Finding Jesus in Genesis: The Last Adam
In Genesis, you will find similarities between Adam and Jesus. Adam is considered a “type of Jesus,” a shadow of things to come.
WHITEWASHED TOMBS
Image is important, right? So much time is spent trying to project the perfect image to garner more likes, followers, and friends. Photos are edited, scenes are staged, and stories are embellished, all in the name of image. Image may be important to people, but image isn’t important to God. God doesn’t look at the things people look at. “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”( 1st Samuel 16:7 ). The Pharisees, a religious sect of Jews prominent during Jesus’s time, were notorious for trying to create the perfect image so that others would believe they were the “real deal.” Jesus called them whitewashed tombs because, like tombs, they looked good on the outside, but on the inside, they were full of rot (Matt 23:27). Sometimes we focus so much on the outside, we forget about what really matters, the inside. We whitewash our lives, all the while not realizing that we can’t hide our rotting insides from God. He is not concerned with image; He is concerned with the real us; our character. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. – John Wooten What is Character? Character is the way we think, feel, and behave. A person with good character is often described as honest, honorable, and compassionate. A person with bad character is often described as dishonest, selfish, and uncaring. “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.“ H. Jackson Brown Our Choices Determine our Character Our character is determined by our choices, whether good or bad. No matter how important the choice we make seems, that choice affects our next choice. If we make good choices, then making a good choice the next time, and then the next, becomes easier for us. However, if we compromise and make a poor choice, we are more likely to make similar mistakes in the future. Our choices determine our character. Daniel – A Man of Character Daniel, an Israelite living as a captive in Babylon, was offered the finest of foods from the king’s court. Daniel, however, refused to eat this food because it had been ritually sacrificed to false gods. Daniel 1:8 He knew that by eating it, he would dishonor God and violate the Jewish law on unclean food. Although it would have been easy for Daniel to give in and enjoy this fine food, he declined to compromise his beliefs for a fleeting pleasure. Daniel’s choice not to eat the king’s food was one step of many towards building his character, which would eventually lead the King of Babylon to fear and revere God (Daniel 6:26-27). Our Character Determines Our Choices Good character guides us into good choices, while bad character guides us into disaster. This truth is clearly illustrated in the lives of Joseph and Lot. Joseph – A Man of Character Joseph, son of Jacob, was sold into slavery by his brothers and bought by Potiphar, one of the Egyptian Pharaoh’s officials. Joseph found favor in Potiphar’s house and was put in charge of Potiphar’s entire household. Joseph’s good character guided him to refuse to succumb to the temptation of Potiphar’s wife ( Genesis 39:6-12). Although the immediate result of Joseph’s choice landed him in hot water, God recognized Joseph’s good character and eventually positioned him as second in charge of Egypt (Genesis 39:13-23 and 41: 39-40). His position enabled him to save many lives, including his brothers. Lot – A Man of Questionable Character Lot, the nephew of Abraham, embarked on a journey with his uncle to the good land God had promised Abraham. On the way, Lot and Abraham’s men began quarreling over land for their animals. Abraham and Lot decided to part company, and Abraham let Lot choose which land he and his men would inhabit. Lot’s selfishness guided him to choose the lush land, and he eventually settled his family near the sinful city of Sodom (Genesis 13). Lot’s choice set Lot up for all kinds of disaster. First, he was attacked by neighboring kings and taken captive (Genesis 14:1-16). Then after Abraham rescued Lot from captivity, Lot and his family had no choice but to flee their home when God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the inhabitants’ sinfulness. Lot’s wife did not want to leave, and because of this, she died. As a result of Lot’s selfish character, Lot and his daughters ended up living in a cave in the mountains with nothing (Genesis 19). Christian Character Christians and non-Christians alike strive for good character. However, there are differences between Christian character and worldly character. Jesus is the foundation of Christian character Christian character is defined by the teachings of Jesus, which remain unchanged. Worldly character defines itself based on morals, which change depending on what society accepts at any given point in time. Jesus tells us that if we apply his teachings to our lives, we will be able to stand firm no matter what challenges we face because we have chosen to build our lives on a firm foundation (Matthew 7:24-25 TPT). However, we will be unable to stand firm when challenges arise if we have built our lives on a foundation that is constantly changing. Motives, not just actions, matter Christian character focuses not only on what we do, but also on the reason we do what we do. Worldly character focuses on what we do, but not necessarily the motive behind our actions. Did we do what we did out of love for God, or did we expect something in return? We should examine our motives behind our actions because God does (Proverbs 16:2). God Pleaser or People Pleaser? Christian character desires to please God above all else. Worldly character focuses on pleasing oneself or pleasing others. Do you pray in public or drop money in the offering bucket because you want to please God or because you want to please people? Galatians 1:10 NIV Power to Change the Character of People Christian character depends on the Holy Spirit to change hearts (Romans 5:5), develop godly characteristics in
EFFECTIVE PRAYER: 5 WAYS TO SETTLE THE WORD IN YOUR HEART
Effective prayer requires you to settle God’s Word in your heart. You must believe the Bible more than you believe the news, your bank account, and the symptoms in your body. The Word of God must be more than head knowledge it must be heart knowledge. There are five keys to settling God’s Word in your heart. You must believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. All scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Although penned by man, the Bible is inspired by God. Sometimes God told the writers precisely what to say; other times He used their minds, their vocabularies, and their life-experiences to reveal His true nature and character. If you don’t believe that the Bible is God speaking to you, then you will struggle to trust that the Bible’s promises are from God and not man and this unbelief will limit the power of the life-giving Word you breathe-in. You must believe that the Bible is true and not just made up stories to teach us valuable “life lessons”. You make your own reality. You limit God by how you see God. If you find it impossible to believe that God rescued the Israelites from their enemies by parting the Red Sea, then you will struggle to believe that He is your rescuer. If you find it hard to believe that Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, then you will struggle to believe that He is your provider. God is the God of creation; if He is powerful enough to speak the universe into existence, then He is powerful enough to part the seas and multiply food. Don’t limit God to what you see in the natural but instead choose to see Him through the lens of the supernatural. You must believe that God said what He meant and meant what He said. God is not a man; He will never lie. God is reliable; He does not change His mind. Therefore, His Word will always come to pass (Numbers 23:19). Unless you trust God, you won’t approach Him with confidence; you may not even approach Him at all. Choose to take God at His Word; let His Word take shape in your heart so that you will not be what James called double-minded, and waver back and forth in your belief. You must believe the Word of God is the final authority. Jesus has the ultimate victory. His Word, the truth wins. Nothing can shake His Kingdom; His Word is unmovable. (Matthew 24:35). No matter how hopeless your circumstances appear, no matter what others tell you to believe, you must consider the Bible as the final authority on the issue, and trust that what is written there will prevail. You must nourish yourself with God’s Word daily. God’s Word is like an all-day buffet laid out in front of you: whatever sustenance you need, you can find it there. Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). What better way to savor His truth than through His life-giving Word! Settle God’s Word in your heart and see your prayers come to life. Don’t limit the power of God’s Word by limiting God. Choose to expand your reality to the supernatural. Resolve to trust God and to stand firm in His truth and you will begin to believe the Bible more than you believe the news, your bank account or the symptoms in your body. His Word will begin to gravitate from your head to your heart and your heart will cry out “all things are possible for those who believe and I believe!”
LORD TEACH US TO PRAY
Prayer can be intimidating. It was to me. When I would hear others pray so eloquently, using what seemed like all the right words and phrases, I knew that I would never be able to pray the way they did. I always avoided praying in front of others. When someone would ask for prayer volunteers, I’d be the first to put my head down, hoping that if I couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see me, kind of like a game of peek-a-boo with a toddler. What I failed to realize is that prayer is about relationship, not religion. Prayer should be from the heart, not from the head. Jesus made this very clear to His disciples when teaching them how to pray. Jesus said the following about prayer: Don’t pray for the acclaim of men (Matthew 6:5). Jesus isn’t telling us that we shouldn’t pray in front of people. Corporate prayer is an important part of the Church (Acts 23:24). He is asking us to examine our heart motives. If we are praying in front of people so we can appear more “spiritual” and obtain the praise of people, then our heart motive isn’t right and the reward we get here on earth is all the reward that we will receive. God does not reward hypocrisy Find a place alone for private prayer (Matthew 6:6). Jesus often went away by himself, away from the crowds to pray. He would go places like a mountain (Matthew 14:23) or the wilderness (Luke 5:16). The Lord tells us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). What better way to be still than to be alone with Him, communing with Him, whispering the secrets of our heart to Him and listening for His response. Don’t repeat the same words over again (Matthew 6:7). There is no need to repeat a mantra to Him. Saying the same thing over and over again is religion, not relationship. Just be sincere and pray from your heart. You wouldn’t have an intimate conversation with a friend saying the same thing over and over, again, would you? No, probably not. Neither should you with God. Just be yourself. Use your own words, your vocabulary. The “Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). Notice Jesus doesn’t say the Father knows what you need so you don’t need to ask Him. No, he says before you ask: But why? First, God wants a relationship with us. God is not a supernatural vending machine. Prayer is more than asking and receiving. Prayer is building a relationship with God by actively communicating with Him. Communication is key to relationship. Second, God works through Believer’s prayers. He is sovereign. He doesn’t NEED us to accomplish His will, but He sovereignly CHOOSES to use us to accomplish His will on earth. The method he has chosen to accomplish His purposes is the prayer of a believer. Model of Prayer Jesus set out a model prayer for us in Matthew 6:9-13. This prayer is not meant to be repeated over and over but is meant to be a model to follow when we pray. We will call it the ARMOR model of prayer. Adoration (Matthew 6:9) The Divine protocol for entering the presence of the Father is to start your prayer with praise and worship. Praise and worship focus your attention on God’s attributes and draw your heart to God! God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). Reaffirm God’s will (Matthew 6:10) Reaffirm that God’s will be done in your life and the life of others. There are 5 areas that you can pray God’s will for. 1.God’s will is for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Pray for salvation for the lost and that all men know the truth. 2.God’s will is that a believer’s life produces the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Pray for fruit in your life and the life of others. 3.God’s will is that you be set apart/sanctified (1st Thessalonians 4:3). Pray Philippians 4:8 over your mind and the mind of others. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”. Pray 1st Corinthians 6:19-20 over your body and the bodies of others. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” 4.God’s will is that we live peaceful and quiet lives (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Pray for those in authority: your government leaders, church leaders, work leaders. 5.God’s will is that the church grow in peace, strength and numbers (Acts 9:31). Pray for your church. Manna (Matthew 6:11) Pray that the Lord give you your portion of spiritual bread for the day. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). Jesus also said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). This bread is the revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ. Also pray for the real bread you need to sustain you physically. Jesus assures us that all we need will be provided for as long as we seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). Offer-up mercy, forgiveness and grace to others as Jesus gave to you (Matthew 6:12). Unforgiveness, bitterness, and resentment are characteristics of unhappy people. People who harbor these things cannot experience the fullness of joy that God offers to us. The Kingdom of God is built on the principles of love, mercy and forgiveness. Rescue (Matthew 6:13) Satan’s kingdom is real. We are tempted by Satan,
Pray with Boldness: Knowing Your Righteousness in Christ
Many people don’t pray because they believe that they are not worthy to approach the Father in prayer. They think the Father will not receive their prayers and that He will turn them away because of their past mistakes and indiscretions. They’ve heard about what Jesus did for them on the cross, but they fail to appreciate the significance of His work on the cross. They fail to understand their righteousness in Christ. To be righteous means to meet God’s standard; to be right with God. No one can be righteous by their own efforts, no matter how hard they try: no one except for Jesus. God made Jesus who had never sinned to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2nd Corinthians 5:21). Through His work on the cross, Jesus offers us the gift of His righteousness. All we must do is accept the gift by believing. Understanding Your Righteousness Will Deliver You from Fear, Condemnation, Guilt, and Shame There is no fear in love because fear has to do with punishment, a consequence that children of God will never face because they are FORGIVEN (1st John 4:18). You must truly grasp deep in your hearts that you owe nothing for your sin, that your debts are forgiven. “There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The penalty for our past, present, and future sins is not held against us since Christ paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. Once you grasp this, you will be delivered from fear and condemnation and be able to confidently approach the Father in prayer. God doesn’t look at us through the lens of what we did but through the lens of what Jesus did on the cross. If you keep thinking about your past failures, you’ll begin to see yourself as a failure and the guilt and shame of your past will prevent you from confidently approaching God in prayer. One of Satan’s greatest weapons he uses against us is our past. Past sins that we have repented from are FORGIVEN. When you understand what Jesus did for you on the cross, you will not approach the Father in prayer with fear, condemnation, guilt, or shame. Instead, you will approach Him with boldness. When you understand that you are a child of God, you will have the confidence that whatever you face, God will move on your behalf. When you know that you are the righteousness of God, you will no longer feel distant or separated from God. When you know you are righteous in Christ, you will enjoy peace, quietness, confidence, and assurance forever. So what is stopping you today? Fear, condemnation, guilt, and shame cannot stand against the truth of God’s Word. Speak the truth of God’s Word to those lies and boldly approach God in prayer knowing that you will receive mercy and find grace in your time of need.
Everyone is Called to Pray
Everyone is called to regular prayer but not everyone prays regularly. Prayer is just an afterthought for many – hidden away until some test or trial forces us to bring it out of hiding and dust it off. What we fail to realize is that without prayer, we will not walk in the complete victory God has made available to us. According to the Gospel Coalition: The Bible mentions prayer 650 times The Bible records God’s answer to prayer 450 times The Bible shows us 25 instances of Jesus praying during His earthly ministry The Bible records Paul discussing prayer 41 times The Bible is our instruction manual for living. Like with any instruction manual, we shouldn’t ignore, or skip-over instructions that the “instructor” considers important enough to repeat. Let’s say you’re assembling a desk but choose to ignore the repeated instruction to check that the pieces face the right direction; you shouldn’t be surprised when the desk drawers won’t open and close correctly (OK, there may be a desk in my house like this…). How is not following the instructions of the Bible any different? If the Bible repeatedly instructs us to pray and we ignore these instructions, we shouldn’t be surprised when our lives just don’t work the way they should. If the number of times the Bible talks about prayer doesn’t convince us of the importance of prayer, then maybe this will: the Son of God and the man who wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament prayed and repeatedly instruct us to pray. Jesus “went up on the mountain by Himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23), “…spent the whole night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12), “in the early morning…got up… went away to a secluded place and was praying there” (Mark 1:35),”and fell on His face and prayed” (Matthew 26:39). Paul tells us to “pray continually” (1st Thess. 5:16), “devote [our]selves to prayer” (Colossians 4:2), “be…faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12), and “…in everything, by prayer and petition…present [o]ur requests to God” (Philippians 4:6-7). We are to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1), and Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Jesus prayed often. We, as imitators of Christ, should also pray. We should “armor up” with the Word!