Scattered

Scattered

Genesis 11: ⁵ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. ⁶ And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. ⁷ Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

 

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From the beginning, humans tried to become GOD. Adam and Eve were manipulated by Satan to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. He knew that his sentence was sealed up in a scroll and only a perfect human could open it. All humans, from that point, were imperfect and were born with a sin nature. All but ONE.

 

Imperfect Abel fought against his sin nature by mimicking GOD. Cain, on the other hand, tried to build his own Garden of Eden. Cain was cursed. Humans rejected GOD. Something had to be done. Only Noah believed. He and his family were saved from the great flood. But Canaan, Noah’s grandson did not believe that GOD should rule. This attitude spread to many people. They had one voice against GOD.

 

My Observations:

• GOD was not worried about human ingenuity, rather HE saw their arrogance and pride that mirrored Satan.
• GOD said “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”, so HE scattered them.
• Humans who have an ideology that is against JESUS being GOD, who died and was raised from the dead, will fight a losing battle.

 

One language did not seem to be the problem here, rather they had one common goal, take over! BUT GOD saw through their plan and intervened. The humans started with the massive tower. It took engineering, planning and extreme will to build the structure. Night and day, humans toiled. Years passed. Then GOD, allowing them to finish the tower, came down and confused them.

 

People may have started fighting over who’s name should go on the tower or who should get the best parts of the city. Ideologies were now separated. Humans could not stand to be with each other, to the point that they had to get away from each other. Some people may have studied the ark. They heard that the land was larger than it currently was at the time, so they may have built ships to go to other lands. GOD scattered the people and they developed local languages.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD told Moses about HIS intervention?
• Have you ever gotten mad at GOD and found others who were mad at HIM as well?
• Have you examined your heart to see if you are with the LORD or fighting against HIM?

Perfect Love

 

Perfect Love

1 Corinthians 13: ⁸ Love is eternal. There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass. ⁹ For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial; ¹⁰ but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear.

 

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“You can do it” were the words of inspiration I told someone. When the person accomplished what was set out to do, I wondered if my words had any part in the success. I wonder this because I could not do what the person was attempting.

 

• My inspiration is a partial solution to someone’s circumstance.
• My speech is a partial solution to someone’s situation.
• My sharing of knowledge to help someone is flawed because I only have partial knowledge.

 

Paul says “Love is eternal.” This love he speaks about is JESUS. When HE returns, then there will be no need for humans to use their gifts to point to perfection.

 

My Observation

• JESUS is love and HE gives HIS perfect love to me.
• JESUS died for me and was raised from the dead to wipe away my sins.
• JESUS sent the HOLY SPIRIT to live inside me because sin is part of me.

 

Being born into sin is difficult. I mean, my thoughts are usually not on GOD, rather they are on myself. But every once in a while, I am prompted to use a gift GOD gave me to point people to JESUS. This is temporary. I fall into sin, repent, and seek to be better day by day.

 

JESUS knows I have this issue. HE knows that sin will be present in me until HE returns and I am with HIM eternally. Until then, HE wants me to know humans are not perfect, but HIS love is perfection. I am grateful for HIS love for anyone who can give their heart to HIM.

 

Challenge

• What messages or actions inspire you from a person who is not alive?
• Have you ever been inspired for a short period of time and discouraged during another?
• Will you ease up on your pursuit of temporary solutions and seek the perfect, eternal solution which is JESUS, who will guide you into all truth today?

Together Power

Together Power

Acts 2: When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

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Writing ideas as fast as I could, I could feel the energy in the room. Each of us had a different way of looking at the problem and contributed wholeheartedly to the project. We spent months building the idea into a working prototype. Those who saw it embraced our solution. It worked!

• Working together felt different than tolerance.
• Working together felt different than being part of a forced crowd where people do not really listen to one another.
• Working together felt different than working with those who posture to steal credit or hold people down.

A crowd of JESUS followers were gathered together in one place for the same reason. They all believe in the power of GOD and were not expecting anything but to talk about HIS greatness. As they marveled over the many thing JESUS did for them, GOD filled them with the HOLY SPIRIT.

• GOD wants me to praise HIM without expectation.
• GOD has already filled me with the HOLY SPIRIT.
• GOD needs me to live my life with HIS purpose.

Being together on “one accord” led to something wildly unexpected. The crowd was filled with GOD’s power to do something they had never dreamed of. GOD saw their togetherness and said “I can see their love and they are now ready.”

Being together to marvel over JESUS is all GOD wants. Unfortunately group gatherings quickly turn into posturing over who is right or wrong. JESUS simply wants love and praise. I owe my life to JESUS.

• Are you posturing to be heard or seen?
• Do you feel better alone because people fight?
• Will you examine what makes you want to get away from “those” people and bring GOD’s love to wherever you are or are going?