At one time when I was growing up, our family had very little.  My father had been laid off and could not find work.  As a mechanic he could do work on the side to make a little money, and he did that as often as possible.  After a few months, our phone service was disconnected, then our power was turned off, things got very difficult. 

We heated our house with a wood stove, and we cut wood on our property and the neighbors allowed us to cut on theirs as well.  So we were always warm.  Hauling water was difficult.  You see we lived in the country in Rural Northwest Arkansas.  The closest town was called Omaha and had a population of 391 (yes I mean Omaha, AR). 

This period lasted for 2-3 years.  Different friends would help us by letting us borrow a generator for a time, sometimes people would give my dad money, and some friends would even give us food.  We were blessed to have many friends who could cared about us.  There was one Thanksgiving during this time when we had very little, and in the end we felt so richly blessed. 

I think I was in 7th or 8th Grade.  Dad was slightly depressed because we had no money with the holidays approaching.  We all tried to be positive and say things like gifts, feasts, and such were not what was important, we would be together and that is what mattered…  I remember a few days before Thanksgiving Day, dad shared with the whole family that we did not have money for a Turkey and a big feast on Thanksgiving Day.  Also we did not have the money to drive to Texas to celebrate with other family like we did often at Thanksgiving. 

Dad said we should pray that God would provide for our Thanksgiving Day, but we all knew that it was going to be a little different than normal.  So we prayed. 

The next day we noticed that there was a lot of heavy truck traffic on the dirt road that bordered our property.  Later that afternoon we were completely surprised when two very large white Turkeys wandered into our yard.  What had happened was that several miles down that dirt road were several Turkey Farmers.  They had huge Turkey and Chicken houses for the Tyson’s food company.  The Turkeys had matured and were being transported by the thousand past our house to the processing plant.  One of the doors on one cage on one truck had popped open and two Turkey’s had escaped. 

Those Turkey’s had gone up the hill, through our woods, and into our front yard a few days before Thanksgiving.  We were blown away.  We prayed for God’s provision for Thanksgiving and he provided for Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

I know that for many of us it is always hard to trust that God knows our needs and is willing to meet those needs.  I know that it does not always work out the way that we want it to, but this Thanksgiving think about all of the things that you have that you don’t need, and Praise God for his provision. 

Living in Mexico really gives us different perspective on what we “need” and what we want.  You would be surprised to know that you don’t need all of the things in your life.  If your life suddenly changed and you didn’t have your large TV, your soft Couch, your down comforters, your huge refrigerators, your late model cars, and the many other things like; Xbox’s, laptop’s, ipods, closets full of clothes you never wear…  you would realize that you don’t need those things to live.  Sure they make life easier, most of the time, but you don’t “need” them. 

This Thanksgiving give to someone in need.  This holiday season take some time to find ways to make this season special to someone who you know is having a difficult time, who knows maybe you will be the answer to their prayers.  God Bless!

Chad

It has been a few days since I posted here.  After the election I had a lot I wanted to say and even wrote several posts all of which I decided would be of no benefit to anyone.  They were just long complaints about the way the world is these days, and ultimately I believe that God’s providence is over all of it.  I remembered that ultimately our hope is not in government, presidents, policies, or the economy.  Our hope lies in the power of God working in the hearts of people.  Our task to give our all for the sake of the Gospel of Christ, to remain faithful to him through all of the ups and downs.  Our hope of treasures in heaven, of the resurrection and glory is in Christ alone. 

I want to continue sharing about Abram.  Last time I posted I shared about the 3 fold promise of God to Abram.  Today I want to talk about God’s promise and what it required of Abram and what it required of God. 

Often in Scripture you find God’s promise of blessing attached to an if then statement.  Take 2 Chronicles 7:14 for example, “IF my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  Notice the requirements:

IF my people:  Humble themselves, pray, seek my face, turn from wickedness.

THEN I will: hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

The promise to Abram does not have this if/then qualifications.  God tells him to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and go to the land I will show you (Gen 12:1).  Then God says, “I will 6 different times.  God does not if you leave then I will… he says, “GO” then he says I will.  The promise is not contingent on the actions of Abram.  The promise is solely contingent on the promise of God.  

So as long as God is faithful this promise WILL come to pass.   Now consider this Galatians 3:6-9, “Consider Abraham: “he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.  The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”  So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”  Galatians 3:13-14, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” 

The fact that Abram received God’s blessing so that he, Abraham, could be a blessing to all nations.   Applies directly to all who would call himself a person of true faith. 

The ultimate fulfillment of God’s three fold promise to Abraham is the life and person of Jesus Christ.  He was a literal descendant of Abraham.  He was the primary BLESSING that this section of Gen talks about, and he is the hope given to the Gentiles for the giving of that hope to others. 

The key thing to understand, is that God’s heart for the entire world did not start when Jesus gave the Great Commission.  From the moment of Creation, God desired that all of His creations be in relationship with Him, the creator.   From the moment sin entered the world, God set about a plan that would redeem for himself a representation of all peoples in the world.  As he cursed man, he says, that the seed of man will crush the serpent’s head, once again a bold prophetic word about the life of Jesus Christ. 

How have you used the blessing(s) that God has given you?  Have you been a blessing to others?  In one sense this applies financially, but the more fundamental focus is, “have you used the knowledge and hope of Jesus Christ, and given that hope to others?” 

-Chad

We are looking at Gen 12 today.  You may like me always have heard that Abram was from Ur of the Chaldeans and God spoke to him so he took everything he had and left his home country to travel to Canaan, a land that God had promised to his descendants.  While yes that happened it didn’t really happen like that. 

Check out Gen 11:31

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 Caldeans to go to Canaan.  But when they came to Haran, they settled there.

It seems likely to me that God spoke to Abram’s father first.  He was the one that uprooted his family and moved them away from their home.  Abram was living in a foreign country when God spoke to him.  Sure he may had been there for a while, but Abram was accustomed to two things.  1.  He knew that when God spoke to you, that you were bound to obey.  2.  He was able to move his family on and complete the purpose that God gave him, and the purpose that his father had when he first moved his family. 

Gen 12:1-3

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.  “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.  I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

John Stott said in his article “You Can Tell the World”, that, “these are perhaps the most unifying verses in the Bible; the whole of God’s purpose is encapsulated here.”

Here is why!  God who created the universe, then the earth, then mankind, saw fit to choose a family that would impact all of the generations to come in the history of the world.  God makes several promises and similar to the Noahaic Covenant, he does not require much of Abram.  Here is the requirement, “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”  We already talked above about how he had already left his country, and his people, all that was left was to leave his father’s household.  He did have to demonstrate the faith to uproot yet again and go. 

Now lets look at God’s promises.  I see three of them.  1.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.  2.  I will make your name great and you will be a blessing.  3.   I will bless those who bless you and curse whoever curses you and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. 

First God promises to make Abram’s descendents into a great nation.  This is obviously fulfilled in the nation of Israel.  Only 3 Generations past Abram we have the beginning of the Israelites.  Abram’s son Isaac had a son named Jacob who had 12 sons who became the father’s of the 12 tribes of Israel.  (there is more to this one, but we will revisit it later)

Second, God promises to make Abram’s name great and that he would BE a blessing.  This is fulfilled as well, in that Abram was quite famous in his own day, but he is still famous now.   This occurred immediately and over many generations. 

Third, the promise that through Abram all people’s on earth would be blessed.  This is the main thing.  This shows God’s intention.  It was not only to choose a family that he could bless, and lavish upon.  The blessing that God has promised Abram here is given so that it can be a blessing to the whole world.  

The phrase made famous by the Perspectives Class is, “blessed to be a blessing”.  God chose to bless Abram so that all peoples on earth would be blessed. 

-Chad