God 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 will bless you so that you
may be a blessing to all peoples on earth."
So Abram left with Sarai, Lot his nephew, and
all his possessions, travelled about 480
kilometres and arrived at Shechem in Canaan
(see map). God appeared to Abrah and said "I'll
give this land to your offspring." So Abram
built an altar to the Lord there.
Instead of staying where he was supposed to be,
Abram went south into the desert, got caught in
a famine area, went to Egypt to get food, told
lies about his wife and finally ended up back
where he should have been. There he called on
the name of the Lord at the altar he had built
previously.
The land couldn't support both Abram's and
Lot's people so Abram said Lot could choose
whatever land he wanted. He selfishly took what
looked to be best. But not only were Sodom and
Gomorrah in that territory, but he foolishly
pitched his tents near Sodom. The men of Sodom
(homosexuals) were wicked and sinning greatly
against the Lord.
After Lot left, God said to Abram "Look North,
South, East and West, all the land is yours and
your descendants forever." So Abram went to
Hebron (near where he first arrived) and built
an altar to the Lord. (Chapters 12 & 13)
By this time Lot was living in Sodom. Sodom and
Gomorrah were attacked and Lot and his
possessions carried off as spoils of battle.
Abram rescued him and while returning was met
by Melchizedek, King of Jerusalem who blessed
him saying "Blessed be Abram by God, most high,
creator of heaven and earth, who delivered your
enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him
10% of his spoils.
The King of Sodom offered Abram a reward but he
wouldn't accept, saying he had taken an oath to
God so that the King couldn't say he made Abram
rich.
(Chapter 14)
God said to Abram in a vision "Don't be afraid,
I am your shield, your very great reward."
Abram complained that he and Sarai had no son.
God promised him a son and descendants as
numerous as the stars.
ABRAM BELIEVED GOD, SO GOD CREDITED IT TO HIM
AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
(Abram got right with God by faith and
trust in Him and what He said. This is
the key to life and here's how you can
do the same:
God made you in His own image, so you
could enjoy real life, sharing His
love, friendship and creation. He is
totally interested in you, having
specially prepared plans for your life.
God loves you too much to force His
plans upon you. He leaves you free to
choose His way or your own. In fact,
everybody begins by choosing to go
their own way - "do their own thing."
This breaks His law of love and
separates us from Him, a spiritual and
physical death penalty. Even so, He
continues to care for us. He shares our
resulting pain and sorrows. The good
news is that He showed the depth of His
love for you by paying your penalty and
eliminating the cause of your
separation. He did this by dying in
your place at Calvary and opening the
way for you to be re-united with Him.
The Cross shows how valuable you are to
Him. All He asks in response to His
love is belief in what Jesus Christ has
done for you and a genuine desire to go
His way rather than your own. If you
want to do this, then tell Him in your
own words like these:
Dear God, I have been going
my own way but now I want to
turn and go your way. I
believe you will forgive all
my past sins and give me a
new life as a member of your
family. I believe the way to
do this is through trust in
your son Jesus Christ.
Thanks for accepting me.
You have done the most important thing
possible - become a member of God's
family. God now lives within you in the
person of the Holy Spirit. This means
you have become God's masterpiece. You
can't be more special than that. To
grow you will need to meet with other
members to give and receive encourage-
ment.
You can do that by joining a loving and
accepting Christian denominational
church or meeting in your home. Our
book, "How to Meet with God at Home"
has details.)
God then re-affirmed His covenant to give Abram
the land where he was but not 'til his
descendants had been enslaved for 400 years.
(Chapter 15)
Abram's wife Sarai remained barren so (instead
of waiting for God's promise to be fulfilled)
she planned to have a family through her
Egyptian servant girl Hagar. She told Abram to
sleep with her, Hagar became pregnant, there
was trouble in the house, so Sarai blamed
Abram.
Abram said "Do what you please", so she "kicked
Hagar out."
But God rescued Hagar from the desert, told her
He would increase her descendants through her
son Ishmael and sent her back to Sarai.
Hagar called God "The One who sees me", she
said "Now I have seen the One who sees me."
(Chapter 16)
When Abram was 99, God re-affirmed His promises
with an everlasting covenant (agreement between
unequals). God appeared to Abram and said "I am
God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless."
(Not faultless - no one is). This was Abram's
part of the covenant to be kept by him and his
descendants. Circumcision was the sign to
remind them of it.
God's part was to be the God of Abram and his
descendants who would possess the land He gave
them. God changed Abram's name to Abraham which
means "Father of Many Nations."
God also changed Sarai's name to Sarah and told
Abraham He would bless her and give her a son.
Abraham couldn't believe it. He was 100 and
Sarah 90. He fell on his face and laughed.
God said that within a year she would have a
son to be called Isaac (which means "he
laughs"). He also said He would establish His
everlasting covenant with him and his
descendants.
That day Abraham obeyed God and circumcised all
the males in his household. (Chapter 17)
God spoke to Abraham again and re-affirmed His
promise of a son. This time Sarah laughed. God
asked Abraham why and asked "Is anything too
hard for the Lord?"
God had chosen Abraham to be a great and
powerful nation, to be a blessing to all
nations and to direct his family and household
to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is
right and just.
Because of this, God decided to take Abraham
into His confidence about His coming
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah due to the
sin of rampant homosexuality there.
Abraham pleaded with God to spare the city if
10 righteous people were in it. He was
doubtless thinking of Lot and his family. God
agreed. (Chapter 18)
Two of God's angels called on Lot to warn him
to flee. While in his house men of the city
demanded Lot send them out so they could have
sex with them. They would have broken in if the
angels had not blinded them.
The angels warned Lot to get his family
together. At dawn they urged Lot to hurry or be
destroyed. But Lot hesitated so the two men
grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and
two daughters and "led them safely out of the
city for the Lord was merciful to them."
One angel said "Flee for your lives, don't look
back." But Lot asked if a small town called
Zoar could be spared so he wouldn't have to
live in the mountains. The angel agreed. (What
patience God has!!). When Lot reached Zoar, God
destroyed Sodom, Gomorrah and the countryside
with fire. But Lot's wife looked back and was
turned into a pillar of salt.
Lot was saved because Abraham had pleaded with
God for Him.
Then Lot took to the mountains with his two
daughters. (Finally got the message!). As a
result of incest there, two nations began, the
Moabites and Ammonities who were to be the
bitter enemies of Abraham's descendants.
(Chapter 19)
(For some unknown reason) Abraham left the land
God promised him and went south into the desert
again. As before he told lies about Sarah.
Graciously God got him out of a "sticky
situation." (Chapter 20)
God graciously gave Sarah a son, Isaac at the
promised time. But Sarah insisted Hagar and her
son be banished. God told Abraham He'd look
after the boy. Alone in the desert, God saved
Hagar and their son again. God was with the
boy as he grew up.
(Chapter 21)
When Isaac was a young man God tested Abraham.
He said "Take your son, your only son Isaac,
whom you love and sacrifice him as a burnt
offering on a mountain I'll show you." (The
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem).
Early next morning (without any argument)
Abraham cut wood and set out with Isaac and two
servants.
When the place was in sight, he told the
servants to wait while he and Isaac worshipped
and then (both would) return. (He had faith
that God would keep His promise to bless all
nations through Isaac).
Abraham put the wood on Isaac while he carried
the fire and the knife. Isaac asked "Where is
the burnt offering?" Abraham replied "God will
provide the lamb."
When they reached the place God told him
about, Abraham built an altar, arranged wood,
bound Isaac and put him on it. Then he reached
out his hand with the knife to slay his son.
But God called from heaven "Don't lay a hand on
the boy. Now I know you fear God (have
reverential trust in God and commitment to do
His will) because you have not withheld your
only son from me. I will surely bless you and
make your descendants as numerous as the stars
in the sky and the sand on the seashore.
Through your offspring all nations on earth
will be blessed because you have obeyed me."
Abraham saw a ram caught in a bush so he
substituted it as an offering instead of his
son. For that reason he called the place "The
Lord will provide." (Chapter 22)
When Sarah died Abraham bought land for a
burial place. (Chapter 23)
Abraham was old and the Lord had blessed him in
every way. He told his chief servant not to get
a wife for Isaac from among the local
(Canaanite) girls, but to return to his
homeland and get a wife from among his
relatives. He ordered the servant not to take
Isaac back there and assured him that God would
provide a wife.
When the servant arrived, he prayed to God
beside a well outside a town that if a girl
offered to water his camels she would be
Isaac's future wife. While he was still
praying, Rebekah, a relative of Abraham's, a
beautiful virgin, came and answered his prayer.
The servant prayed again praising God for His
kindness and faithfulness. Her relatives left
it up to Rebekah, whether she would go or not
and she willingly went and married Isaac.
(Chapter 24)
Abraham died and was buried with his wife. God
blessed his son Isaac.
Isaac's wife Rebekah was barren, Isaac prayed
for her and she became pregnant with twins.
They "jostled each other within her" so she
asked God why. He told her "Two nations are in
your womb and the older will serve the
younger." The first born was Esau and the
second Jacob. Esau later sold his rights as
firstborn to Jacob for a meal of red stew.
(Chapter 25)
Though God re-affirmed the covenant He had
made with Abraham so that it applied to Isaac,
he lied about his wife as his father had.
(Compare Ch 20). (Chapter 26)
When Isaac was old and blind he asked Esau to
bring him a meal so he could bless him before
he died. Rebekah and Jacob conspired together
and Jacob got the blessing. Esau decided to
kill Jacob, Rebekah heard of it and told Jacob
to flee to safety to her brother Laban back in
her home district of Haran. Before he left,
Isaac told him to marry one of Laban's
daughters (he was Rebekah's brother). He then
said "May God Almighty bless you and your
descendants with the blessing given to Abraham
so that you may take possession of the land
where you now live as an alien, the land God
gave to Abraham."
On his way, Jacob, in a dream, saw a stairway
between earth and heaven with God's angels
ascending and descending. God was above it
and He said "I am the Lord the God of your
father Abraham and Isaac. The people will be
blessed through you and your offspring. I am
with you and will watch over you wherever you
go and I will bring you back to this land. I
will not leave you until I have done what I
have promised." Jacob called the place Bethel
(house of God) and said that "if God will be
with me, watch over me, give me food and
clothing so that I return safely, then the Lord
will be my God and of all God gives me I will
return 10%."
Jacob arrived in Haran, found his uncle Laban
and fell in love with his daughter Rachel. He
offered to work for Laban for seven years if he
could marry her.
Laban agreed and the seven years "seemed like
only a few days to him because of his love for
her." But Laban tricked him into marrying his
other daughter Leah as well as working a
further seven years for Rachel.
Jacob's two wives, and two of their servants
who became his wives, bore sons who, including
Joseph's two sons, were to become the twelve
tribes of Israel. They were Rueben, Simeon,
Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Gad, Asher, Dan,
Napthali, Benjamin and Joseph's two sons,
Ephraim and Manasseh.
After Rachel bore Joseph, Jacob asked Laban if
he could return home. But Laban said "The Lord
has blessed me because of you, name your
wages." Jacob "did a deal" and grew rich at
Laban's expense. (Chapters 29 & 30)
As a result Jacob noticed that "Laban's
attitude toward him was not what it had been."
The Lord told Jacob to return home "And I will
be with you." He told Rachel and Leah "You know
that I've worked for your father with all my
strength, yet your father has cheated me by
changing my wages ten times. However God has
not allowed him to harm me."
They replied "Do whatever God has told you." So
Jacob deceived Laban by fleeing with all his
possessions and not telling him.
Laban took off after Jacob but God told him not
to harm him. When they met, Laban told Jacob
what God had said and asked him why he had
deceived him. Jacob angrily replied "I worked
for you fourteen years for your two daughters
and six for your flocks and you changed my
wages ten times. If the God of my father, the
God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac had not
been with me you would surely have sent me away
empty handed." Then the two men made an
agreement not to harm each other and parted in
peace. (Chapter 31)
On his way to meet Esau, God's angels met
Jacob. (Between two hostile people God thus
reassured Jacob with His presence). Jacob sent
messengers to Esau who returned saying he was
coming with four hundred men. In great fear he
prayed "God, you told me to come back and I'd
prosper. I am unworthy of all your kindness and
faithfulness. Save me from Esau for you have
said you'll make my descendants like the sand
of the sea."
He sent three groups of livestock ahead to
appease Esau, instructing his servants to say
they were gifts. Finally Jacob sent his two
wives, eleven sons and the rest of his
possessions ahead remaining behind alone. A man
wrestled with him 'til daybreak. The man said
"Let me go." Jacob replied "I won't unless you
bless me." The man replied "What is your name?"
"Jacob" he answered. The man said "Your name
will no longer be Jacob but Israel because you
have struggled with God and with men and have
overcome." Then He blessed him. Jacob called
the place Peniel "because I saw God face to
face and yet my life was spared."
(Chapter 32)
On his way at sunrise he saw Esau coming so he
went ahead of his family. Esau received
him gladly. (Thus God answered Jacob's prayer).
Esau returned to Seir and Jacob agreed to
follow him there. Instead Jacob travelled to
Shechem and (like Abraham before him), set up
an altar there calling it God, the God of
Israel or mighty is the God of Israel. (Thus
Jacob's prayer twenty years earlier when he
fled from Esau was answered. God had brought
him safely home). (Chapter 33)
At Shechem Jacob's daughter was raped. The
locals suggested inter marriage. Jacob's sons
Simeon and Levi deceived the locals, attacked,
defeated and plundered them. (Chapter 34)
God told Jacob to settle at Bethel and "Build
an altar there to God who appeared to you when
you were fleeing from your brother Esau."
He told all with him to get rid of their
foreign gods and purify themselves. "Let's go
to Bethel" he said "where I will build an altar
to God who answered me in my distress and who
has been with me wherever I have gone."
He arrived, built an altar and called it El
Bethel because it was where God revealed
Himself to Jacob when he first fled from Esau.
There God appeared and blessed Jacob,
confirming his name Israel, His prior promise
that a community of nations would come from him
and that the land would be his and his
descendants'.
Jacob moved on. Rachel died giving birth to
Benjamin, and Rueben made a premature claim to
his rights as first born. Jacob came home to
his father at Hebron and soon after, with Esau,
buried him. (Chapter 35)
Esau moved to a land some distance from his
brother Jacob. (Chapter 36)
Jacob lived in Canaan where his father had
stayed. Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than
his other sons so he made him a "richly
ornamented robe." His brothers hated him for
this. When he was seventeen, Joseph had dreams
suggesting that his father and brothers would
bow down to him. He told them and they were not
impressed.
Israel told Joseph to go and report on his
brothers who were tending flocks some distance
away. Seeing him coming, they plotted to kill
him, throw him into a well, and report his
death as an attack by a wild animal. Brother
Reuben, planning to rescue him later, persuaded
them to throw him into an empty well but not
kill him. Then they pulled him out and sold him
for twenty pieces of silver to a passing
caravan of traders heading to Egypt. They put
animal blood on Joseph's robe and gave it to
their father who concluded Joseph had been
killed by a wild animal. Meanwhile in Egypt,
the traders sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of
Pharaoh's officials. (Chapter 37)
Israel's son Judah left the land God promised
to his father, married a Canaanite, had two
sons "who were wicked in the Lord's sight" so
God put them to death and Judah unknowingly
treated his daughter-in-law as a prostitute.
(Chapter 38)
Meanwhile "The Lord was with Joseph in Egypt
and he prospered." Potiphar "saw that the Lord
was with him" so he "left in Joseph's care
everything that he had."
Joseph was handsome and Potiphar's wife
persistently tried to seduce him. He refused
saying "How could I do such a wicked thing and
sin against God?" One day she grabbed him by
his cloak but he "left his cloak in her hand
and ran out of the house." She told her husband
that Joseph had tried to sexually assault her
"but as soon as I screamed for help he left his
cloak beside me and ran."
So Potiphar imprisoned Joseph. But the Lord was
with him, he "showed him kindness and granted
him favour in the eyes of the prison warden."
(Chapter 39)
Pharaoh's cupbearer, also his baker, were in
prison with Jacob. Both had dreams and were
downcast because no one could interpret them.
Joseph said "Do not interpretations belong to
God?" and he correctly told them what the
dreams meant. He asked the cupbearer to
"mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this
prison." But the cupbearer promptly forgot all
about Joseph. (Chapter 40)
After a further two years Pharaoh had two
dreams which no one could interpret. At last
the cupbearer remembered Joseph and told
Pharaoh of Joseph's abilities. Pharaoh
summoned him quickly from the dungeon. After
shaving and changing his clothes he stood
before the Pharaoh.
Pharaoh said "I have heard - that when you hear
a dream you can interpret it." "I cannot do it"
Joseph replied "but God will give Pharaoh the
answer he desires." Pharaoh explained his
dreams and Joseph said "God has revealed to
Pharaoh what He is about to do." He explained
that seven years of abundant harvest in Egypt
would be followed by seven years of famine. He
added "The reason the dream was given -- in two
forms is that the matter has been firmly
decided by God and God will do it soon." He
urged Pharaoh to put a wise man over Egypt to
organise storage in the good years ready for
the bad years.
Pharaoh asked "Can we find anyone like this
man, one in whom is the spirit of God?" So
Pharaoh said to Joseph "Since God has made all
this known to you - you shall be in charge-."
Joseph was thirty, he married and had two sons,
Manasseh and Ephraim. He stored grain and when
the famine came, sold it to the Egyptians and
to other countries who came for help.
(Chapter 41)
Jacob sent his sons, except Benjamin, to buy
grain. They bowed down to Joseph, he remembered
his dreams, and recognized them, but they
didn't recognize him. He accused them of
being spies, imprisoned Simeon and told them to
take the grain home and to return with Benjamin
to prove they were not spies.
The brothers said to each other that they were
being punished for throwing Joseph in the well.
Rueben said "Didn't I tell you not to sin
against the boy? - Now we must give an
accounting for his blood." They didn't know
Joseph understood them as he was using an
interpreter. He wept, filled their sacks and
put silver in each bag.
When returning they found the silver, feared
and said "What is this that God has done to
us?" Jacob was distraught when he heard the
news. It seemed as if he was to lose Simeon and
now Benjamin in addition to Joseph.(Chapter 42)
When the grain was gone Israel sent his sons,
including Benjamin, back for more with double
the amount of silver. "May God Almighty grant
you mercy .... so that .... your other brother
..... (Simeon) and Benjamin come back with
you" Israel said.
On arrival in Egypt they explained to Joseph's
steward about the silver they now returned. He
said "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of
your father has given you treasure in your
sacks." When Joseph arrived they bowed down.
Seeing Benjamin he went and wept in private.
(Chapter 43)
As before, he sent them home with their silver
in their sacks and this time with his silver
cup in Benjamin's sack. He told his steward to
follow them and accuse them of stealing his
silver cup. When confronted, the brothers said
the thief will die and we'll be your slaves if
you find the cup. But the steward said the
thief would be his slave but the others could
go free. He found the cup in Benjamin's sack.
They returned to Joseph and said "God has
uncovered your servants' guilt, we are now your
slaves." Joseph said only Benjamin would be his
slave. Judah pleaded to be a substitute for
Benjamin explaining that if they returned
without Benjamin it would kill their father
Israel. (Chapter 44)
This was too much for Joseph. He told them who
he was and told them not "to be angry with
yourselves for selling me because it was to
save lives that God sent me ahead of you....
God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a
remnant on earth and to save your lives by a
great deliverance. So then it was not you who
sent me here but God." So he sent them home to
bring his father with all his household and
possessions to safety in Egypt.
Pharaoh said the best of the land would be
theirs. He said "Never mind about your
belongings, because the best of all Egypt will
be yours."
So Joseph sent his brothers home and told them
not to quarrel on the way. Israel (Jacob) was
stunned by the news. (Chapter 45)
Israel set out and offered sacrifices to God at
Beersheba (where Abraham and Isaac had also
worshipped - see Chapters 21 & 26). God said to
Israel in a night vision. "I am God, the God of
your father -- Do not be afraid to go down to
... Egypt, for I will go make you into a great
nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you
and will surely bring you back again."
Then Israel went on to Egypt and arrived in
Goshen where Joseph met him. (Chapter 46)
Pharaoh reaffirmed that this pleased him and
being presented to him, Israel blessed Pharaoh.
Through Joseph's stewardship, Pharaoh ended up
owning all the people and all their land. The
people also agreed to a 20% tax. The Israelites
acquired property and greatly increased in
number. Israel made Joseph promise to bury him
with his fathers back in the land God promised
them. (Chapter 47)
Close to death Jacob (Israel) called for
Joseph who brought his two sons with him. Jacob
said "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the
land of Canaan and there He blessed me, and said
to me, "I am going to make you fruitful and will
increase your numbers. I will make you a
community of peoples, and I will give this land
as an everlasting possession to your descendants
after you." He said Ephraim and descendants after
you." He said Ephraim and Manasseh were to be
treated as his sons (two of the twelve tribes of
Isreal). Then be blessed Joseph and said "May
the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac
walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my
life to this day, the angel who has delivered me
from all harm - may He bless these boys."
Israel said to Joseph, "god will be with you and
take you back to the land of your fathers."
(Chapter 48)
Then Jacob called his twelve sons together and
spoke of their futures. Of Judah, he said "The
sceptre will not depart - until He comes to whom
it belongs and the obedience of the nations is
His". Jesus Christ was of this tribe).
He called Joseph a fruitful vine, bitterly
attacked but overcoming "because of the hand
of the Mighty One o Jacob - the Shepherd, the
Rock of Israel - your father's God who helps
you - the Almighty who blesses you."
After instructing that he be buried with his
fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the
Hittite, he died. (Chapter 49)
With Pharaoh's permission Joseph buried his
father as directed and returned to Egypt.
With their father dead, Joseph's brothers feared he
would now get revenge. They told Joseph their
father had told them to ask his forgiveness
for treating him so badly. They threw
themselves before Joseph and said we are your
slaves.
Joseph said "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place
of God? You intended to harm me, but God
intended it for good to accomplish what is now
being done, the saving of many lives. So then,
don't be afraid. I will provide for you and
your children."
Near death Joseph said to his brothers "God
will surely come to your aid and take you up
out of this land to the land He promised on
oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.....then you
must carry my bones up from this place."
(Chapter 50)
HERE ARE SOME MAIN POINTS FROM GENESIS:
1. God is a real, mighty loving Person
who made everything perfect.
2. Made in His image, man had:
- Divine potential
- Freedom to trust God's goodness or not.
3. Distrust or lack of faith, brought a death
penalty. Now man knew disharmony with
himself, God, others, and nature. Life was
full of fear, hiding, buck passing, toil
and pain.
4. We all inherit this problem.
5. God Himself provided the solution by
coming in the Person of Jesus Christ and
paying your death penalty on the cross. He
offers you reconciliation and a
relationship with Him like Adam had. If
you accept His offer, God comes to live
within you (John's gospel, Chapter 14,
verses 17-21).
With the Almighty God of Genesis "on
your side" you are fully equipped:
- To achieve the goals God has
for you in this life.
- To defeat Satan's attacks upon
you - and there will be plenty.
6. Satan's tactic is to insinuate that God is
holding out on you - that He doesn't really
have your best interests at heart and that
His word isn't to be trusted. He is the
master liar ("you won't die" Chapter 3,
verse 4), deceiver, accuser, adversary and
tempter. He is deceitful and cunning with
the ability to seem plausible and
attractive (2 Corinthians Chapter 11, verse
14).
7. Work is good in itself and should not be
seen as a necessary evil.
8. Marriage is good and divorce is abnormal.
9. Made in God's image, every man and woman
is worthy of equal respect and honour. For
this reason, murderers deserve the death
penalty. (Genesis Chapter 9, verses 5 and
6).
10. The earth's resources are to be cared for
and used responsibly.
11. True happiness or wholeness is impossible
outside of the personal relationship God
wants (see 5) to have with you.
12. When you come to God the thing He wants is
your right attitude of heart.
13. From the life of Abraham:
A. When God calls you to do the
impossible, obey Him and do the next
thing He tells you to.
B. Stay in the place God sends you to.
Rushing on by yourself will bring
trouble.
C. If God could only use the sinless He'd
get nothing done through people on
earth. So God will use you despite
your imperfections. But don't use this
as an excuse for them.
D. God's plans can only be achieved God's
way. Try to achieve them your way and
there'll be trouble.
E. With God looking after you, you can
afford to be generous.
F. "Pitch your tent" close to a "sinners'
camp" and you'll be tempted to join
them. If you do, you risk destruction
with them.
G. The most important decision you'll
ever make is,like Abraham, to believe
God and for God to credit your faith
to you as righteousness.
H. God has a great sense of humour.
It's where yours came from.
I. God talks to you person to person
and takes you into His confidence.
J. God won't tolerate the sin of
homosexuality and acts against it.
K. God listens to and acts upon your
prayers - especially to save others.
L. God is patient, loving and gracious.
If you need correction He won't be as
hard on you as you deserve, but don't
presume upon this.
M. God is always with you even when you
are where you shouldn't be.
N. God can do the impossible in your life
- work real miracles.
O. God may test your faith by asking you
to give up what's dearest to your
heart - because, of necessity for your
good - He has to be dearest to your
heart.
P. God always keeps all His promises.
14. If you use underhanded methods don't be
surprised if someone does the same to you.
15. God does not use committees or
organisations to achieve His goals on earth.
He changes the course of history through His
relationship with ordinary people like you.
When God was here in person (Jesus) He said
nothing about setting up organisations to get
His work done. Yet ever since, people have
done just that. In my opinion, a relationship
with the religious organisation, being much
less demanding than a real, continuing
relationship with God, can be a respectable
substitute for Him and it will get you nowhere!
Jesus said this in John's gospel, Chapter 15,
verse 5" . . .
Apart from em you can do nothing."
16. As seen by the life of Joseph, you may
experience prolonged unjust treatment as God's
man or woman. But God can use the harm done to
you to save the lives of those who mistreated
you. It's what He did on the cross.
Yet your circumstances may change dramatically
according to God's timing. At breakfast Joseph
ate swill in a prison dungeon, that evening he
dined on Egypt's best as the second most
powerful man in the land.
17. All sin is against God.
18. God will give you a gracious, forgiving
attitude to your persecutors because you know
that He has overall control, that it's His plan
that is unfolding.
19. CONCLUSION:
Genesis sets the stage for the rest of the Bible.
It covers all the major themes about God and man.
The rest of the Bible expands on these themes.
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