We have talked about Abel, Enoch and Noah and see certain reasons
why should not look at these men but at the Lord Jesus Christ. We
continue to look at more Bible characters. In this article, I am looking at
Abraham,
Abraham: This is a great man, the father of faith and friend of God. He
was called out from idolatry to serve the Living God( Act 7:3-4, Gen 12:
1 -4, Joshua 24:2,3). We cannot ignore the good attributes in this man’s
life. When he was call to leave his father household( Act 7:3-4, Gen 12:
1 -4, Joshua 24:2,3), he obeyed. Each places he got to, he raised an altar
to God (Gen 12:8, Gen 13:8). He was a man given to hospitality (Gen
18:1-5). When God asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, He obeyed (Gen
22: 1 -19, Heb 11:17). He was also an intercessor, interceding so that
God will not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18 :20 -33). Abraham
gave tithe to Melchizedek(Gen 14:18-20) These qualities in the life of
Abraham are good and we such follow after such examples. But there
are certain things in the life of Abraham that we should not follow after.
That is why God through the Holy Spirit is saying to Believers in the
Christ to look at Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, our perfect
Model and Example.
Look away from Abraham, for if you don’t you might be deceived
that when God calls to us to leave our household, that we need to take
our ‘Lot” along with us. For the God said in Isaiah 51: 2 (……for I
called him alone….) We all knew the trouble that resulted
between Abraham and Lot which resulted in Lot and Abraham
separating from each other.(Gen 13:7 -13). Lot eventually settling in the
land of Sodom and Gomorrah which later the Lord destroyed. Possibly
If Abraham has fully obeyed the Lord that “Abraham alone I called”
(Isaiah 51:2), Lot, would have possibly been saved from so much
damaged and loss (food for thought)
If we look too much at Abraham, we flee to our Egypt because of
economic recession without consulting with God who said we should
stay in our Canaan (Gen 12:10). We tell our “Sarah” to tell lies just for
us to be kept alive and be well entreated before kings, ignoring God who
is able to deliver us when we are tempted or faced with difficult situations
Don’t look too much at Abraham , because we might be deceived that
God’s delay, means we need to agree with our “Sarah” to devise a mean
to bring to pass God promises and giving birth to our Ishmael who will
later be persecuting the promise child (Gal 4:29)
If we look too much at Abraham, we might be deceived to start
acquiring concubines (Gen 25:1,6) after our “Sarah” have long gone
and giving the children of these concubines peanuts of our inheritances
(Gen 25:6) and send them away so that we can keep our Isaac. This
attitude of Abraham can cause enmity and hatred among these children.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Looking unto Jesus Part 1
Have you have taking time to ask yourself why God admonishes us to look
unto Jesus and not at men list in Hebrews 11: 3 -38
In this article, I try to x-ray some of the men listed in Hebrew 11: 3 – 38 and why
should not look at them but onto Jesus, the author and finisher. I believe that
there some good qualities that we can emulate from these men because the
scripture tell us that obtain good report by faith (Hebrew 11:2). There somethings
about their lives that we can pattern our lives after. For example David praises
God, God want us to emulate that. Still God doesn’t us to look at them but on
Jesus.
Let us look at some of the men and see reason why we should not look at them
Abel: If you look at Abel, you will see a man who gave God his best, He sacrificed
the firstling his animals, the first fruit of his produce such that God attested to
his sacrifice. We are suppose to emulate him in that respect, offer to God our
best.(Heb 11: 4, Gen 4:4,5, 9,10). Though Abel was counted as a righteous, we are
enjoined not to look at him! Looking Abel, we see a man, who is not discerning
enough, a man who cannot discern the evil intent of Cain. Looking at Jesus of
whom the scripture as this to say concerning about him He perceived their
craftiness (Luke 20:24)
If we learn to look at Jesus, we will learn not to moved by men’s fair speeches for
the Scripture says concerning our Lord
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man
(John 2 :24 -25)
Friends, if we learn to look at Jesus, we will overcome the traps of men and the
caprices of Satan. Throughout the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth, He
was able to perceive the intents of the Pharisee, Sadducees, Scribes, Lawyers
and even his own Disciples. Looking to Jesus , we learn to wise as serpent and yet
gentle as dove.
Enoch: The Bible records that Enoch pleased the Lord, that God took him away
into heaven (Gen 5:25, Heb 11:5). The man did not see death, Yet God said;
don’t look at him, but look unto Jesus. In my thinking, if you look too much at
Enoch, you might be deceived that You can live your life in pleasure of sin for
some time before dedicating it to God, Enoch lived 300 years without serving
God., then served God for 65 years. The lifespan of man is not up 300 years again
You and I might not live up to 70 years. So we cannot afford to live like Enoch
expecting to get age 300 before making a resolution to serve the Lord, Now is the
acceptable time to serve the Lord, when you still have breath in you. Remember
the admonition of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now your Creator in
the days of your youth.
We should look unto Jesus, who from the start of his life, offered himself
unreservedly to serve the God.
“Then said I, (Jesus was taking to Father here) Lo, I come to do thy will O
God……(Hebrew 10:9)
The story of the rich foolish man in Luke 12:20 is another story that comes
to mind. The soul of the rich man was demanded that night by God. Friends we
don’t know when death will come knocking, that is why we should make a decision to
serve God now through Jesus Christ.
Noah: I think if not for this single man, the human race should have gone into
extinction. By being righteous, He was able to preserve the human race from
total extinct. There are some qualities about him. He was just and righteous. A
man that moved to action when God told him about the impending destruction
coming upon the world. Yet, we are not to look at him, we encourage look at
Jesus.
If you look too much on Noah, You might be deceived that after receiving grace
to be accounted as righteous before the Lord by which He escaped the judgment
upon the world, that you can now start living a life of surfeiting and drunkenness.
Noah failed to accept his moral failure, instead invoke curses on Ham’ son
Canaan. Who committed the crime? Who did Noah curse, His grandson…….
How we need to look at Jesus, though falsely accused by the Pharisees that He
Jesus was a drunkard and glutton , did not become a stumbling block for other to
fall Noah, through his drunkenness became a stumbling block Ham to sin.
I will like to stop here, after considering the 3 men who lived before the flood.
unto Jesus and not at men list in Hebrews 11: 3 -38
In this article, I try to x-ray some of the men listed in Hebrew 11: 3 – 38 and why
should not look at them but onto Jesus, the author and finisher. I believe that
there some good qualities that we can emulate from these men because the
scripture tell us that obtain good report by faith (Hebrew 11:2). There somethings
about their lives that we can pattern our lives after. For example David praises
God, God want us to emulate that. Still God doesn’t us to look at them but on
Jesus.
Let us look at some of the men and see reason why we should not look at them
Abel: If you look at Abel, you will see a man who gave God his best, He sacrificed
the firstling his animals, the first fruit of his produce such that God attested to
his sacrifice. We are suppose to emulate him in that respect, offer to God our
best.(Heb 11: 4, Gen 4:4,5, 9,10). Though Abel was counted as a righteous, we are
enjoined not to look at him! Looking Abel, we see a man, who is not discerning
enough, a man who cannot discern the evil intent of Cain. Looking at Jesus of
whom the scripture as this to say concerning about him He perceived their
craftiness (Luke 20:24)
If we learn to look at Jesus, we will learn not to moved by men’s fair speeches for
the Scripture says concerning our Lord
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man
(John 2 :24 -25)
Friends, if we learn to look at Jesus, we will overcome the traps of men and the
caprices of Satan. Throughout the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth, He
was able to perceive the intents of the Pharisee, Sadducees, Scribes, Lawyers
and even his own Disciples. Looking to Jesus , we learn to wise as serpent and yet
gentle as dove.
Enoch: The Bible records that Enoch pleased the Lord, that God took him away
into heaven (Gen 5:25, Heb 11:5). The man did not see death, Yet God said;
don’t look at him, but look unto Jesus. In my thinking, if you look too much at
Enoch, you might be deceived that You can live your life in pleasure of sin for
some time before dedicating it to God, Enoch lived 300 years without serving
God., then served God for 65 years. The lifespan of man is not up 300 years again
You and I might not live up to 70 years. So we cannot afford to live like Enoch
expecting to get age 300 before making a resolution to serve the Lord, Now is the
acceptable time to serve the Lord, when you still have breath in you. Remember
the admonition of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now your Creator in
the days of your youth.
We should look unto Jesus, who from the start of his life, offered himself
unreservedly to serve the God.
“Then said I, (Jesus was taking to Father here) Lo, I come to do thy will O
God……(Hebrew 10:9)
The story of the rich foolish man in Luke 12:20 is another story that comes
to mind. The soul of the rich man was demanded that night by God. Friends we
don’t know when death will come knocking, that is why we should make a decision to
serve God now through Jesus Christ.
Noah: I think if not for this single man, the human race should have gone into
extinction. By being righteous, He was able to preserve the human race from
total extinct. There are some qualities about him. He was just and righteous. A
man that moved to action when God told him about the impending destruction
coming upon the world. Yet, we are not to look at him, we encourage look at
Jesus.
If you look too much on Noah, You might be deceived that after receiving grace
to be accounted as righteous before the Lord by which He escaped the judgment
upon the world, that you can now start living a life of surfeiting and drunkenness.
Noah failed to accept his moral failure, instead invoke curses on Ham’ son
Canaan. Who committed the crime? Who did Noah curse, His grandson…….
How we need to look at Jesus, though falsely accused by the Pharisees that He
Jesus was a drunkard and glutton , did not become a stumbling block for other to
fall Noah, through his drunkenness became a stumbling block Ham to sin.
I will like to stop here, after considering the 3 men who lived before the flood.
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