This morning I got in an early workout at the fitness center; my first of the New Year. Then because of the weather forecast I took my mother home and did a quick trip to Denver. I hope to submit the manuscript for my book within the next week to the publishing company. My goal is to meet a spring book release. I appreciate the encouraging feedback from those who have reviewed my effort.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said: ‘It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.’” Genesis 22:14 HCSB

The Lord’s call to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac after the years of waiting for the promised child is a troubling story. It is good to be able to read through to the end of the story and see the outcome. The lesson learned from the account is “The Lord will provide.” God provided the sacrifice on the “mountain of the Lord.”

For Abraham he found that the Lord will provide when God’s ways don’t make sense. It is hard to imagine what was going through Abraham’s mind when the Lord one day spoke to him more than a decade after Isaac was born and tells him to travel to the mountain to sacrifice his son. But all that we see is obedience, not arguing, resistant and bargaining. The faith of Abraham that made him righteous, extended to obeying God, when God doesn’t make sense.

We find Abraham believing in the power of resurrection. It had never happened before and there was no reason or explanation on why Abraham believed it; but his faith was in a God that not only was able to bring life out of the deadness of his own body and Sarah’s womb, but was able to bring life to his dead son’s body.

Abraham’s faith is commended in Hebrews 11 with these words, “He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, and as an illustration, he received him back.” (Hebrews 11:19 HCSB)

On the Lord’s mountain, God found a man who could be trusted as the the “Father of all those of faith.” “…this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore.” (Gen. 22:16,17 HCSB)

We find in scripture that it is on the “Lord’s mountain” that the Lord reveals Himself. To Abraham, it was the “Lord who provides.” We see hundreds of years later it was on the “mountain of the Lord” that the Lord provided the law to Moses. We see in time to come it was on the “mountain of the Lord” that God’s Son would be provided as the sacrificial “lamb” fulfilling the righteous requirement of a holy God.

It was on the “mountain of the Lord” that we discover something about Abraham and something about God. Abraham’s faith allowed him to trust God completely, to believe God to do what had never been done before and to demonstrate that God could trust him.

It was on the “mountain of the Lord” we discover  God’s provision of a substitute. One that would foreshadow a future substitute for all people. One day we will discover on the “mountain” chosen by God, the resurrected Christ returning in His glory and the provision of an eternal home in His presence.

This morning after a Chiropractor appointment, I made a trip to Westminster to pick my mother up at her sister’s retirement home. She will spend the night with us and I will take her home tomorrow, after a visit to her sister’s in Greeley. My mother’s sister Hida is 100 and seems to be doing good. My mother is 90.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “At daybreak the angels urged Lot on: “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he hesitated. Because of the Lord’s compassion for him, the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters. Then they brought him out and left him outside the city.” Genesis 19:15,16 HCSB

As I was reading once again of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, I was struck at the degree to which Lot hesitated at the deliverance the Lord was providing. We read how Lot, “…chose the entire Jordan Valley for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other…Lot lived in the cities of the valley and set up his tent near Sodom.” (Genesis 13:11,12 HCSB) Lot went from being “near” Sodom to being in the heart of the city that was known to be wicked.

Lot’s choices impacted his family. When the angels came with the message of destruction, his son-in-laws scoffed and laughed off the warning. (Genesis 19:14) We then see that when the time came for God’s judgment, that Lot hesitated to the extent that the God, in His mercy, allowed the angels to force him and his family to leave the city.

Once outside the city, Lot was told to “run to the mountains” – but Lot argued.

^“But Lot said to them, “No, my lords—please. Your servant has indeed found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness by saving my life. But I can’t run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. Look, this town is close enough for me to run to. It is a small place. Please let me go there—it’s only a small place, isn’t it?—so that I can survive.” (Genesis 19:18-20 HCSB)

The angels permitted Lot to escape to Zoar. But what happened after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah?  “Lot departed from Zoar and lived in the mountains along with his two daughters, because he was afraid to live in Zoar.” (Genesis 19:30 HCSB)

How often do people today, how often do you, argue with God? The writer of Hebrews puts out a challenging question, “…how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?” (Heb. 2:3 NIV)

Some may argue with God over His plan of salvation. “It seems to easy.” “The life is too restrictive.” These kinds of thoughts and words often echo in people’s minds.

Some like Namaan of old rest God’s ways. Remember the Syrian commander the prophet told to go “wash in the Jordan” to be cleaned from his leprosy? At first he was insulted, but finally obeyed and was healed. Do we are argue when what God say seems to go against our thoughts, preferences and logic?

God’s mercy and grace saved Lot and it saves us today. For that we can be thankful. But we need to learn that “God knows best.” What we find is “ours is not to reason why” it is to us to obey and trust the One who knows how to provide for, guide and protect His children.

Today ended up being a “rest day.” After my regular Tuesday morning meeting and one of my routine massages, I found myself in a longer “rest mode” than anticipated. But I was able to accomplish quite a bit of work in my office this afternoon. My scheduled appointment with my Neurologist was postpone due to our change in insurance providers.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt...When the Lord saw that man’s wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every scheme his mind thought of was nothing but evil all the time, the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Genesis 6:3,5,6 HCSB

When God created heaven and earth, He place Adam and Eve in a garden that was unspoiled and perfect. We see sin entering the world and a “curse” placed upon the earth. In a relatively short span of time we see this “perfect” world polluted by the actions of people to the extent that it called for God’s judgment.

When God’s Spirit is grieved and removed, man loses any sense of moral bearing and restraint on evil behavior. “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12 NIV) The prophet Isaiah said, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.“  (Isa. 53:6 NIV)

Often we hear people say something like, “people are basically good.” or “Down deep there is good in every person.” Life and history and the Bible proves this to be the opposite. People may appear good “on the surface” but down deep, we are all self-centered and prone to sin. We like the Bible described go “our own way.” We want it “our way”  – we want life on “our terms” – we strive for peace and happiness, but we believe we can find it in our own “way.”

If people were basically “good” we would not need to train children to obey and to share and be self-disciplined individuals. The challenge of life is fighting our natural bent toward evil.

Paul the apostle recognized the natural bent of our life. “When I want to do what is good, evil is with me.” (Romans 7:21 HCSB) Paul, like many discovered that human will and a “just say no” approach to evil is not sufficient for a “good” life.

But in his self reflection, the apostle points to the place of hope. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  (Rom. 7:24,25 HCSB) The solution to the evil within, is inviting the Spirit of God to come into our life. That happens as we place our faith in Christ and admit that on our own we are helpless and hopeless.

The hope we have is the help that comes from the Lord and the new life He brings. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:19,20 HCSB)

The Lord, as we obey and trust Him, gives us the strength to live the “good” life. It comes from God’s presence and a life that pleases and trust in Him. “I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 HCSB) This is not our “human” spirit, but God’s Holy Spirit, living in our hearts.

God also provides by His grace and mercy a backup plan to our human condition. “My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1,2 HCSB)

The good news for the basically bad condition of the human heart is found in God provision of His Son, the perfect man, who died for us. The key to the “good” life that we all desire is to turn from “our way” to “God’s way.”

Today, I spend most of my day in Denver. I went to my mothers’ home to get our dog and go over some of her financial statements with her. The highlight of my day was spending one of the most enjoyable days with my 90 year-old mother that I can remember. She seemed to have clearer thoughts and more control over her emotions than what I usual encounter, especially when explaining finances. She seemed genuinely appreciative of our time.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted?…Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him…” Genesis 4:6-8 HCSB

Personal responsibility is a key issue that arises in the early stories of Genesis. I recall as a Senior Pastor there was an incident that arose that I believed a part-time staff member was involved in. I called the individual and inquired about the incident. His immediate response surprised me. He said, “I did it.” That was not the response that I expected and I had a great deal of respect for his honesty and how quick he was to “own” his actions.

We don’t see that when God confronted Adam and Eve and when the Lord did not accept Cain’s offering. When confronted about eating the forbidden fruit, it was not a quick admission of guilt. Adam’s first response was “the woman you gave me, she gave it to me and I ate.” (Gen. 3:12 HCSB) So, it was really God’s fault or Eve’s fault and Adam was an innocent bystander with lesser guilt. Eve’s response was similar, ““It was the serpent. He deceived me, and I ate.” (Gen. 3:13 HCSB) Someone observed, “Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent and the serpent didn’t have a “leg” to stand on.”

When Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to the Lord, for whatever reason Cain’s wasn’t accepted. There are certainly some missing facts in the story we would like to know. But it appears  that Cain must have known what was right and didn’t do it. Cain is mad at the God. But God basically tells him, “don’t be mad, just do what is right or you will be overtaken by sin.”

In these words of caution from God, Cain is warned that if you begin to do wrong, it becomes easier to do wrong the next time and the next and soon you are the servant to sin. Paul refers to those who live according to the “flesh” or their own desires as “slaves to sin.” “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.“ (Romans 6:20 NIV) He basically says, “you were free from the control of righteousness, because you were under the mastery or control of sin.”

Instead of listening and repenting, Cain in his resentment goes to the extreme of killing his brother. Sin and anger leads to irrational actions. Killing Abel was not going to make  Cain acceptable before God. It wasn’t Abel’s fault that he obeyed and Cain did not. Getting rid of the righteousness person, does not make sin and rebellion acceptable. Taking your anger at God out on another person doesn’t solve the problem.

However, we see attitudes and actions that seem to reflect that in our day. Often the presence of God’s people living as light and salt in our world serves as an irritant to those who are steeped in living life according to their own standards. There is an attempt to “silence” the voice of the righteous so the wrong doing of others is not so obvious.

We can also observe times when individuals are upset, mad or disappointed in God and they “take it out” on others. It may be Christian family members, church members in general or “the church.” Unfortunately some “ambassadors” for Christ (2 Cor 5:17) do not represent Christ well, which can harm how people view believers and the Church. But what I am referring to are those who in their misconceptions about God and their unrealistic expectations about God, attack a “brother” (or “sister”) instead of taking an introspective look at their own lives.

In the case of the first family, the parents suffered greatly. They lost both sons. The younger at the hand of violence of the older and the older when he became a fugitive on the run. It is important to remember that a failure of personal responsibility and accountability has ramifications on others in greater ways than we realize.

The proper response is to “own” and “confess” our sin and misdeeds. “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” (Psa. 32:5 NLT) The word “finally” seems to indicate that confession came “later than sooner.” You will find that “sooner” is better, but in the final analysis coming to a point of owning and addressing our disobedience is better than taking actions that make our situation worse.

It is always interesting to find the adjustment back to our time zone, even with such a small change from the east coast to the mountain time zone. Today was a good day to get “caught up” and ready for the week ahead. We watched the Bronco game with interest and breathed a sigh of relief when they finally won a critical game against a weaker but resilient San Diego team.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 HCSB

As we look at the temptation of Adam and Eve and the sin that resulted in their fall, the curse and their removal from God’s paradise, there are some important observations. Ones that have significance for all times.

Don’t underestimate your enemy. “I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Corinthians 2:10-11 NKJV) We have an  enemy that is “cunning” and dangerous. He is able to use what seems to be rationale thoughts, even our own thoughts against us. We also face temptations from our present world and our own natural evil tendencies.

We are warned, “For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:16 NIV)

Don’t doubt God’s plan. “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4,5 HCSB)

The “serpent” told Eve that God was trying to keep something from her and Adam. He challenged God’s truthfulness and God’s word. We fall prey to temptation when we believe life according to God’s standards are keeping us from “something” – something good. The “serpent” wanted Eve to believe that God’s instructions were not protecting her but “holding her back.” They were told the lie that, God’s “rules” were not keeping them from bad, but from good.

Don’t let your senses overrule your mind and heart . Eve knew what God said, but she “saw” and she desired what God had set apart. “…then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom.” (Genesis 3:6 HCSB) The Psalmist prayed, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things…” (Psa. 119:37 NIV)

Sin promises, but doesn’t deliver. “…the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.” (Genesis 3:7 HCSB) The “god-like” knowledge the serpent told Eve she was missing, was knowledge of “self” outside of the covering provided by God. They became self-conscious and ashamed.

Sin causes a change in behavior. [Adam and Eve] “…heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard You in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” (Genesis 3:8-10 HCSB)

Adam and Eve hid from God and became afraid of God. The openness they had up to this time changed and their attitude toward God changed. You will find these traits common in people’s lives today. This relates more to those who know what it is to be in relationship with the Lord than it does for those who have never experienced that fellowship.

Sin brings consequences. The fall of Adam and Eve had consequences for their lives, the earth and those who would come after them. For Eve, increased pain in childbearing. For Adam, hard labor for the land to produce. For the “serpent” judgment as well. We also see the ramifications of the relationship between Adam and Eve as man and woman and the eternal conflict that would exist between mankind and sin.

The spiritual battle of the ages is not between God and Satan, it is over the hearts of people. God judges Satan and through Jesus Christ people triumph over Satan and his counterfeit plans and purposes.

These early events of the beginning of the world are not just “Bible stories.” They contain instructive truths for us to heed and understand for our lives today.

We were up early in Atlanta to head to the airport. It is good we arrived as early as we did, because it was a very busy day at the world’s busiest airport. The weather was cold in Atlanta and felt warmer by the time we arrived at DIA. It was good to get home by early afternoon. The snow on the driveway reminded us we were back in Colorado. Debbie jumped into taking down the Christmas tree and cleaning the house…I took a nap.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 HCSB

The beginning of the Bible, starts with the beginning of the earth. Where do you start when with a project of this magnitude? God begins with His Spirit hovering “over the face of the deep.” He then speaks. Out of darkness came light. He speaks and the sky appears. He speaks and earth appears, waters are gathered together into seas and oceans. Then plant life appears and the stars of the sky and all kinds of animals.

Three consistent aspects in creation can be observed. God speaks, it comes about and it is good. However, when it comes the creation of man we see a change.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.” (Genesis 1:26,27 HCSB)

God did not “speak” man into existence, He made him. We read of God’s actions in creating man, “Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7 HCSB)

The creation of the earth is detailed in Genesis and is referred to throughout the Bible in various ways and by various authors. We read,

“Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm…” (Jeremiah 32:17 NIV)

“For from him and through him and for him are all things…” (Romans 11:36 NIV)

“…God is the builder of everything.”  (Hebrews 3:4 NIV)

“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2 NIV)

“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 40:28 NIV)

“He builds his lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth; he calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land—the Lord is his name.” (Amos 9:6 NIV)

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth…He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations….” (Acts 17:24-26 NIV)

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11 NIV)

Beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation we see God the Creator. God as Creator is not just an aside to our faith, it is at the heart of our faith. It gives meaning and purpose to our world and to our lives. He is beyond our understanding and is worthy of our worship and the commitment of our life.

I stayed up last night to welcome in the New Year through watching the infamous “ball drop” from Times Square. I usually stay up on New Year’s Eve until midnight on the east cost, but this year we were on the east coast. Today is a good day for college football. Currently, I am enjoying watching the Rose Bowl with Colorado’s own Christian McCaffrey.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 HCSB

A New Year for many represents a new start, a new beginning. This is often symbolized by the proverbial “New Year’s Resolution” that shows the goals or commitments for life to be different.

The Bible is a book of beginnings and new beginnings. Genesis, Ezra and Matthew symbolize three of those beginnings. In Genesis, we find the creation of the heavens and earth, we find in Ezra the restoration of God’s people to the holy land after 70 years of captivity and in Matthew we find the birth of Jesus the beginning of the gospels and the culmination of and fulfillment of all the Old Testament had symbolized.

In each of these we see some important concepts that provide ongoing encouragement for our lives.

In Genesis we see God creating something out of nothing. As the creator God, He is able to bring into existence that which has never been before. That means with God all things are possible. He bring something out of nothing. He brings life out of death, He speaks and it comes to be. In creation it took place as “the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” (Gen. 1:2)

When God’s Spirit invades the darkness and emptiness of our life, something happens. As you begin this New Year perhaps the Lord needs to do something entirely new for you and in your life. Trust Him for that. We can “ask big” of the Lord. Psalm 2 we read, “Ask of Me,and I  will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.” (Psa. 2:8 HCSB) That is a big ask! God invites us to “ask big.”

In Ezra we see God is able to restore. Ezra begins, “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.'”  (Ezra 1:2 HCSB) When it comes to God’s restoration we often look for regaining that which was. However, when it comes to the Temple the Lord says through the prophet Haggai, “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” (Haggai 2:9 NIV)

What the Lord restores, He improves. Often our possibilities are limited to what we have seen the Lord do or have experienced in the past. The Lord is not only able to restore that which has been tarnished, lost or is found in ruin, He is able to make it far better than what we have known in the past.

In the gospels we see the Lord accomplishes His purpose. The coming of Jesus and His death and resurrection is all in according to God’s plan. It is first referenced at the time of the fall of man, it is established with the call of Abraham, it is seen in the exodus and the occupying of the promised land. The work of the Messiah is prophesied in the Old Testament and the story unfolds in the “New Testament.”

The result is a “people of God” who are destined to experience life with Him now and for eternity. We can be confident that God accomplishes His purposes. He is doing that in the history and events of the world and He is able to do that in our lives. The Lord will bring to pass what He has promised and He will finish what He has started in our lives.

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 NIV)

As you begin this New Year, trust the Lord to do in you what is needed. It may be creating, it may be restoring, it may be fulfilling that which is needed in your life. Resolve to trust the Lord to work in your life as “His Spirit hovers” over  and works in you.