Genesi 16:1-8

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
Hagar and Ishmael
1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me."

6 "Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.
7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.
So..Sarai could not have any children, so she told Abram to try to have kids with her servant Hagar. Abram said "OK." This created lots of problems, especially when she became pregnant. Even though Sarai originally gave her blessing, jealousy raised it’s ugly head with both women. Even though this was an early form of surrogate birth, and tradition was already set so that this would have qualified as Abram and Sarai’s child.
Sarai did not believe God when he told Abram that he would father a nation, so she took matters into her own hands. Soon she became frustrated and hurt with the outcome, and that led to anger. She lashed out at her husband,(it was his fault of course,) and Abram refused to act.
She lashed out at Hagar and was so mean to her that she ran away. An angel had to come get her. Like many of us , sometimes it is easier for us to run from our problems than face them. This is a human condition. Remember, however, that God is in control.
Prayer- Lord, give me the strength to confront my problems before they grow. Give me the wisdom to trust in you and your timing. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do- Read Genesis 16:9-16 Who was Ishmael? And why was he so wild?

Genesis 15:12-21

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."
17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river [a] of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."
What a strange dream! I have some good news and some bad news, and then some good news. I will make your decedents a great nation, that’s good news. They will be enslaved, that’s bad news. They will come back to this land and the captures will be punished, good news again.
This is the covenant between Abram and God. God has told him that he will have heirs, as a matter of fact he will have so many that they will be like the stars of the sky.
Interesting bit in verse 16, who were the Amorites? They were one of the nations living in Canaan, the promised land of Abram. God was giving them time to repent before Abrams decedents took over their lands, but they would grow more wicked and need to be punished, just not yet. God is merciful, but he is all knowing, and his timing is perfect. When God tells us what he will do for us, do we take it as serious business? Or do we wait and hope he will give the responsibility to someone else? Remember, he is merciful, all knowing and has perfect timing.
Prayer- Lord, make with me a covenant to be your servant. Give me direction and the tools to help build your kingdom. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do-Read Genesis 16:1-16

Genesis 15:1-11

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
God's Covenant With Abram
1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, [a] your very great reward. [b] "

2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit [c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."
4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."
8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"
9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."
10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
God makes a deal with Abram. God wants to give Abram something very special. Abram already is well off, but has no heir. Anything else he gathers will be passed on to a servant. Was this why he was afraid?
God promises to protect Abram, and he promises something even greater. He told Abram to go look at the stars, and that how many offspring he would have. The amazing thing is Abram believed him. Abram had always displayed his faith in God. Not just what God could do, but the Lord itself.
Abram did not have to do outward things to prove he was in good with God, the actions of his heart proved it, and he was rewarded. Good deeds themselves are not what God looks for in a relationship with us. If we love the Lord and seek to have him live in us and through us, then good deeds will naturally happen. The relationship with God as the center is the important thing.
How is your relationship with God? Is he the center of your life? Are you ready to accept the covenant God wants to give you?
Prayer- Lord, give me the strength to put you first in my life, and prepare me for the great things you will give me. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do today-Read Genesis 15:13-21 Make room for God in your heart, and get ready for great things.

Genesis 14:13-24

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
13 One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother [
a] of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem [b] brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator [c] of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be [d] God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself."
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share."
Abram was bad, I mean he was really tough. He and his commandoes did something that the armies of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah could not do. How did he do it? Abram shows us a couple of characteristics in his rescue of Lot.
One; he was prepared , he had trained his men to fight, and to follow him even if it appeared to be foolish. Abrams men were the first Hebrew commandoes, and fought as such. They attacked before dawn, after a long forced march. This totally took the enemies by surprise. Second; he had faith that God would be with him. His devotion to God was rewarded.
After his victory he did some unusual things. Not only did he recover his nephew Lot, he recovered all the things taken from the Plains of Salem. He gave a tenth of the booty to the king, a form of early tithing. He refused, however to accept anything from the King of Sodom, because he did not want people to think that the King of Sodom made him rich. All of the glory had to go to God.
What do people see when they look at your accomplishments? Who gets the credit-you or God?
Prayer- Lord, Give me the courage to do your work. Help me show the world how great YOU are. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do today- Read Genesis 15:1-21.

Genesis 14:1-12

Relax, Read and Reflect (3 R’s)
Prayer-Lord, open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
1 At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, [
] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim 2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea [b] ). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.
8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
Why is this important? What can we learn? Lot wanted the easy life, and settled in Sodom, and became even more successful as a businessman. There was a price to pay for this success. He had to be around evil people and some of the evil rubbed off on him.
Evidentially, this King Kedorlaomer was a very powerful king. He had conquered Sodom and Gomorrah years earlier, and now these cities decided to stop paying tribute, or the ransom. So they go out to fight the powerful king who is coming to re-subdue them. When the fighting starts, the kings of Sodom flee, leaving the city wide open. Kedorlaomer sacked the cities and carried off captives to be sold into slavery, including Abrams nephew Lot.
Lot found that there is a price for easy living. He had trusted the kings and armies of Sodom, and they turned out to be fair weather friends. When we trust other people instead of trusting in the Lord, bad things can happen. Sometimes bad times can be opportunities for spiritual growth, as Lot will find out.
Prayer- Lord,. Help us remember that the easy way is not always the best way. Help us recognize the way YOU would have us go, because as long as we serve you, that will be the best way. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do-Read Genesis 14:13-24. Are your friends good for you? Do they know God? Or will they flee when times get tough.

Genesis 13:14-18

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
14The Lord said to Abram after Lot had left him, Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
15For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your posterity forever.(A)
16And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the dust of the earth, then could your descendants also be counted.(B)
17Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to you.
18Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt among the oaks or terebinths of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and built there an altar to the Lord.
I took these verses from the Amplified Version of the Bible. All of the various English translation were pretty close,(except for the King James, of course.) One of the big advantages of living in an age where we have many translations is that we can read from different ones and maybe pick up something that we have missed in another translation. I believe that God talks to us through the Bible, and that communication is the key, not what translation or dialect we may use.
Abram was given a big range, to use our Texan terms. God gave him an entire nation to inhabit, and promised that he would be the start of this new nation. This version uses the term "your posterity", and that means his family. What did Abram do? He did not have any children of his own, how could he be the father of a big family? Instead of worrying, he does what God tells him to do, he moves into the country and then builds an altar to praise God. Abram has it going on.
Do we question God when it seems like he is telling us to do something we think is impossible? Sure, we all do. Read that again. WE ALL DO! Why? God can do anything. Instead of questioning and second guessing God, we all should follow Abram’s example and praise God instead. Once we can accept that God can do great things in our lives, he will.
Prayer-Lord, I want to do great things for you and in spite of my weakness. Give me strength and wisdom, but most of all give me faith and patience. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do- Read Genesis 14:1-12. Prepare for great things.

Genesis 13:1-13

Relax, Read and Reflect (3R’s)
Prayer- Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Abram and Lot Separate
1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.
When Abram and his clan left Egypt, he had become very wealthy, and it was time to go back to Canaan. When he went back, he took with him his nephew Lot. Lot’s father,(Abram’s brother,) had died when Lot was young, and Abram had been the father figure for him. Lot had also prospered.
After they got home, they realized that the land could not support both of them, as well as others who lived there,(the Canaanites and Perizzites.) Their employees started to quarrel amongst each other. Instead of banding together against their hostile neighbors, they decided to split. This still happens in families and churches today. We let petty bickering drive us apart, and when that happens we aren’t the strong force for God.
Abram did take the high road however. He saw things were getting bad, and instead of letting things get out of control, he suggested a split, and gave Lot the choice of where to go. Lot saw the plain of Jordan was well watered and that is where he choose. It also was well settled and the settlers were evil people. More foreshadowing of problems.
Do we have family problems that cause us to separate? If so, do we take the easy road and leave the rest for the others? This is not what God wants, so this must be what man wants. When we start doing things that man wants, we get into trouble.
Prayer-Lord, Help me stay at peace with my family and with my church. Give me the wisdom to see what is your will, and help me avoid what is only mine. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do today-Read Genesis 13: 14-18. Are you striving to keep in harmony with your family? What can you do to make it better?

Genesis 12:10-20

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen
Abram in Egypt
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."
14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.
17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Abram usually shows great faith in God. He arrives in Canaan, and there is a severe drought, so he then goes to Egypt, where there was food. (This is what we writers call foreshadowing.) Why would their be a drought in a land where God had just called him, to test his faith. Abram passed this test.
Then Abram became afraid. His wife Sarai must have been really hot, and he feared that the Pharaoh would kill him so he could make a move on Sarai,so he told her to tell people that he was her brother, ( a Springer show in the making.) Abram lost his faith that God would protect him. The Egyptians were smitten, and Sarai was taken to be part of Pharaoh’s harem. This must have caused Abram some stress, but he was paid well for her. God was not happy, Abram had lied. So God sent disease on Pharaoh and his household,(more foreshadowing) and Pharaoh found out the truth. Instead of killing Abram, he chastised him and sent him on his way, with all of his possessions.
Many of us encounter obstacles when we decide to follow God. How we face and overcome these obstacles shows how strong our faith in God is. Use the intelligence God gave you, as Abram did when he moved to Egypt, but have faith that God will protect you. God may be giving you greater opportunities, never second guess him.
Prayer-Lord, give me the faith to follow you and the wisdom to overcome the obstacles that may get in my way. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do today- Read Genesis 13:1-13. Think about ways your faith has been tested. Did you Pass?

Genesis 12:1-9

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen
The Call of Abram
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring [a] I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Abram went wherever God told him to go. When he did, he would leave the comfort and security of the places he knew just to obey God. He would leave friends and family behind and travel to a new land because God promised to build through him a great nation. God made promises to Abram, and Abram had great faith. God may be leading us to different areas where we can do great things and be of greater service to him. We can’t let ourselves get too comfortable in our places and risk missing God’s plans for us.
When Abram came to Canaan, he built an altar there to the Lord. What is all of this altar stuff? Noah built an altar and now Abram. Altars had already been used for sacrifices by people by Abrams time. For Abram. Altars were symbols of his communion with God and were monuments for big events. They were made of rock and earth and would be around for several years following, so they were effective monuments of his relationship with God. These monuments were places of worship and reminded Abram that God was the center of his life. Regular worship helps us remember that God is the center of our lives. We can build altars, but like Abram, we can not be anchored to them. God may move us at any moment.
Prayer-Lord, We want to have a relationship with you. Guide us, and send us where ever we may be of the best use for you. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do- Read Genesis 12:10-20. Think of what monuments you have built for God.

Genesis 11:10-32

3R’s (Relax, Read and Reflect)
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
From Shem to Abram
10 This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father [a] of Arphaxad. 11 And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. [b]
14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
26 After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.
27 This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of
Nahor's wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no children.
31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.
32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.
These passages trace the ancestry from Shem to Abram. Remember that Ham was cursed by what he did in dis-respecting his father, Noah. But Shem was to be blessed. From his line the Hebrew nation would come, and Abram was the father of that nation We see that there is a solid genealogical line from Shem to Abram, so this story must have been repeated a lot in the ancient times.
Abram was born in Ur of the Chaldeans. This was a very important city in the ancient world. A lot of archeological discoveries have shown that this was one of the first major metropolitan areas with a flourishing trade and real social structure. For some reason, (the Bible does not say,) Abram’s father took part of his family and left for Canaan, but only made it as far as Haran. Why stop half way? Who knows. However, it did not stop God’s call for Abram. This was just a transitional period, ( kind of like college?) He patiently waited for God and prepared. Shouldn’t we do the same?
Prayer- Lord, be with me as in my transitional periods. Help me be patient and always listen for your call. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do today- Read Genesis 12:1-8

Genesis 11:1-9

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
"God Turned Their Language into "Babble""
1 At one time, the whole Earth spoke the same language.
2It so happened that as they moved out of the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled down.
3They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and fire them well." They used brick for stone and tar for mortar.
4Then they said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let's make ourselves famous so we won't be scattered here and there across the Earth."
5GOD came down to look over the city and the tower those people had built.
6GOD took one look and said, "One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they'll come up with next--they'll stop at nothing! 7Come, we'll go down and garble their speech so they won't understand each other." 8Then GOD scattered them from there all over the world. And they had to quit building the city. 9That's how it came to be called Babel, because there GOD turned their language into "babble." From there GOD scattered them all over the world.
This is one of the old stories that can confuse some of us. Why did God "confuse the people? Weren’t they his creations? What is he hiding? Why would he place such obstacles as different languages that would keep man from ever getting along?
We can look back at this story from our modern prospective and realize that we will never be able to build a physical bridge to God and to heaven. So why would God cause the people to stop the construction. And why was he hiding and watching. The problem with the great tower was that it was to show how great Man had become. It was our own arrogance that caused this problem.
God gives us a lot of latitude in our lives. He gives us all freedom to think and to express, but we do not have the freedom to replace him as God. The people in this story had done just that, so God confused them. They were building to show how great they were, not how great God is. We still do this. With God’s help we are able to do some great things, but we do not always give God the glory. What are some of the towers in your life?
Prayer-Lord, help me remember that you are God and all great things come from you and through you. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do-Celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from all of us at Spike's World! http://spikes-world.blogspot.com

Genesis 10:21-32

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
21 Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was [
] Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.
22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.
23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. [b]
24 Arphaxad was the father of [c] Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber.
25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, [d] because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.
26 Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.
30 The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country.
31 These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.
32 These are the clans of Noah's sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.
The sons of Shem. Sounds like the title of a good "B" western,(staring Ronald Reagan as Shem.) Shem was the father of the Hebrews. He was also the father of the Persians, Syrians, and the Assyrians. All of the peoples of the Middle East descended from one of the three sons of Noah.
I think it is very interesting that some of these families fight each other constantly now. They hate each other! It is not just the Hebrews and Arabs, it is country against country, and region against region. Does this mean that man basically hates other man? Even though we say " no", our actions say "yes."
Humans are prone to evil, and nothing is more evil than hating our brother. God realized this, and knew that it would take a supreme sacrifice, so he sent his son as a guide for a Godly life. If we have Jesus in our hearts, we can not hate. Even if it is son of Ham who has been very naughty. We may not like the actions, but we must love the actor. Christ died to save us from evil, the world perished to remove Noah from wickedness, and so on. Our hate needs to die so that we can be resurrected with Christ. Who is your brother? We all are.
Prayer-Lord, Give me the strength to love all man, even the ones who are the hardest to love. Thank you for sending your Son to deliver us, and help us live the way He showed us how. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do-Read Genesis 11:1-9. This is the story of the Tower of Babel.

Genesis 10:1-20

3 R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
The Table of Nations
1 This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, who themselves had sons after the flood. The Japhethites
2 The sons [a] of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras.
3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.
4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. [b] 5 (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.) The Hamites
6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, [c] Put and Canaan.
7 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.
8 Cush was the father [d] of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD." 10 The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in [e] Shinar. [f] 11 From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, [g] Calah 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.
13 Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites.
15 Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, [h] and of the Hittites, 16 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered 19 and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
20 These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations. The Semites
Look at this title; The Table of Nations. At first glance this would seem like a very dry and boring reading today. It may seem that way at the second glance. This is more than a simple genealogy of Noah’s descendants, this really does show where the nations of the ancient worlds came from.
First we have Japheth. I want to make a correction here, I stated yesterday that Christ was a descendant of Japheth, I was wrong. He descended from Shem. I was testing ya’ll, seeing you was paying attention. I was expecting someone to point out this mis-information, but no one did,(sure I did.)
Second and big in today’s reading is the line of Ham. From the line of Ham came some of the great powers of the ancient world, Babylon and Assyria. They became the Canaanities, Egyptians, Philistines, Hittites, and Amorites. We will talk about these nations latter, but these are the movers and shakers of that region. They built huge empires and controlled most of the world of that time. Where are those empires now? They are gone, without God, nothing is forever. (Sidebar- is it just coincidence that The line of Ham, that great pork product and unclean food, have been the enemies of jews for all of these years?)
Who was Nimrod? He was a mighty hunter and warrior, and founder of Babylon and Nineveh.
Prayer-Lord, Help us to grow your kingdom here on earth. We ask for your help and blessing. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do today Read Genesis 10:21-32 Remember, this is the line of Christ.

Genesis 9:18-28

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
The Sons of Noah
18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth.
20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded [a] to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father's nakedness.
24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, "Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers."
26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. [b]
27 May God extend the territory of Japheth [c] ; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his [d] slave."
28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years.
What is this story about? Noah plants a vineyard, makes some wine, and gets so wasted that he is laying in his tent passed out. Is this the first frat party? Why does Noah get so mad at Ham?, and why did Shem and Jappheth have to walk backwards into the tent?
Noah was a great man with great faith, but he was human. When he got drunk he showed he a poor example for his sons and grandsons.(Those must have been magic grapes to ferment so fast.) We all fall short, but we must remember that someone is always looking to us to show Godly living, and that is a sobering(pun intended,) thought.
Ham’s actions mocked his father, and did not show Noah the respect he deserved. He may have been passed out drunk, but he was still Ham’s father, and a great man. Shem and Japheth walked in backwards in order to cover their father without looking upon their naked father with would have caused shame. (Noah was six hundred years old, seeing a drunk, naked six hundred year old dude may have caused a lot of shame.)
Ham and his family would eventually pay. Ham was the father of Cannan, and the Cannanites were kicked out of the promised land by Joshua, from the line of Japheth.
Prayer-Dear Lord, Help us remember that we are an example of your love and grace, and wherever we are-someone is looking up to us to set a Godly example. Go-Fight-Win. Amen,
Things to do Read Genesis 10:1-20. Be ready to answer the question "who is Nimrod?"

Genesis 9:1-17

3 R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
Genesis 9
God's Covenant With Noah
1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
4 "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.
6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.
7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it."
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."
12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."
Look at the title of these verses. This is God’s covenant with Noah, a contract if you will. This is the first of several covenants God makes with people in Genesis. God begins by setting down some rules;
Man can eat anything now, but the animals must be dead and bled out,(verse 4.) God also states that there will be an accounting with God for any blood shed, and then explains why, because man is the image of God.
The covenant between God and Noah and his decedents has three parts; Never again will God destroy the earth by flood. The seasons will always come as expected,(no skipping of Summer,) and the sign of the covenant is the rainbow. This is the contract God made with Noah. Noah had to increase the numbers of humans on the earth.
God made a covenant with Noah, and others in the Old Testament. He still makes covenants with humans today. We make deals with God all of the time,(help me on this test and I will go to Church, etc.) A covenant is a contract. By agreeing to do certain things,( faithfully doing this Bible study for example,) with make a contract with God. As we study, pray and worship, we know that God will strengthen us and protect us. Not a bad deal! Whenever you see a rainbow, this is a sign of the covenant with Noah, and the sign of the covenant with you.
Prayer- Lord, thank you for giving us life, and for making contracts with us. We know you will always keep your word, give us strength to keep ours. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do- Read Genesis 9:18-28. Search inside yourself and see where you need God’s help. Make a covenant.

Genesis 8:15-22

3R’s (Relax, Read and Reflect)
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
15 Then God said to Noah, 16 "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it."
18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on the earth—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though [a] every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
Noah waits until God gives him the OK before he gets out. The last few days were he is on dry ground and he can see the area around him must have been very difficult to wait for God’s permission. His family was probably telling him that all was alright, and the animals could probably sense what was going on. But he showed patience.
When they got off the boat, they built an altar and had a barbeque. This is why a believe Noah was a Texan. God liked the way the barbeque smelled,(who wouldn’t) and he told Noah he would never destroy the earth. That must have been some good barbeque. Even though human inclination is toward evil, God continues to reach out to us. I, for one, am glad he does.
Prayer-Lord, thanks for always reaching out to us, even though you understand we are not worthy of your love. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do-Read Genesis 9:1-17

Genesis 8:1-14

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.
6 After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.
13 By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.
Noah had patience. Not only did he listen to the lord and build the ark, he waited patiently until the earth was dry enough to safely walk upon. All together that was around a year, and that is a very long time to be cooped up on a stinky boat.
God used his power and might to flood the earth, and also used his power and might to dry it up. God can do anything at anytime. So often we forget this. Even after we think we are being punished for sinning against God, we do not ask for forgiveness and do not seek his infinite power to help dry things up.
Prayer- Lord, give us patience to do things on your time, and help us when we try to do things on our schedule. Go-Fight-Win. Amen
Things to do-Rest, relax and worship on Palm Sunday.

Genesis 7:13-24

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.
17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet. [a] , [b] 21 Every living thing that moved on the earth perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.
24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.
Some will look at this as a completely negative reading. Gloom and destruction, and an example of the "wrath" of an angry God. Part of it is. I can sugar coat a lot of things, but when the whole earth is covered with twenty feet of water for 150 days and all of the animals die, that’s pretty severe.
God worked miracles in this story as well. How did Noah and his boys gather all of these animals? I have hunted and herded enough to know that gathering pairs of all the animals would be impossible. With God’s help, we can do anything. I think that Noah’s round up was benefitted by God. He probably only opened the doors of the ark and the animals, selected by God, showed up and loaded themselves. After having loaded thousands of cattle in my life, to me this is a BIG miracle.
Noah and his family and personal zoo had to co-exist for a long time. The tiger and the lamb had to be together in tight quarters for half a year and not kill each other. The miracles kept coming. Miracles still come. Sometimes our lives look so negative. There is gloom and destruction, and it seems as if God is punishing us. God is always there. Wherever God is, there can be miracles. We just need to be ready to see them.
Prayer-God, Thank you for all the miracles you do for us. Help me see the world as an opportunity to serve you better. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do today-Read Genesis 8:1-14, look for miracles.

Genesis 7:1-12

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
1 The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven [
] of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made."
5 And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.
6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, 9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.
Wow! What a storm! We got excited in East Texas when a hurricane dropped ten inches of rain in one day! Multiply by forty. The springs of the earth gushed water, it rained, and the whole earth was flooded. Notice that Noah took seven of all the clean animals and two of the unclean. Who has noticed this before. He took more of the clean animals so he could offer them as a sacrifice to God, plus, I think this is what he and his extended family ate. Remember, this is before Abraham, this is before the official start of the Hebrew people. Even then they had a food covenant.
Again, Noah did what the Lord commanded him to. Can you imagine the scene when Noah filled up the ark, shut the doors, and the floods came? You know people pounded on the doors and begged for a ride. The same people who had laughed and mocked Noah wanted him to save them. Does it mention this in the Bible? No, but we know human condition, and we all act this way at times.
God will come again, and when He does, will you be like Noah and listen? Will you prepare yourself and your family and do what God commands? Or will you make fun of those who do, and then pound on the door and beg.
Prayer- We are listening God, what would you have us do? Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do today- Read Genesis 7:13-24. Listen for Gods commands.

Genesis 6:9-22

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress [a] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. [b] 16 Make a roof for it and finish [c] the ark to within 18 inches [d] of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."
22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
God gave Noah directions, but what God was telling Noah must have seemed crazy. He was supposed to build a boat, away from the ocean or lake, one and a half football fields long, 45 feet high and 75 feet wide. Remember the tools he and his sons would use? They had bronze axes, very primitive saws and other basic hand tools. This would be like saying to us, build the empire state building with no power tools or good welders.
Don’t you know people made fun of him? This was not even close to being normal, then after he spent no telling how many years building this boat, he had to collect animals and feed,(some of the animals were feed.) I understand that Noah heard God, and that might make it easier to believe, but he had to put God ahead of everything, job, money and family. Look at verse 22, "Noah did everything just as God commanded him. I can not think of a better epitaph than that one. Can people say that about us? What has God commanded you to do lately? Did you Obey?
Prayer-God, help me do everything you command of me. Go-Fight-Win. Amen
Things to do-Read Genesis 7:1-12, listen to what God is commanding, then do it.

Genesis 6:1-8

3 R’s (Relax, Read and Reflect)
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with [
] man forever, for he is mortal [b] ; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
What is a Nephilim? They were giants, probably about nine or ten feet tall. Goliath may have been one, and they were around to make an appearance in the book of Numbers. In these verses, Genesis takes an almost mythological turn. "Sons of God and daughters of men" marrying and such.
One explanation is that sons of God were decedents of Seth, who was with God. The sons and off-spring of Cain were the people of man, and they evidently mixed. God started to cut down life expectancy, and still man became more eviland the Lord was filled with pain. He did not regret creating man, but he did feel sorrow for how they had decided to be.He was going to start over from scratch, except for Noah.
Prayer-Lord, thanks for creating us and giving us free will. We desire to follow you and your Son , Jesus, not because we have to. We follow you because we want to. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do today-Read Genesis 6:9-22, think about how great it is to be able to follow God with free will.

Genesis5:21-32

3R’s
Prayer- Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 And after he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah [a] and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed." 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
These are the decedents from Adam to Noah. Enoch was an interesting case, notice that it does not say he died, it says he walked with God, then he was no more, because God took him away. Poof! He was gone. How did he rate that kind of treatment. The Bible doesn’t say, but it is one of two instances where God just takes a man up in the Old Testament, the other being Elijah.
Again we see some really big numbers as far as age, and it is important not to get bogged down and ask how this happened. Remember, God can do anything. We get to Noah at the end of the chapter. During all this time, the human race had really fallen apart, so we are about to start from scratch again.
Prayer-Lord, Help us remember that you are all powerful and there is nothing that you can not do. We want to lean on you. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do-Read Genesis 6:1-22.

Genesis 5:1-20

3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my hearts and open my mind, and help me learn. G-F-W. Amen.
Genesis 5
1 This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man. [a] "
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father [b] of Enosh. 7 And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 And after he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 And after he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.
The title of this is from Adam to Noah. We will stop half way and discuss. What does this mean to us now? Who cares how old Adam was or who was the father of Kenan? The first verses say it all; God created man, and he made them in the likeness of God. We are all descended from Adam and Eve. All of us. If we are from Europe, Asia, or Africa, we are all created in the likeness of God.
There are some pretty big numbers as far as ages going on here, so what does that mean?
There are several explanations;
1. The ages are months-not years. Ages are recorded in a lunar cycle, not a solar cycle.
2. These were more multiple generations rather than actual life cycles. The generation of Adam may have been over several actual generations.
3. Man was more pure-and disease was not as prevalent.
4. The rains had not come yet, so the clouds shielded the earth and less radiation caused less problems.
These are all theories, and I don’t get bogged down in why, I have faith that we did survive. And, God is the only reason we are still here.
Prayer-Oh Lord, Give us strength to carry on. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do-Finish chapter 5, worship tomorrow and rest.