something has gone wrong
God gives us commands for our own good
The point is not the law but joy

Faith on its way to maturity moves from duty to delight
If the goal is to move from delight to duty, we are going backwards and regressing

Prodigal son
Younger son desire get him into trouble
Father's desire for the lost boy is deep
He is grateful just to have his son home again
Older brother lived his entire life under duty and obligation - dealt with his sinful nature by killing desire
THose who kill desire are not the ones who experience God's embrace

Examples of desires used for bad then good

King David - passions got him in trouble, then gave us our book of worship

Peter - was hotheaded disciple always quick with a reply
First to acknowledge that Jesus was the Messiah and became a key apostle

Paul - extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers, killed Christians
Jesus captured his zeal for good - he worked harder than all the other apostles - 1 Corinthians 15:10

Those who killed their passion altogether would murder the very essence that makes heros of the faith
Killing our desire is like the thinking of curing our sickness by bleeding out the bad

The enemy wants us to have small passions and desires

We are producing a generation whose greatest virtue is to not defend anyone
Then wonder why there is not more passion for Christ

The greatest enemy of holiness is not passion but apathy
Zeal for your house consumes me - John 2:17
Zeal isn't quite the pcitures we have of Sunday school

If deadness is next to godliness, then Jesus had to deadest person ever - it wasn't the case

God is a consuming fire - Hebrews 10:31
The consuming fire is His jealous love - Deuteronomy 4:24
Joy set before him enable Jesus to endure the agony of the Cross - Hebrews 12:2

A faithful church attender, never missing a Sunday, serving on a committee and offered help to those in need - but why is there something missing?

Why are we a Christian? What is that we want?
You can not help someone who does not want anything
Geldings are nicer and much more well behaved than stallion but they do not bring live (sterile)

To abandon desire is to say, "I don't really need you or want you. I will live with you because I am suppose to"

Your heart desires, duty reduces the dance to a drill
God wants to be desired

The real dilemma of desire is that it humbles us
It takes us wat beyond our own resources where we need to ask for help

First two servant doubled their investment and were rewarded
Most would have agreed with the third servant burying the money saying, "well, at least it was safe" - Matthew 25
The third servant was put into darkness because he did not trust God

When we bury our desires, we saying to God = 'I don't dare desire because I fear you; I think you are hard-hearted"

Is our obedience more out of love or out of carefulness?
Killing desire may look like sanctification but it's really godlessness

Persistent widow - won he case because she refused to let up

When Jesus returns, will he find faith? - Luke 18

To live with desire means:

• Choosing vulnerability over self-protection
• Admiting our desire and seeking help beyond ourselves
• Living by faith and refuse to kill desire

Jesus offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry to the one who could deliever him - Hebrews 5:7

Strong desires make strong prayers

Children are often not embarrassed by desire
We hide our true desires and call it maturity - Jesus is not impressed

Why are we embarrassed by our desire? Why do we pretend?

• Persistent widow wasn't embarrassed
• "Sinful" woman wasn't embarrassed

We don't pray like Jesus because we don't allow ourselves to nearly alive
We don't allow ourselves to feel how desparate our situation truely is

Pretending seems a much more reliable road to Christian maturity
Only the price is we pay for the loss of soul, communication with God, loss of direction and loss of hope

Without a deep and buring desire of our own, we will be ruled by the desires of others

• Drain life and beauty away from the church
• Bury Christians in duty
• Nobody will want to take a closer look

Battle of desire is not something that just takes place with us or even between us - but against us

Advirtisers play on our desire of creating an image that everyone who is anyone has the object for sale

The evil one has two ploys:

• Kill our hearts and bury our desires
• Seduce our desire into a trap

Our addictions are our own worst enemies

Like the rich, young ruler - we find we can not give up our treasures even though God has something much better

Sometimes God seems cruel:

• Unemployed
• Search for spouse

Isn't this the reason we fear to desire in the first place?

Unless we understand our desperate hearts and our tenacity to arrange life as we want it - these events seem cruel

Eden - we had it all but we threw it away by mistrusting God's heart and taking control of what we wanted
Adam and Eve set into motion what we now call addiction

Addiction exists whenever persons are internally compelled to give energy to things that are not their true desires

Addition becomes our idol - we must give it up
Anything can become an idol, even "good" things: work, hobbies, etc

Men's punishment and curse hits man where it hurts most - in the field - Genesis 3:17-19

We drawn our sense of worth from work
Men generally don't talk about relationship as they do achievements

Man's deepest desire always relates to his strength
No matter how much a man achieves, it is never enough

Man's worst fear is not meaursing up
In some cases failure can be debilitating for life

God promises evern man futility and failure
God guarantees every woman relational heartache and loneliness

We spend much of our time attempting to end these curses
We say, "I can make it work" and "I won't do what they did, I will overcome"

It can not be done
No matter how hard we try or have a clever plan - we can not arrange the life we desire

Will life ever be what I so deeply want it to be?

We must have life - we can not arrange for it

People avoid the lesson:

• Changing jobs
• Changing mates
• Changing direction in life

...rather than facing the truth - Isaiah 57:10

Some have seen that this will not work, yet they have faded into resignation, bitterness or dispair
They take their revenge on God by killing their desire

How do we accept that it can't be done with an open heart?
How do we sustain desire in the face of failure and loneilness.... Hope

In this world, you will have trouble
But take heart! I have overcome the world - John 16:33

Why aren't we encouraged by this?
We are still committed to arranging our life
We are disappointed that there is not a "7 secrets to a great life"

Desire can not live without hope. Hope in what?
Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed - 1 Peter 1:13
for most Christians, heaven is a backup plan

We try to create heaven here
In our heart we say, "I really could be happy here without God"
God must take away the heaven we create or it will become our hell

Most of us have lost something:
• Losing wallet - not a good thing
  • Feels good to find it.
God's desire is to "find" what is lost - YOU!
 
• Problem: We are separated from God by sin

Jesus came to...

Save the lost

Luke 19:10

• Uses people to save others
• Many people to save some:
  • Do not know they are lost
  • Are confused
  • Misguided
  • Are not interested
  • Are looking
• Despite the what phase we are in we are still lost.
• No excuses 
  • Those who have issues are not really searching
    • "What about those hypocrites?"
    • "I am too busy"
    • "I will but...."

Acknowledge the Father

 John 14:9

• To relate
• Some think God doesn't care
  • How can God allow all these shootings?
    • Isrealites were saying the same thing in the dessert
• Jesus = God with us
• If Jesus was standing next to you how would you act differently?

Causes of Sickness:

Break Down of System

Our spiritual immune system can break down:

1. Time with God isn't exciting...less time spent
2. Dynamic prayer becomes nonexistant
3. Desire to go to Church decreases
4. Becomes critical toward the church, people, even God

• I didn't become a disciple to be here and then fall away
• Sin gives birth to death...maybe slow maybe fast.

You must be prepared:

1 Peter 4:1-11

• Because we are not prepared
• Wolves are all around us.

Ephesians 5:10-18

• Comes when we make excuses.
• Like shotting ourselves in the foot.

Will you let him?

Spring reminds us that life can return to the dead
The return of spring brings such a relief and joy and anticipation
Might spring and summer may be nature way of expressing Jesus was trying to tell us?
Nature God's word to us also - Romans 1:20

Our ideas of heaven are sometimes not very desirable
Many Christians have some idea that heaven is an never-ending church service
And then our hearts sink
Forever and ever? That is it?

We sigh and feel guilty that is we are not more "spritual"
We then turn to the present to find what life we can
We can only hope for what we desire

Scripture tells us that God has set eternity in our hearts - Ecclesiastes 3:11
Where is out hearts? In our desires.

• Fill up on snack on Thanksgiving
• Buy gifts for one's self for Christmas
• Look for a date at his own wedding rehearsal

1. We must have life
2. We cannot arrange for it
3. It is coming

• We can see the humanity of Jesus
• Because his hunger was real, we can learn something about ours
• Hunger is normal, except it
• Don't be embarrassed by it, don't try to hide it
• We end up repenting of the wrong thing

• To neglect it is foolishness
• To kill it is suicide
• To allow it to wander aimlessly is disaster

• Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing
• Poor, yet making many rich
• Having nothing, yet possessing everything

1. To be alive and thirsty
2. To be dead
3. To be addicted

With beauty, we need not fear indulging here
There is not a possessive quality to it
You can love the landscape without acquiring the real estate

Beauty is the closest thing we have to fullness without possessing on this side of eternity

Two kinds of losses in life:

1. Shared by all mankind - accidents,  fate, acts of God
2. Only know by the pilgrim - losses that we choose. We give up something that wasn't ours to begin with

Spiritual surrender is not resignation
Not choosing to care longer
Not an attempt to get beyond the suffering

It is surrender with desire

• Advertisers work on you to get you to buy their product
• Your boss knows how to keep you moving
• Devil is the master at manipulating the heart

Ephesians 1:11-14

• We eat to get energy
• We need to eat to healthy spiritually too
• What are we feeding the spirit?
  • What is your spiritual diet?
  • Are you eating junk food?
• Do not forget the Holy Spirit! - get to know him better
• We will die if we continue to gratify the sinful nature

Ephesians 3:14-19

• We desire to be filled
• Fullness = satisfied (not looks for more)

Ephesians 4:11-13

• Leaders help us
• Let other into your life

Ephesians 4:17-29

• All these sins are poisonous to our health
• Put on new self - start a new diet

General healthy spiritual food items

1. Obedience
2. Prayer
3. Bible Study
4. Singing
5. Encouraging Others
6. Serving
7. Contribution
8. Graduated
9. Fasting
10. Confessing Sin
11. Discipling

1. Weak - poison = no, good food = no, eats little
2. Sick - poison = some, worldly, impure
3. Dying - not eating much, lots of poison
4. Strong - lots of food, consistent, wide variety

1. Scheduled meals
2. Decide what meals should go
3. Decide what to start eating

• Scripture reading becomes I have to read it to understand the gospel for others
• Talking to God suddenly takes on a new purpose - passionate pleas for friends
• Our desire to worship grows as your gratitude grows
• Helps maintain a high standard of purity

1. The Blessing of Giving - Acts 20:33-35
   1. Paul did not desire anyone else's money or possessions.
   2. He worked hard and sacrificed to help the weak.
   3. He knew that giving brought more joy than receiving.
2. Living for Eternal Possessions - Matthew 6:19-21; Hebrews 10:32-34
   1. When our treasure is in heaven not on earth, our hearts will be in heaven also.
   2. As disciples, we will look foolish to the world because our hearts and our treasures (money) are in heaven not on earth.
3. All Things For Our Enjoyment - 1 Timothy 6:17-18
   1. It is very easy for us who have wealth to put our hope and trust in money/things rather than God.
   2. As disciples we are commanded to be generous and willing to share.
   3. When we follow God"s plan we can feel great about enjoying the blessings God has given us.

1. Which do I desire more, to give or to receive?
2. How can I put all my treasure in heaven so that all my heart will be there also?
3. How am I being generous and willing to share on a daily basis?
4. Am I enjoying God's blessings or do I feel guilty about the things I have?

1. God is loving - Out of compassion He made us and still desires to have a relationship despite our sin against him
2. God is holy - He is absolutely pure and is separate from everything impure
3. God is just - He is a perfect judge who will dispense justice to everyone fairly

• Expressed the love of God
• Upheld the holiness of God
• Satisfied the justice of God

• He made us
• We matter to God
• He wants to have a relationship with us
• We rebelled against God
• Our sins separate us from Him
• Attempts to reach Him fall short - Romans 3:23
• Our sins desire death - Romans 6:23
• There is much trouble apart from God - people need to understand their lostness
• Christ died so we have relationship restored - 1 Peter 3:18

What are you looking for in life?

Acts 17:16-28

• Ever ask yourself: “What on earth am I here for?” You aren’t alone!
• Why did God create you and bring you to this very point and time in your life? So that you would seek him and
  find him in order to have a personal relationship with him.
• Who takes the initiative in seeking this relationship? Because God loves us and desires a relationship with us, he has been actively determining times and places long before we ever thought about seeking him (Psalms 14:2-3).
• Why do so few seem to be seeking today?
  • God is unknown and the image many have of him is distorted v23
  • We have created our own god. We all worship something.
  • To seek God, we must be willing to change our ideas about who God is to match what has been revealed to us in the Bible
• There is nothing more important or exciting in life than to seek and to find our Creator God.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

• We will find God if we seek Him with all our heart.
  
• Have you ever done something with all your heart? What is it?
  
• What will it mean for you to seek God with all your heart?

• Jesus teaches these Jews that intellectual belief is not enough.
  
• He calls them to believe God enough to trust his will for their lives. This trust is demonstrated by the decision to live according to Jesus’ teaching.
  
• True faith is seen in our obedience.
• Notice when we will know the truth, after we obey.
  

• If the Bible is so powerful and helpful, why aren’t more people truly following what it says?
• Bottom line, we can not live according to our own feelings and desires.
  

• What is another hindrance to following God’s word? Tradition
  
• Religious tradition which takes precedence over the Word of God can result in worldly solutions to spiritual issues and make our worship of God empty and pointless.

1. Initiate in questions

• Seek advise - finances, dating, school, home, family
  
• Proverbs 12:15 - many advisors make a victory sure!
• Reasons we don’t:
  
  • Pride
  • Independence
  • Sin

2. Initiate in openness – confession – Proverbs 28:13

• Sin, temptations, feelings, attitudes
• Disciples should never have to guess about what’s going on.
  
• Share fears, desires, dreams, embarrassments,joys, sorrows…

Jesus didn’t confront their desire to be great, only their method

Your greatness in the Kingdom is only limited by your willingness to be a slave to all!

• What are you making of yourself?
• How much does “self” matter to you?
• How much does “self” influence your daily decision?

Luke 9:23 - Must deny self daily - deny self = denying feelings

• The Apostle Paul tell Timothy that godliness through spiritual training by holding to his teachings has great value for this life and the next
• v10 - We must put our hope in God not self
  
• Question: What does the Bible say that we should set an example in? What area do you need to change the most?
• v16 - Your life and Bible must be equal (doctrine = beliefs)
• Not just know the Bible but live it out
• Do you have any questions so far? Do you understand so far?
• Question: Is this something you want to really go after every day?
• Briefly share about when you first started studying to be a disciple - the challenge, hope and desire

• Question: How do you think the Word is living and active today?
• The Bible judges the everything:
  • thoughts
  • attitudes
  • insecurities
  • criticalness
  • impurities
• Nothing is hidden from God sight. Do you realize that?

Matthew 11:28-30

• Christian life is full of challenges but it is still the best life to live
• Jesus' yoke is easy and burdens light
• We should live life with a checklist - only becomes a burden

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

• We have challenging times but Jesus will comfort
• From our comfort from Jesus, you can comfort others

Do you feel trapped?

Feel that you have sinned too much?
1 John 1:19 - If you confess your sin, he will forgive

Christian yoke = Christ's passion, purpose, and desire
Other yokes: guilt, worries, burdens, fear

Commands found in the New Testament:

• Abstain from sinful desires - 1 Peter 2:11
• Always be prepared to preach the Word - 2 Timothy 4:2
• Avoid foolish arguments about the law - Titus 3:9
• Avoid evil - 1 Thessalonians 5:22
• Avoid godless chatter - Timothy 2:15
• Avoid false and opposing ideas - 1 Timothy 6:20
• Avoid troublemakers - Romans 16:17-18
• Be able to teach - 2 Timothy 2:24

• Counselor - Isaiah 9:6
• David - Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23
• Day-spring - Luke 1:78
• Deliverer - Romans 11:26
• Desire of all nations - Haggai 2:7
• Door - John 10:7
• Elect of God - Isaiah 42:1

• We must desire to follow Christ
• We must deny self and take up our cross
• We must lose our life to save it
• We must not be ashamed of Jesus

• Luke 9:57-58 “Count the cost”, commitment is more than a decision.
• Luke 9:59-60 “Deny self and follow Christ now,” give up the security and comforts of home.
• Luke 9:61-62 “Remove all rivals and distractions from your relationship with Christ.” Make Him all in all.

• Deny and crucify self.
• Give up everything.
• Love Christ intensely.

• Three desires were expressed by Jesus in this of prayer.

1. He wanted to have disciples join in his struggles.
2. He wanted to forgo the bitter cup.
3. He wanted to obey the will of God.

• His strongest desire is to obey God, overcame the other desires of his life.

• John 4:34 - His food was to do the will of him who sent him
• John 5:19 - whatever the Father does the Son also does

• John 5:30 - By myself I can do nothing
• John 6:38 - Come not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me
• John 8:28 - Spoke just what the Father has taught me
• John 10:18 - Lay his life down on his own accord
• John 12:49-50 - Whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say
• John 14:10 - Words I say to you are not just my own
• John 14:31 - I do exactly what my Father has commanded me
• John 15:10 - If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love

• Luke 3:21-23 - When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too
• ~Luke 4:1-13 - We was tempted with the same sin we are tempted with

• John 9:4 - While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
• John 5:30 - I seek not to please myself but him who sent me

• Mark 1:40-42 - Filled with compassion, Jesus cured the man with Leprosy
  
• John 19:25-27 - Make connections for people to be taken care of

1. You must sympathize with people out of a tender heart.
2. You must believe that every person is precious to God
3. You must be aware of your own humanness

• You are made of the same stuff as every other person.
• Potentially, the situation that exists with other people in desparate struggles.

4. You must desire to make a difference in peoples’ lives. There must be a desire to count in this world.
5. You must deny self that allows you to place the interest of others ahead of your own.

• ~John 8:1-11 - Pharisees vs Jesus (Woman caught in adultery)
  
• ~Mark 5:1-20 - Man with an evil spirit vs Jesus
  
• ~Luke 7:36-50 - Pharisees vs Jesus (Sinful Woman)
• ~Matthew 19:13-15 - Disciples vs Jesus

• John 8:16 - I stand with the Father, who sent me
• Romans 8:5 - Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires

• John 14:24 - These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me
• John 12:49 - Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it

• John 5:19 - Whatever the Father does the Son also does
• John 13:15 - I have set you an example that you should do as I have done

• Ephesians 4:22-24 - Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
• Colossians 3:10 - Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator

• It is not merely being a member of the church.
• It is not merely being baptized.
• It is not merely observing the Lord’s Supper each Sunday.
• It is not merely the equivalent of quiet time each day.
• It is not merely an involvement in one or more discipling relationships.
• It is not merely being busy in “Church work”.
• It is not merely being fruitful in evangelism.

• It means that I am continually conscious of God’s presence and that I desire such by seeking God’s face throughout the day
• It means that His thoughts are becoming my thoughts, His ways are becoming my ways (this is a continual, never ending process)
• It means that I truly love God and want to obey His will with more of my heart each day.

• 1 Corinthians 9:19 - To become what he needed to become to win as many as possible
• 1 Corinthians 9:12 - We put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ
• 2 Timothy 2:10 - Endure everything for the sake of the elect
• ~2 Corinthians 11:22-33 - Endured and worked harder than anyone
• 2 Corinthians 12:15 - Gladly spends for you everything

• Romans 9:1-3 - He wish he could paid the price for them
  
• Romans 10:1 - My heart's desire for you to be saved
  
• Galatians 4:19 - Was in pains of childbirth for their salvation

• Luke 18:11 - Prayer: I thank you that I am not like other men
• Philippians 3:19 - Their god is their stomach
• 2 Timothy 3:2 - People will be lovers of themselves

• 2 Timothy 3:4 - Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
• Proverbs 21:17 - He who loves pleasure will become poor
• 1 Timothy 5:6 - But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead

• Galatians 5:16 - Live by the Spirit and not our sinful desires
• Ephesians 4:19 - Lost all sensitivity

The self emptied life obtained:

A. The crucifixion of self:

• Romans 6:6-7 - Old self was crucified with him
• Luke 9:23 - We must deny our self
• A threefold crucifixion:
  • Self interest: I have been crucified with Christ - Galatians 2:20
    
  • Sinful passion: Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified - Galatians 5:24
    
  • Worldly desires: The world has been crucified to me - Galatians 6:14

• Since the food is contaminated and poisonous, the body does everything possible to flush the poison out. If the poison is not removed the person could die
• Being contaminated and poisoned by the world will damage your soul.
  

• Impurity is not just physically but it can also be emotionally.
• Often Satan tries to create an emotional connection in order to slowly pull you away from God’s standard.

• What does the Bible call for us to do in order to stay pure?
• When are you most tempted to be impure?
• Is there anyone that Satan is trying to use to lead you into impurity (physically or emotionally)?

Summary

God formed a man and gave him the garden in Eden, except for the tree of knowledge. Adam was alone so God made a woman as his partner.

Observations

Genesis 2:7 - from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life
From nothing, God created us. He even takes our language that is a collection of organized means and breathed [2 Timothy 3:16] it into living and active Holy scripture [Hebrews 4:12].

Genesis 2:15 - put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Man's purpose in the garden was to work it and keep it up. God gives us work to do in step with what he desires. Work is good for glorify God, helping others, and helping us in our character. In [Acts 17:26], we learn that God determines the times and places we will live. It wasn't a random chance that Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden even with God's fore knowledge of Adam's sin.

Genesis 2:16 - You are free
The first words recorded spoken to man was "You are free". This is important because without freedom, love can not be fully expressed. God created man for Him to love and to be loved by man. What are we doing with the life and freedom God has given us? Does he feel the love?

Genesis 2:17 - you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
The sinful nature within us desires the opposite of what God wants. When it hears about something we can not do, that is the exact thing it desires to do.

Genesis 2:19 - whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name
With our freedom, we are given responsibilities. Instead of just telling us what the names of the animals and plants we, God gave Adam the task and freedom to do so. We need to remember all the things God intrusts us with and give it our all.

Personal Application

Many times I look for ways on how to automate work (it is part of the work I do as part of my career) but sometimes lose sight that work is what I am suppose to be doing. When automating tasks, I need to make sure I am using my additional time to do even more useful things that God has called me to do.

Summary

Eve's sons made offerings to God. Only Abel's was acceptable, so Cain killed him. Abel's blood cried out and God sent Cain away.

Observations

Genesis 4:7 - if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door
The sins of omission are very related to the sins of commission. If you are sitting on the sidelines, you have time (maybe considered laziness) and you will give Satan time to put all sorts of temptations in your head. A lazy person bring is a good friend to the evil one and is considered a brother [Proverbs 18:9].

Genesis 4:9 - Am I my brother's keeper?
The Christian walk is more than God and us. It is also the people around us. We learn about relationships from others. We learn about ourselves and get feedback on how we are doing - and give it as well.  Without others we would have been pointed the way to God and we could not reach  others with the gospel.

Genesis 4:12 - You will be a restless wanderer on the earth
Without God in our lives, we are a restless wander. Our thoughts, emotions, and desires become our direction and we walk aimlessly - not knowing where we are, where we came from, or where we are going.

Genesis 4:26 - At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD
Since the beginning of time men began call for for God. It is built into the nature of our being. Time after time he has answered no matter how far away we go. But when he calls for us, will be answer? Will we let it go to voicemail? Are we screening our calls from Him and only answer the calls that are easy to take?

Personal Application

I wonder sometimes if I have my "ringer" loud enough for me to hear when God calls. A lot of times I look back on important events in my life and realize that I missed another lesson God was trying to teach me but I was not listening. I feel embarrassed  that I was so selfish during that times. I want to listen voice from God more intensely.

Summary

They began building a great tower for themselves, but the Lord confused their language. Shem's line included Abram who married Sarai.

Observations

Genesis 11:4 - so that we may make a name for ourselves
We all have a built-in desire to reach God and the heavens. It is all about the manner in which we do it. The people here wanted it for selfish reasons and not as misguided attempt to have a relationship with God. They wanted to make a name for themselves to show other what they could do. Why do we go to church and come to a Bible study group? Is it for show or is it because we want to know God?

Genesis 11:6 - then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them
For good purposes or bad, when we come together we can do amazing things. If the united people at time could start to create a large tower to the heavens without God, what can we do as a united people with God?!?

Personal Application

I need to check my motivations on why I do things - especially the "good" things. Is it to further my relationship with God or for selfish gain or to please someone else?

Summary

Abram journeyed with his nephew Lot. Their servants argued, so Lot went to Sodom, Abram to Canaan. The LORD promised Abram the land.

Observations

Genesis 13:7 - So there were quarrels
When there are many things involved, sometimes because there are quarrels. Quarrels come from our evil desires within us [James 4:1]. It is not the amount of items but our heart toward them. In this day in age, there are many quarrel and we have many things. Right now Congress can not agree on much of anything. Are we fighting the good fight or just fighting each other?

Genesis 13:11 - Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan
Lot had a choice, the better Lot wanted the "well-watered" land for himself but in the ended up with the land full of sin. When chose what is better for ourselves rather than others, we many times not get what we think we are getting. If Lot had the choice over again, he would have likely would chose to give the land to Abram but it instead cost him his life.

Personal Application

I have been very quarrelsome at work recently - there is a lot that frustrates me right now. I need to relax and count my blessings. It is not worth broken relationships or loss of life.

Summary

The Lord promised Abram an heir and many descendants. Abram believed. He was told that they would be enslaved but would then return.

Observations

Genesis 15:6 - Abram believed the LORD ... credited it to him as righteousness
Even though Abram had no kids for a long period of time, he believed the Lord would provide. He had this prayer for a long time - many, many days he prayed. But nothing. He he came face to face with God, He told him a son was coming and his descendants would be as many as stars in the sky. Abram chose to believe and his faith was credited to him as righteousness. How long do we pray before giving up?

Genesis 15:14 - I will punish the nation they serve as slaves
At the beginning of the chapter, God said he was Abram's shield [Genesis 15:1]. Here he expands on his promise - in the future, he will punish the Egyptians for making his people to become slaves. God will protect us. The judgement of our enemies might not come on our timetable, but it will come. We need to patient and be still, the Lord will fight for you [Exodus 14:14]

Personal Application

Sometimes I believe that perseverance is my strength but as I look at my prayers for the desires of my heart, I give up way easily. "But it has not happened in 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years" - I say. Abram waited until he was 100 years for his son to be born.

Summary

Sarai told Abram to have children with Hagar. Hagar conceived, then ran away, but an angel sent her back. Hagar's son was Ishmael.

Observations

Genesis 16:5 - You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering
At age 86 [Genesis 16:15] and 14 years too early, Abram had forgotten God's promise and was starting to make God's promise work for himself instead of waiting for God to fulfill his promise of making him a father of a great nation. Agreeing to Sarai's idea, he married Hagar and she became pregnant. This really complicated things between the three of them. The same thing happens with us. When we go about trying to do what we think God wants, things really get messed up.

Genesis 16:8 - where have you come from, and where are you going?
The angel that appeared asked about what direction Hagar was going.  Both question are necessary in evaluating our spiritual growth. Like understanding your physical location, you must first understand the past and state of mind you came from. Not knowing the starting point, you can not give directions. If you just knew where you have been and have no direction to go, you can not grow either.

Personal Application

I know I have experience times where I think I am doing what God wants but it really comes from my impatience or my selfish desires to see things happens the way I want them and when I want them. I need to just be patient and ask "is this the Lord will?".

1. What does God promise to those who seek him with all their hearts?
2. Are you seeking him or something else?

1. What should make you content?
2. What will a desire for money and things do to your life?
3. How does someone "wander" from the faith?
4. What other desires could make us wander?

• Which will you choose in this year?
• What are three things that you most feel the need to change in your life?
• How will you take the first step in each of these three?