When Matthew wrote His Gospel, He wanted to start with great importance:
John 8:56
"Your father Abraham rejoiced
at the thought
of seeing my day;
he saw it
he saw it
and was glad."
Matthew
Chapter One
Verse One
This is the genealogy
of
Jesus the Messiah
the son of David,
the son of Abraham
Genesis 18:1
The LORD appeared to
Abraham
near the great trees of Mamre
while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent
in the heat of the day.
Ephesians 3:11-12
Through Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness
and access with confidence
through our faith
in Him.
Galatians 3:16
The promises were spoken to Abraham
and to his seed.
Scripture does not say "and to seeds,"
meaning many people,
but "and to your seed,"
meaning one person,
who is Christ.
In Jesus Christ,
John's Gospel closes importantly and purposefully
tells us the purpose
of God
Sending His Only Son
to die for our grace
in Salvation,
Eternal Life
His Promises are yours:
Alleluia
John 20:17
Genesis 12:1-3
“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 13:14-16
And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.
Genesis 14:18-20
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abraham then tithed Melchizidek a tenth of what he had.
Genesis 15
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:1-21
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.' But Abram said, 'Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?' Then Abram said, 'Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!' And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.”
And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Then He said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it."
And he said, "Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?" So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.
Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
Genesis 16
9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.”
Genesis 17:3-5
The Lord appeared to Abram again, saying,
“I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” At this, Abram fell face down, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.”
Genesis 17:5
“Because I give you as a father of a multitude of nations.”
Genesis 17:1-11
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 'As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
And God said to Abraham: 'As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins,
and it shall be a sign of the covenant
between Me and you.
Genesis 21:1-2
And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
Genesis 21
12 But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”
Genesis 26:5
Because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge,
My commandments,
My statutes, and My laws."
Galatians 3:6-8
just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying,
"In you all the nations shall be blessed."
Abraham knew this too well to ignore this:
Genesis 12
5 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”
Previous conversations had revealed this to Abraham:
Genesis 18:
32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry,
and I will speak again but this once.
Suppose ten are found there.”
He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”
Why did God abhor Baal worship? Why did HE say over and over again - don't marry them, don't raid their goods, don't dwell with them -
Infanticide (or infant homicide) is the intentional killing of infants. .... babies were roasted to death inside the burning pit of the god Baal Hamon, a bronze statue. Infant children were sacrificed to Baal in order to secure prosperity. Something we had best consider on our stance on abortion.
Genesis 22:1
Some time later God tested Abraham.
He said to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
God tells us life Will Test our metal.
Jesus told us there would be days like this.
In John 16:33 Jesus says:
"In This World You Will Have Trouble.
And Jesus overcomes the World."
When you know that the Season is Changing. And the Wind of the Holy Spirit is needed. Or you are just hopeful to have change.
Pray. Earnestly tell God the reasons.
Stay in truth and in gratitude for Jesus
- within the Law of the Spirit.
When Trouble threatens to swamp your lifeboat. Look for truth. We are told in Romans we know Truth. Lean upon God. Great struggles in the Bible tell us to look at the One who is Good. When truth is running off, ask God in. God will help.
Sometimes we have to remember where to look for real goodness - God.
Pray for the Holy Spirit, who is Jesus Christ the Lord!
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For we do not know what to pray for as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us
with groanings too deep for words.
Jan Karon's famous Mitford books tell us about Father Tim praying the prayer that is Always Successful - Thy Will BE Done.
Father God, I am willing! I will cast my cares upon You. You Love me. I will strengthen and rest in You.
Did you mess up God's purpose for your life?
Is your life meaningful?
Guess. What. Abraham could have asked this question. Many times.
Gratitude.
Our honest prayer for honest situations.
Guess. What. Abraham could have asked this question. Many times.
Gratitude.
Our honest prayer for honest situations.
We are not large enough to be perpetually punished. Jesus took our sins. We might face overcoming poor decisions. It's when we give up in the gloom of unworthiness, then we have stepped out of the Light of His Love.
We might foolishly try to put our selfishness first again and again - but we cannot blame God for that. God did put us here to grow up to go Home to Him. Even the Prodigal Son had to grow up some. To find some humility.
It's a Promise.
The Word of God is Fulfilled.
God's purpose for our lives will be good.
Do we Really believe God has a good purpose for us? Similarly, the demons shrieked at Jesus had a continual shriek, "What purpose do you have for me God? What will You do to me?"
Would God call us not to be us? No. Does He love us as we are and give us Gifts and Talents to fit in to His Plan. Yes.
Jeremiah stood fast.
Abba, Father,
John 8:56
"Your father Abraham rejoiced
at the thought of seeing my day;
he saw it
and was glad."
Galatians 4:28
And you brethren, like Isaac,
are
children of promise.
James 1:5
If you need wisdom, ask God,
who gives generously
to
all
without finding fault,
and
it will be given
to you.
In Jesus, we ask
Dwell in us, Father
Send Your Holy Spirit as Helper
Dwell in those we love
and
Help us to seek You first
And in Jesus,
we will finish well.
Making our hearts, mind and soul where Jesus is proud of us.
Today and tomorrow!
Our prayers. Our works. Our words. Our Hope. Our Future.
Jesus be in these hopes for a plan.
Send Your Word, Please.
You uphold the Universe With Your Word.
We lift up to Your Mercy, for Maui to have relief rain
from the wildfires.
We pray with Texas for the weather to have gentle rain.
God bless.
Our God is working. His Son,
Jesus is working.
And we say Amen in Jesus.