Genesis 5:22-24

I am sure we all long to be like Enoch, as we will see in the verses today. I long for the Lord's return where he will snatch us up into His arms and out of this world. Until that day, we just keep praying and waiting. Have a good start to your week my friend. 

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Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Genesis 5:22-24

    Every individual person ever placed on this planet will only live a certain amount of time and live a life toward a goal. Where some people have the goal to be rich and famous others have desires to just reach out and change something in our world. But I believe there is only one true and correct way to live our lives, doing so will sort everything else out. Like Enoch, we need to walk with God. 
    Walking with God is not something we can easily define, and probably won’t fully comprehend in this life. I believe it is an experience of life that we all wish we had but always seem to keep longing for. It does not mean we have to be perfect of course. Even King David sinned, yet was a man who was after God’s own heart. What an amazing truth, and even more that He wants to be with us moment by moment. 
    There must be a continually fellowship with the Lord then we must seek. Not just going to church and being a passenger in a great big bus toward heaven. It means getting out from the crowd and walking in the way of our Lord. Allowing His life to flow out of us is the key. Once we are saved, we asked Him to dwell in us. Now we must make a daily choice to let His life flow from within us. The will of God, the love of God, the grace of God, and the very person of God can all be found when we just learn to walk along with Him and live not to ourselves, but to Him.

Genesis 3:21

I always enjoy weekends but have trouble with the sleeping in part. That never works for me. For that matter I have more energy on my days off work then when I have to go to work. I guess that's normal though. Anyway keep praying for the believers around the world and us my friend. Have a good weekend

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“Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.”
Genesis 3:21

A common phrase in our culture is that the clothes make the man. Indeed it’s always important what you put in every day as you are representing yourself to everyone you meet. When they see you dressed well, with ironed shirt and well-trimmed pants there is much respect that follows. Even more dress also is important in our work places where people except to see what we care about how we look. But the clothes that the Lord gives are very different then our earthly attire.

Adam and Eve may very well have watched as God killed the animals and created the clothes for his children. He had seen them sin and now he was providing a covering for their nakedness. But these were just plain clothes of skin, nothing exceptional or beautiful in them. The Lord showed them and us that no matter what we put on the outside the inner quality will be more important. Jesus reminds us of that when talking about the attitudes of the heart making one clean.

We also know through the sacrifice of blood we have covering of sin. Though Adam and Eve fell into sin, the Lord was there to provide a way to be recovered. But they did not return to whatever state they had before where they walked in His presence in a way we may never know. Rather we are left in our sin, covered by His blood, with the daily moment by moment choice to choose to live with His life flowing through and out of us.

Genesis 3:15

Dunking Avery in the pool went well. It was quick and she didn’t cry so we are happy. She also enjoyed her cupcakes and even tried to eat the candle more this time. It’s fun to watch her with those every month, but she grows too fast. Anyway I hope you have a great day today.

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And I will put enmity
      Between you and the woman,
      And between your seed and her Seed;
      He shall bruise your head,
      And you shall bruise His heel.”
Genesis 3:15

Our Lord God declared war on Satan after he tempted Even and lead both her and Adam into sin for the first time. The fall of man had begun and whatever greatness of relationship man previous had with God was lost. There was a severe separation that mankind lost. So there was a battle line drawn at once and from there the Lord promised a Messiah would come.

We cannot let ourselves fall into the trap of thinking Jesus was a plan cooked up once man had fallen into sin. God knew from the beginning of Creation, even before, that man would fall into temptation and need a savior. Before any heavens and earth there was the pre-existent God the Father, Son, and Spirit as One. And He knew even then that the Son would pay the price and redeem mankind from its fallen state.

The seed of the woman is the clue here that the birth of Jesus would be miraculous. We know seed comes from man, but in the case of Mary, the mother of Jesus, there was a virgin birth and no man was involved. That form of birth allowed the sin nature which has traveled through all of mankind to be stopped for a moment with Jesus. This did not in any means make Mary perfect, but it did birth for a righteous and Holy Son.

War started in the Garden of Eden and throughout the Bible the Lord would narrow down His plan and reveal what He has in mind. First it would be through Abraham, than Judah, and finally a son of David. He knew from the beginning He had a plan to save us from our sin. That is the Lord we praise, for giving us salvation and setting us free from bondage and death.

Genesis 2:7

Hard to believe my daughter is really nine months old today. Of course that means she has shots due this morning, and then later today we get to dunk her in the pool for the first time. I’m sure she will just love us by the end of it. Those cupcakes tonight will be helpful in getting us back on the good side. Always what I look forward to.

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And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Genesis 2:7

It is almost painful to realize how much our cultural and Biblical heritage has been forgotten. A nation that was once founded upon the Law of the Word of God has thrown the truth into wayside. The worst possible form of idolatry has been committed. Not only do we say that the Lord is not creator, we deny a creator all together. Yet the truth remains, for all breath comes from the Lord.

Creation is the first thing we encounter with the Word, and it stays constant throughout the Bible. Our Lord God created all things, and in all things life comes only through Him. It is important for us to stop and realize He is creator. Our nation may have forgotten, and I pray the generation growing up in our schools will not be misled. Our Lord created the foundations of this earth. 

Breath is the one thing all living creatures have in common. Without breath, we have no life. He is the one who gives and sustains all things. As the sun rises in the morning all throughout the day, the Lord is at work. You can see Him when you stop and just look around.

John 17:22-25

And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
John 17:22-25

Treasure these words of Jesus to the Father, for it’s a prayer of intercession on behalf of all of us. Here and in the previous verses we have our Lord giving us the same benefits he shares with the Father. He asks for us to have life, security, separation from the world as well as a purpose in the world. He seeks that we be united with the Father just as he is. Most important our Lord seeks to have us filled with love.

The bridegroom is longing to be rejoined to His bride, in ways that go far beyond our imagination. I don’t think that even we could fathom how desperately he wants to be with us, to take us into his arms and remove us from all the unrest and sin we face daily. His great desire is for us to be with Him and I know he longs for this.

We are still in the world but we should be united with the world. Do not allow yourself to marry yourself to idols or the ways of this culture. Never let anything draw you away from the presence of the Almighty. Read the message of the Old Testament as it speaks of the Lord and his desire to take Israel under his refuge. He longs for the same with His church as well. So seek Him and read His word to discover not only how much your loved, but who it is who loves you eternally.

John 17:20-21

I love my little girl. She will crawl up to me, get herself into a standing up using my pant leg and then reach up to me as far as she can even on her tip toes just so I will pick her up. I watched her do that yesterday and it struck me, that is how we should be with the Lord in worship. Stretching ourselves so far out in praise and prayer that all we desire is to be picked up and held. Wonderful thought.

David

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"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
John 17:20-21

  God’s ultimate plan is for every person in every area of the world to be a member of His church. When our minds think of the church, instantly we picture American congregations gathering together once a week for fellowship and prayer. This is only a small glimpse of the global church. 
  The message of Jesus has spread throughout the world so that there are pieces of the great body of Christ all around. We easily forget our brothers and sisters in Christ who are living in countries like Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and Iraq. To us, those are just dusty old countries that someone should witness in. The church is thriving already in so many places of this world, but also under a great deal of persecution.
    Now as for the command or we should say prayer of our Lord to the Father. Jesus seeks for the unity of believers in the world; for all who come to Him. This is a unity that blurs the lines between color, gender, and ethnic background. In God’s heart the people who live and breathe in places like Indonesia, and Burma are in just as much a need to be united as those in America. We must not lose our mindset that the Church is called to be united as one body, full of many parts. We are all to be gathered together as one so the world may know Jesus and the powerful work of the cross to save souls.
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I love making my Avery giggle. She seems to enjoy it as well. Of course just smiling or clapping makes her smile wide. She also tickles easily which is fun. We have a very mobile child now she likes to get into a standing position and walk around things with her hand on the couch or coffee table. She takes steps and knows how to get around. She still likes to be picked up, but she loves getting around too. Our kid is fast. Love her so much.

John 17:17-19

Another week has passed and we press into the weekend. Still more to do, but that is good. Avery is enjoying her swim class and getting used to being in the water. Not sure she will like it when we dunk her for the first time this coming week, we shall see. I look forward to seeing how that goes.

David

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Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
John 17:17-19

We know that the Lord is clear on separating what is holy and pure. One of the first things he made sure Moses told the people was that He is a Holy God. King David often wrote in the Psalms of the Word of God also being holy and pure. God’s word is sanctified, or set apart from the things of this world. It is truth and it is what we are to live on and walk by.

The Bible does not just contain the truth, it is the truth. The moment we as mere men try to pick out scriptures that we don’t really think are inspired, we destroy ourselves for believe a lie. We also cannot add to the Holy Scriptures any other message from men or from angels because this is the one that has been set apart by the Spirit. It comes to us through men and women of God who were led by the Spirit, and many of whom saw Christ. 

We call this Word of God the truth because that is what it is. This is truth that sets us free. Truth that gives life. We can have no greater goal in this life then to search out the Word, dive deep into the message and seek all that we can. The Spirit leads us with the Word, and it is through the Truth we find salvation. 

We enrolled Avery in swim class this week so we could get her used to the water. It has always been a big thing in my family to have the kids in the water so of course here we go. She is getting a lot more used to it now and floats real well in the water. Of course this makes bath time all the better. Mommy and daddy trade off on days with her and get to do all the little fun activites which help her get used to being in a pool. Its great!

Avery seems to enjoy it and so we.

John 17:15-16

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 
John 17:15-16

As the previous verses has spoken and we have heard before, this world is not our home. The lasting place where we will spend eternity is somewhere beyond our scope of reality. Heaven is our home when we are in Christ, and it is there we long to be. But for now we must face life here on earth, and we can only do that through the Father.

If our eternal security rested on our ability to sin or make mistakes then wouldn’t it have been better for the Lord to take us to heaven as soon as we were saved. We realize then that it is not based on us keeping ourselves, but the Father. Jesus prayed for the Father to have His hands on us.

Many people in the Old Testament had prayed for the Lord to take them out of the world, and they did not get an answer to that prayer during that time. He has a plan and a purpose for us in the time he has given us. But remember we are not of this world, we are no more of this world than Jesus is. Ponder on these things.

John 17:14

Ever have one of this morning’s where you wake up feeling like you slept wrong. My nose feels like it’s been holding up my head all night. Guess it’s one of those then. We press into another day my friend. Be safe and go with the Lord in all you do.

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I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 
John 17:14

Rising up in the morning has always been the most difficult process for me. I don’t know what it is about the breaking of daylight and that loud alarm clock that make you want to hide back under the covers. Still it is in the few hours of the morning that our most important things are done. We prepare ourselves for the coming day and set into motion how the day will go by simply approaching it in the right way.

God calls us his sheep, and He is called our Shepherd. For this reason we should remember that sheep are fed in the morning and can hear the voice of their Master in those hours. It is the most important time to get into the Word because life’s greatest distractions and worries have not yet started. And even more if there is something bothering you, who better to talk with than the Lord of all things. 

Remember also that our citizenship is not of this world. If you were traveling in another country, I am sure the first thing you would do if you had a chance would be to check your email. You would be seeing if there were any updates from family or friends that would connect you back with where you really belong, home. In a lot of ways we must do the same in the morning with our Father in Heaven. This world is not our home, we are just passing on through. So going to the Lord when you are feeling out of place is the best place for our spirits to go.

Its time to baby proof everything! Of course we had 8 months to do so but you know Avery just got up and got moving so fast. Now she darts all over and follows us around the house. She loves it to because she knows she is making us smile when she crawls. She gives us a huge grin and gets on her way.

John 17:13

Maybe it will stay dry enough now we can get to mowing some of our lawn. Of course there is a lot of it and I admit we need a smaller yard next time around. But at least it is the weekend. I hope you enjoyed your fourth of July. Now we press on into the summer. I pray the Lord will give you all joy in Him.

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But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
John 17:13

Joy is always one of those things we talk about wanting to have, and we wish it upon people as a song during the holidays. Sometimes it seems like an unattainable desire we long to have. We might all have our own definitions for what joy would feel like or is like, but nothing could be greater than that joy which comes from Jesus. 

Jesus prayed that we would have the joy he has even now. This was a prayer for something we would be able to experience during every day of our life. It’s a fulfilling knowledge of the Lord God and His power working through your circumstances. Christians then should be joyful always knowing the Lord is in them and living with them. 

Joy is not being happy all the time or putting on a smile whenever you have to; remember Jesus wept. If the Lord can have emotion then we are fully able to as well. But joy as Jesus had it is not something we can even lightly grab hold of here, or even with hours of study. It’s more of something we need to pray to be willing to accept. You see the joy is always there for the taking, we just have to say yes.

John 17:12

There is so much to be said for the freedom we have in America to speak out about whatever we feel. Let’s not take for granite that we can even share the Word so publicly. We have freedom in our Lord as well, because we are secure in Him. Not freedom to do whatever we please, but to do what pleases Him. Have a great fourth of July my friend.

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While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
John 17:12

A lot of people have questions about this passage because it almost seems like it contradicts Jesus’ ability to keep us secure. Actually if we pour into the text and see what it is saying there is a great deal here that continues the same flow of the prayer and truth of our security.

Judas never deceived our Lord, nor was there any surprise that he would be the betrayer. Jesus knew what was going to come and was fully prepared for this. But still there was warnings throughout the ministry where Jesus would point out to Judas what was to come. This scripture is showing us that Judas himself was never one of the secured disciples in the first place. He was lost, but was simply never one of the others to begin with.

Our security once again is found in the faith we have in our Savior which makes us a disciple of Him. Nothing gets snuck by our Lord and we cannot hide from His face. He always sees us and knows what we are up to at all times. He planned from the beginning all things, and even shared His life with those he knew would betray him. That is love my friend. The kind of love we all need to know. 

We are home from an amazing adventure weekend. We flew out to Denver and met up with my best friend Jon his wife Jessica for some river rafting and horse back riding. We had a great time hanging out and enjoying some rapids as well. The horse ride was a little longer then i would have liked, but it was good. I always love being able to see them and hear how their little Lexie is doing. Shes three days younger then Avery.

While there i had the chance to just sit by the river while the sun rose and think about the Creator. What an amazing world we live in and yet its so full of technology and things that have to be done, it spoils it really. Its good to get away and just breath in some fresh air and enjoy what the Lord has made. He is great. I would love to do more of that.

Among other things i took Holly to the capital building which is the second one we have now seen together. My lifelong goal is to see all of them of course, that will take some time. But i do look forward to getting that chance with time. Now we are back home and little Avery missed us so much. She is crawling all over the place now and enjoying her new freedom. Of course that freedom is limited by what we let her play with and where we let her go. So of course there are rules. So adorable though.

John 17:9-11

We had a great weekend with our good friends rafting down the Arkansas river as well as a two hour horseback ride. What an adventure that all was. It was also not without its insights which I’m sure I will share. Now we are back to work and looking forward to celebrating our Freedom this Wednesday. For now hope you are doing well.

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“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.”

John 17:9-11

Security is one of our most valued treasures really. We desire to be safe and sound, protected from whatever can cause us harm. As a believer we are secure in our salvation based on Christ and, His work alone. Our eternal security then rests on Him and His ability to keep His own word. Between the Father and the Son, all who have faith in Jesus are secure.

We have a constant intercessor who is praying for all believers. Jesus shows us here that he prays for us. The subject of those prayers might be for our unity with the Father, for our relationship with Him and for our knowledge to increase. With our salvation in Him secure then, our lives are to be spent getting to know Him more daily. It’s good to know we don’t have to waste time trying to be perfect. We just have to submit to Him in all areas of life.

Now believers are given the responsibility to pray for the world. Jesus will later pray for his enemies from the cross, a prayer of forgiveness. But it is our job to pray for this world that all men would come and know Christ. We must pray for all people to discover their savior and the one who will always keep them secure.