# 165 Your Prayer May Be Historic

The Book of Genesis

Day 165

Ge 19:17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed." 18 Then Lot said to them, "Please, no, my lords! 19 "Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 "See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live." 21 And he said to him, "See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 "Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.

There’s that phrase again! “It came to pass,” one of 452 times it shows up in Scripture. Another go or no go proposition is placed before God! Don’t think your prayers matter? Well sometimes they matter very much! This God-granted request of Lot’s altered history and spared the city of Zoar from destruction!  

Desperate people, pray desperately, and that’s what Lot was doing.  We aren’t told why Lot had a fear of living in the mountains, but it was a strong fear. “Please no my lords!”

Now I’m thinking if I’m in charge here, I’m telling Lot, “Man up!  I said I would spare the cities IF I found ten righteous, um I’m counting only four!” Out of my way!” Thankfully I’m not in charge and Lot pleads to the abundant mercy and grace of God  to grant his prayer request and spare him from mountain living and spare the city also!

Now, this is not the only intercessory prayer connected to this situation. I find it amazing that the Lord tells Lot, “I cannot do anything until you arrive in Zoar.” What? This is God, why the delay? The delay is for the sake of Abraham who had interceded for the cities earlier.

Remember?

He had whittled God down to sparing the cities if there were ten righteous people.  Were there ten? No! God had every right to destroy the whole shooting match, but the Lord knew the heart of Abraham, and Abraham’s number one concern was for his nephew Lot. So He voluntarily tied His hands until Abraham’s reluctant nephew was out of harms way! As it turns out, Abraham’s initial prayer for Lot saved the city of Zoar, and because of his prayer Zoar was allowed to have a history, as was Lot!

Abraham’s prayer, and the prayer of Lot altered history. Yes indeed, “the prayer of a righteous man availeth much!”

God doesn’t always alter history for the sake of our prayers, but I think we would all be amazed at how many times He has interceded on our behalf and altered the courses of events!  Those times that He has allowed something like a new job, a healing, safe travel, and anything else we have prayed  for to “come to pass.”  Php 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”

So pray for all your concerns today. Who knows! Your prayer may be historic!

Pray: Father, sometimes we don’t pray because we somehow think it won’t make a difference. Help us to get over that. Help us to learn to pray for all things, and then let You sort it out!

# 164 The Spirit of Reluctancy

The Book of Genesis

Day 164

Ge 19:15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city." 16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

Being faithful sometimes can be difficult. Lot is a classic example. He knew these men were angels. He had seen them strike the mob blind. There was a tremendous sense of urgency in their voices as they urged Lot to get a move on and get his wife and daughters out of town!  Yet he lingered.

The word “lingered”  here means to question or hesitate, to be reluctant. Lot was having an attack of reluctancy. This attack could’ve been brought on by many things. The fact that his sons in law laughed at him and thought he was joking when he told them the city was going to be destroyed would probably play mind games with him. Then there’s his wife. As we shall see, see had strong longings to stay behind. His daughters were leaving their betrothed  behind, and we can imagine they were chiming in with their own reasons to stay. 

So that old enemy of faith, doubt, was creeping in and controlling Lot’s responses. Without the miraculous intervention of the angels per the instructions of the Lord Lot and his wife and daughters would’ve perished with the city.

They physically grabbed the hands of Lot, his wife, and daughters, and yanked them out of the city. Please note why they did this. Verse 16 says the Lord was being merciful to them. God’s mercy overrode the lack of faith on Lot’s part. God’s mercy trumped his reluctancy and fear and he was spared. How often we need that same mercy in our own lives!

We read God’s Word, we meditate on it, it calls us to action, yet out of fear, we freeze. We linger. We become reluctant and we miss the will of God for our lives.

What are some things God has been calling you to do? Why have you been reluctant to follow? May I suggest you make a list, and check that list to be sure it is in agreement with the Word of God. Then ask God for His mercy to help you overcome your fears and doubts, then follow Him.

By the way, while this episode can help strengthen your faith and resolve and help you overcome reluctancy, the real faith lesson here is that Lot was rescued by the grace and mercy of God. It is the same for you and I for it is by grace you have been saved by faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God lest anyone should boast.

Pray: Thanks for the reminder, that in our own strength, we cannot save ourselves, thank You for your saving grace and mercy!

# 163 Nothing To Laugh About

The Book of Genesis

Day 163

Ge 19:12 Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city-take them out of this place! 13 "For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it." 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, "Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!" But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.

One of the most difficult things in the world to do is convince others of Judgment Day.  With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. It is our job to warn people of this Day and to point them to Jesus, the only way of escape! The convincing part is on the Holy Spirit.  Speaking of the Holy Spirit in Joh 16:8, Jesus said,  "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

After seeing these angels in action, Lot was certainly convinced that Sodom had but a short time before they would destroy the city. They tell him to warn as many people as he can think of: sons in law, sons, daughters…..whomever. Their instructions to Lot are applicable to us today as well. Warn as many people as you can think of!

Lot tries to warn the men who were betrothed to his daughters, and they laugh him off. This will likely happen to you and I as we set about warning others. But remind them that Lot’s son in laws laughed too and look what happened according to Jesus in Lu 17:28-30 "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;  29 "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  30 "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

The lesson is simple, laugh it off to your own harm!

Thankfully, there is still time. 2Pe 3:9,10 reminds us: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” (Hmmmm sounds a lot like Sodom and Gomorrah doesn’t it?)

Maybe you have come upon this devotional by chance. Consider it like you would a tornado warning. A tornado watch means that conditions are ripe for a tornado, a warning means that it is on the way. Friend….Judgment Day is on the way! Jesus said in Mt 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.Guess what? The Gospel has pretty much been declared worldwide! The end IS near! I beg you to flee from your association with sin as Lot did, and put your hand in the hand of God. Turn to Jesus and let Him lead you out of the city of destruction and into heaven!

Pray: Father, help us to be faithful in warning those in our world of the impending Judgment, and by our words and examples, help us to point to the only way of escape…..Jesus.

# 162 Break the Grip of Sin.

The Book of Genesis

Day 162

Ge 19:9b-11, “now we will deal worse with you than with them." So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

Lot has been shoved up against the door. The door is about to give way, as the mob, in a frenzy of sexual lust, seeks to get at Lot’s guests! This is a fearful situation!

It’s at this point that the angels intervene. They pull Lot inside to the safety of his house and miraculously strike the mob blind! How blind? Why they were so blind they became weary trying to find the door!

Wait a minute! They didn’t turn around and stumble home? They kept trying to find the door to satisfy their lust? Friends, that should tell us how strong the grip of sin can become in our lives! Once sin gets a grip on you, it does not want to let go! Those who have been gripped by sin, can tell you all about it! For instance, those engaged in sexual sin are very much aware of the dangers.  STD’s aids, divorce, abortion, and yet they find themselves, blinded by their lust, reaching for the door to more!

The drunkard and drug addict, aware of the hangovers, the disease, the shattered personal life, the danger of impaired driving, and so on…still reaches for the bottle or the needle.

No wonder John Newton said this about amazing grace, “was blind but now I see.”

There are many other examples of souls addicted to sin, but let’s talk about the cure for this blindness. The cure is to turn to Jesus who said in Lu 4:18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to  the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

Jesus demonstrated His power of sin and death by rising from the dead, As believers, we are then buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Pray: Oh Father, may Your glory that raised Jesus from the dead, bring us to new life. A life dead to sin, but alive to You in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Crickets

Ps 12:5 says, “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, I will arise says the Lord.

“Sighing,” is a Hebrew expression for a trilling, barking, sound of distress. It is like the shrieking noise of a gecko....louder than a cricket. God hears the cry of the needy and it rouses Him like the incessant chirping of crickets or a barking dog might rouse you and I. Here’s the thing; God wants us to get up and do something about it. So the next time you hear a barking dog, or a shrieking gecko, or a chirping cricket, consider a way you might help someone less fortunate than you.

Samson and Evangelism

Read Judges 14:

Samson stumbles across the carcass of a lion and finds some honey in the cavity. He composes a riddle and challenges the Philistines to figure out the answer. They are stymied and appeal to Delilah his wife, to get the answer to the riddle, which she does.

There’s a challenge here for us as well. The mystery of Samson’s riddle was disclosed to foreigners by his bride. In the same way the mystery of the gospel is robe proclaimed to every nation by the church, the Bride of Christ!

Christ, the Lion of Judah, was slain and out of His death flowed the honey of the gospel.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

A thought on prayer.

I’ll be back with the study in Genesis in a couple of days, for today here’s a thought about prayer: The prayer closet is the base of supplies for the Christian and the church. This closet contains everything the Christian needs. God dispenses from this closet, ask confident that if He has it and thinks you need it, He will grant it!

# 161 Take A Stand!

The Book of Genesis Day 161 Ge 19:8 "See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof." 9 And they said, "Stand back!" Then they said, "This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them Lot has judged the intent of these men, (young and old) as wicked in light of the Word of God. Their brand of sexual immorality needed to be opposed, and their sins brought to light! He took a stand against sin, and heard the old battle cry of those who want to continue living in sin. “This one came here and he keeps acting as judge.” We hear the same thing today when Christians seek to point out sin in this world, and the world fires back,( out of context,) with the words of Jesus “Judge not, lest you be judged!” I can understand the world using that verse against a follower of Christ, but sad to say, it is often used by professing believers against those who would point out sin in the Body of Christ! The true context of “Judge not, lest you be judged,” is simply this: Examine your own life and put your own sins under the blood of Jesus BEFORE you approach a brother engaged in sinful activity. Do you not know that you are the salt of the earth? Do you not know that you are the light of the world? Salt smarts! Light smarts to those in darkness! Do not be silent! Take a stand like Lot did, even though the mob (like the world today) demanded that he “stand back!” Here’s what the Bible tells us about confronting sin in our world: Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Ps 94:16 calls for volunteers to step up! “ Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” And even more to the point: Eze 3:18 "When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 "Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. And we are supposed to remain silent??????? I think not! The only thing I would caution about is your attitude. 1Pe 3:15 says, “ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” And above all, don’t just judge sin, always make sure you point to the cure! Pray: Father, give me the strength to oppose sin in our world today. Help me to point it out when I see it, and at the same time point to the cross as the solution.

# 160 Fear and the Conditioning of Society

The Book of Genesis Day 160 Ge 19:8 "See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof." What was Lot thinking? Obviously….he wasn’t. His thinking has been clouded by fear and his response was governed by the conditioned response of society. You see in Lot’s world, hospitality was so important that it would be unthinkable to abandon his guests to this mob! But what father, would turn his virgin daughters over to a mob to be gang raped? This just doesn’t compute with you or I. What Lot did was wrong! The only explanation is fear. Fear can cause us to do things without thinking through the consequences. (We will see this same kind of fear played out with his daughters later on in a cave outside the city of Zoar,) We may not understand Lot’s misplaced values, but we ought to be able to understand fear. Fear, often causes us to react in ungodly ways in accordance with the conditioning of our society. For example, in America, the act of aborting a child has been legal since 1973, and it has become a conditioned response to what can be a fearful situation! What mother would willingly end the life of her child? A mother, who is gripped by fear, and has been conditioned by society to believe that it is an acceptable option. This is why we need to support the work of our crisis pregnancy centers in the land. They attempt to remove one element of this deadly equation….the element of fear, as they seek to provide a way out of the situation, providing whatever help and counsel is necessary to get that woman to overcome her fears and carry her child to term. This is also why we work to overturn the laws that make this act acceptable to society. We work to overturn society’s conditioned response to an unplanned pregnancy! And what about those mothers, who acted on their fears and aborted their child? We need to be there for them as well, assuring them of a loving, merciful, forgiving God. Always reminding them that there is no sin that Jesus did not pay for on the cross! There is one more conditioned response that needs to be addressed and that is, the conditioned response of the church. People in the pews need to be conditioned to the heart of God and His concerns about life. This is not to be done in a manipulative way, but rather by simply and consistently preaching the Word of God and what He says about life, trusting the Holy Spirit to do His work! Pray: Father, You have not given us a spirit of fear, rather one of power, love, and a sound mind. Help us in our moments of panic to turn to You and trust You for our deliverance.

# 159 The Downward Spiral of Depravity

The Book of Genesis Day 159 Ge 19:3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally." 6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, "Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! So Lot invites the “angels unaware” into his house for the evening. But what’s this? A large crowd of men have surrounded his house and they are demanding that Lot turn his guests over to them that they may sexually assault them! Let that sink in! Get the frightening picture! This is a city not San Quenton! But these people, young and old, have become prisoners of their own ungodly lusts! To his credit, Lot goes out to face the crowd and pleads with them, “Do not do so wickedly!” The term “wickedly” here denotes any activity that is contrary to God’s will! It is an attitude that rejects the authority of God. Those who do “wickedly,” lack understanding as they deliberately plan to hurt others in a habitual and compulsive manner. In short, they have no moral restraints. You know, this casting off of moral restraint, this rejection of the authority of God was not unique to Sodom. We can read of the same kind of behavior in the Book of Judges: A Levite from Ephraim was returning from a trip to Bethlehem with his concubine when he stopped in the Benjamite city of Gibeah. He, like the angels in Sodom, was prepared to spend the night in the city square when another Ephramite had compassion on him and invited him to spend the night at his house. We pick up the story in Jg 19:22 “As they were enjoying themselves, suddenly certain men of the city, perverted men, surrounded the house and beat on the door. They spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him carnally!" 23 But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has come into my house, do not commit this outrage.” Isn’t that amazing! Almost word for word, the same event that took place in Sodom! Even knowing what had happened to Sodom, did not restrain these evil men! I bring this up because we need to be aware of what can happen when men, cities, and nations, turn their back on God! Man is capable of unspeakable behavior and it has been proven throughout history! This is why it is so important to pass the faith along to the next generation! The very last verse in the Book of Judges sums it up this way: Jg 21:25, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” As more and more people reject the authority of God in America, we will see a rise in these kinds of behaviors, and unless we turn back to God, our nation will slowly be turned into a San Quentin, where ordinary citizens live in a constant prison of fear. Therefore, I urge you to pray and work for revival in the land! Pray: Father, these verse today show us how depraved we can be, when we turn our back on You! Father send Your Holy Spirit! Revive our land, and let us again live as if Your authority matters.

# 158 Worn Down By the Undrained Swamp

The Book of Genesis Day 158 “Do not be sorry for your body and all its maladies, be sorry for your soul, which must, like Lot, dwell in the Sodom of your flesh.” ……Johann Arndt from “True Christianity” Ge 19:1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 1 Tim 2:2 tells us to “pray for those who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” One of the things I would encourage you to pray about (especially for those Christians who serve in positions of authority) is what I will call the “Lot Syndrome.” Lot was a civic leader in Sodom. He was not silent on matters concerning the government of the city. We surmise this because when the angels arrived in the city, Lot was sitting in the gate. This is where judgments were handed down and the business of the city was attended to. Further, in verse 9, the men had this to say about Lot, “This one came in to stay a while, and he keeps acting as judge.” Lot engaged the culture! He was down there at city hall trying to make a difference! It wasn’t easy! 2Pe 2:7 tells us that Lot was a righteous man, who was oppressed by the conduct of the wicked, and his soul was tormented daily by what was going on in the city. I have seen this “Lot syndrome” many times in my lifetime. A man or woman runs for office, they get elected on campaign promises with high ideals, and in a matter of time, they get worn down by the system that is in place. (The undrained swamp if you will) Listen, typically, the seats of government are not nice places on the morality scale, and our elected officials are exposed to all sorts of unrighteous behavior. I remember going to Madison, Wisconsin years ago as the guest of an area legislator. I saw the government from an angle, most don’t get to see and I remember vividly my impression of the state capitol. I remember the power, the money, the apparent loose morals, and it shocked me! Good Christian men and women were down there, like Lot, and they were trying to make a difference, but the pressure to conform to the system is tremendous! Things haven’t changed! Pray for them! Pray they would not be “led into temptation.” Pray that the Lord would guard their path, and that He would deliver them from any and all evil that surrounds them. Pray that they would always remember that it is God’s kingdom that is the power and the glory….not their particular seat of government! Lord, we pray for the lawmakers, and judges in the land. Keep them from the corruption that often surrounds them. Raise up godly leaders, who like Lot, will seek to make a difference.

# 157 Bartering With God

The Book of Genesis Day 157 Ge 18:24 "Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes." 27 Then Abraham answered and said, "Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 "Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?" So He said, "If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it." 29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose there should be forty found there?" So He said, "I will not do it for the sake of forty." 30 Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?" So He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 And he said, "Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?" So He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty." 32 Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten." 33 So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place. Abraham has taken the position of intercessor. He is standing between the Lord and the problem, and then draws near to Him to probe the heart of God. “Father in heaven, would You spare these cities from destruction if you found just 50 believers in the population?” “To do so, Lord, would be out of character for the perfect judge of the earth!’ Shouldn’t you be differentiating between the wicked and the righteous? I mean, what will people think? What’s the point of being righteous?” Honest question! And as we note acts of terror, plane crashes, natural disasters, diseases, and the like, we may find ourselves wondering the same thing! But Jesus reminds us of the proper response to tragedy in Lu 13:1-5, “There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." What God was about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah was a timeless reminder of this fact: “Unless you re pent you will all likewise perish!” Why are some spared catastrophe in their lives and others not? Quite frankly, it’s none of our business. God says in Ro 9:15, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." And in De 32:39 'Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. You see, God doesn’t have to explain His actions to us. He is the Potter, we are the clay, but that doesn’t mean that He won’t listen to our pleadings. I believe Abraham sensed this truth as he exclaims, “Who am I to speak to the Lord,” who am I to tell God how to judge? “ Then Abraham started the bartering process and kept at it until he had peace. Surely there would be ten believers in the city! Why Lot, his wife, their two daughters and their husbands accounted for six! All that was needed was four more! Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah! He interceded for his nephew Lot, but in the end, as it is for all prayer, he wanted peace. So I encourage you to tarry with the Lord when you pray! Wait for His peace in whatever you are facing. For He is ever anxious to give it to you….not necessarily as the world gives peace, but rather His peace that passes all understanding. Jesus said in Joh 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Pray: Father, we have so much angst and stress in our lives, and the devil is more than happy to steal our peace. Help us to learn to tarry with You in prayer, waiting for Your perfect peace in whatever situation we may face.

# 155 Stand and Come Near: The Stance of the Intercessor

The Book of Genesis Day 155 Ge 18:20 And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 "I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know." 22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? As government leaders inspect disaster sites, so now God and two of His angels are ready to inspect the sin disaster site of Sodom and Gomorrah. These government leaders normal make the final decision as to whether or not a stricken area will receive aid or be razed. In Sodom and Gomorrah’s case, the decision will be whether God will spare the cities or wipe them off the face of the earth. Abraham, of course fears for the city! He has family there! He already knows what God is going to find there and that God will not be pleased. In fact he is already convinced that God is going to destroy the city, and so he intercedes on behalf of the city. Note the position of the intercessor and learn from it. Abraham did two things. He stood and came near. The angels were on their way, but Abraham stood before the Lord, and then he drew near to the Lord. The classic intercessor position is to take a stand between the Lord and the problem. Then the intercessor draws near to the only One who can fix it! Abraham takes the stand because he knows the character of God. He knows God is merciful, and that He does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked . (Ezek 18:23) He draws near, because he is a friend of God! You and I ought to be familiar with the mercy of God, and as His friends, we are able to draw near to Him through the blood of Jesus. Heb 10:19 assures us of this fact! “ Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,” So congratulations! As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and one who is aware of the character of God, you have become an intercessor in the line of Abraham! In this position Abraham asks a legitimate question of God! “Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” His inference is that such an action would not be just! This same question was brought before God by other intercessors in the Bible. Moses and Aaron asked God the same thing when Korah rebelled against them in the wilderness. God told Moses to get out of the way so He could consume the whole lot of the rebellious children of Israel, but Moses and Aaron got on their faces before the Lord and said, “Shall one man sin, and you be angry with the whole congregation?” They too took up the classic position of the intercessor, placing themselves humbly before God and between Him and the problem. The greatest intercessor of all is Jesus and Heb 7:25 says that He’s still at it, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Jesus died on the cross for our sin problem. He stood between us and the wrath of God, and those who have placed their trust in Him will be spared the judgment to come. Is there somewhere that you might stand today ? Some problem that needs fixing. Some person who needs fixing? Will you tap into the mercy of God and draw near to Him pleading to mercifully intervene? Through faith in Jesus you are qualified, all that’s needed is the effort! Pray: Father, help us to have eyes to see the problems, and then let us draw near to You trusting in Your merciful solutions.

# 154 Some Sins Are Graver Than Others

The Book of Genesis Day 154 Ge 18:20 And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 "I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know." 22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, So, what were these sins that cried to the very heavens for relief? We’ll get a specific example later on in Genesis when the angels visit Lot’s house, but the general sins of Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned in Jude 1:7, and Ezek 16:49. In Jude 1:7 we read, “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” And in Eze 16:49 "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” Sin is sin, and all sin, grave or not, separates us from God and must be put under the blood of Jesus, but some sins are graver than others, and it’s time we admitted it! These sins of Sodom and Gomorrah cried out to God for punitive action! And that should make us take special note of them! Sexual immorality tops the list in Jude, and this includes all sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage. “Going after strange flesh,” is next, and that would include all unnatural sexual activity including homosexuality. Pride tops the list in Ezekiel, and that is followed by a failure to help the poor and needy! These are grave sins church, and we need to stop pretending they are not! So what do we do about them? Well, we confess them, and repent of them, and we turn to Jesus. Let us be identified by our relationship with Jesus and not by our sins, as Sodom and Gomorrah were. Allow me to give you another list of sins that are so grave that they disqualify souls from heaven and set them up for the same end that Sodom and Gomorrah experienced. They are found in 1Co 6:9,10 “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. Pretty grim list isn’t it? BUT there is hope, and it’s found in the very next verse! 11 “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” You don’t have to be identified by those sins! Turn to Jesus! Receive Him and be spared the Judgment to come! Pray: Lord, I am a sinner in need of Your forgiveness. Thank You for forgiving me, and helping me to turn away from these grave sins! Grant me godly sorrow and Your forgiveness for those times that I stray.

# 153 One Hell of A Warning Shot

The Book of Genesis Day 153 Ge 18:16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17 And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 "since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 "For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him." What a blessing and privilege to be known by God and considered to be His friend. But with that privilege comes responsibility. God has promised to make Abraham a mighty nation, through which all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. We know that it was through the Hebrews (Abraham’s people) that Jesus would be born and consequently all nations, Jew and Gentile alike will be blessed! But Abraham needs to see something from God that would give him a little extra incentive to urge his children to “keep the way of the Lord.” There is an ultimate price to pay for not “keeping the way of the Lord,” and God is about to demonstrate that price to Abraham and all who will follow in his shoes. He is about to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone! The citizens of those two cities have rejected living in accordance with the righteousness of God. As we shall see, sexual sin was a way of life in these cities. Jude 1:7 says this about Sodom and Gomorrah: “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Further, they also lived unjustly in their treatment of the poor as we read in Eze 16:49 "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” Abraham was about to get a graphic picture of what will happen to those who reject the righteousness and justice of God and live according to their flesh apart from Him. God wanted to “show” His friend Abraham what He was up to, so Abraham would not blame the destruction of the city on some chance event. God was behind the destruction of this city, and He will be behind the destruction of those who reject Him on the Last Day! Abraham was to command His children and those after them to “keep the way of the Lord.” We are commanded to do the same. The alternative must be placed before them! There is a heaven, but there is also a hell! On Judgment Day, there will be no more “second chances.” “as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, (Heb 9:27) Pray: Father, help us to grasp anew the seriousness of the situation! The road to destruction is wide, help us to rescue as many as possible as we live and speak Your Word to others!

# 152 Fill In the Blank

The Book of Genesis Day 152 Ge 18:16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17 And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, Picture the scene. The two angels, along with the Lord, are finished with their meal, and they take a gander towards Sodom, Abraham joins them to send them on their way, when suddenly the Lord stops and turns to the angels and says, , “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?” Imagine that! The Creator of the universe wanting to let a mere human being like Abraham in on what He plans to do in the future! Wouldn’t it be nice to have that kind of a relationship with God? How many times have you prayed for revelation from God? How many times have you asked Him to reveal His will to you? Let’s see if we can learn something from Abraham here Remember, Abraham “walked before God,” He lived his life in an awareness of God and a blind trust in His Word“ He didn’t just believe in God, He believed God. He was rightly related to God through this faith and God referred to him as His friend. Jas 2:23 says, “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.” Through faith in Jesus Christ, we too are friends of God, and He is more than happy to reveal His will to us via the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures! However, that doesn’t mean He will reveal EVERYTHING to us. Quite frankly, I think our minds and hearts couldn’t handle that, this side of heaven! Be mindful of the fact that God reveals what He chooses, to whom He chooses, when He chooses! There are some things that God has chosen NOT to reveal, such as the final Day of Judgment. As His children and friends, we should not be concerned about that. There is so much revelation that He desires to give us in His holy Word that we can spend a lifetime reading it, and still just scratch the surface! Always remember that the Holy Spirit is the perfect teacher and He will reveal things to you at His perfect pace! I want you to go back to v17 and read it again, inserting your name in the place of Abraham. “Shall I hide from ________________ what I am doing?” The answer is no! God will not hide relevant information for you as you prayerfully read the Bible as you “walk before Him.” Be watchful as you read, looking for the things He is calling you to do. Don’t complicate it. They are often simple one word command, like “Love,” “Give,” “Follow”, etc. Respond to them in faith, believing God just as Abraham did and enjoy the journey of the revelations of God! Pray: Lord, thank You for Your personal interest in me. Thank You for your personalized plan of revelation for me. Help me to be patient and careful as I read Your Word, always keeping things in their proper context.