I’ve looked at this chapter before as to how I would have met a woman I wanted to marry a few years ago, but long story short, she’s had a few boyfriends by now (she’s still with the third man she’s dated), so I’m not really sure what’s going to unfold. She was pretty happy that I wanted to marry her when I typed something on a Facebook post, so I said, “I’m the happiest man in the world!” But we still haven’t met, and obviously, she’s not single again, so I’m hoping for anything from Christ in the future. But the marriage thing isn’t why I’m writing this down. In fact, I don’t even wish to think about it right now. Besides, I want to get closer with Jesus. And this chapter is found in page 8 of my NKJV Bible, pages 10-11 of my NASB Bible (Old Testament), pages 17-18 of my VOICE copy, and pages 18-19 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
This chapter is how I found out that sexual immoralities we could pull off sometimes don’t mean the one doing it is an unbeliever. Not that I want to do that, of course 😅 I just wish we did better with our bodies. But anyway, ten years went by after God had promised Abraham countless descendants, both of Israel and of Christ (Genesis 15:5, also Galatians 3:6-9) Despite that, he stood firm in the promise, but he was becoming uncertain it would happen… I think that’s why he was having sex with Hagar, the Egyptian servant girl he had. (It’s important to note that slavery was everywhere, but Abraham didn’t believe in that or condone it. I know I don’t.) Even with Hagar being pregnant, she got conceited and Sarai (Abraham’s wife) got mad and clamped down on her super-hard (talk about a cat-fight between two women in envy of each other; that’s not right, for 1 Corinthians 13:4 says love is not jealous, so neither were godly women; see 1 John 3:15 (for jealousy is hateful)) — all this began to make entire nations wrestling with Israel for generations, even to this day. Ishmael was simply the first of Abraham’s descendants to turn on his family, for we see across the Bible that they wanted to take many opportunities to humiliate them, but not all of them did, I don’t think. Too bad that Ishmael eventually had a descendant that founded the Islamic religion in 622 A.D. It’s pretty violent, if you ask me. But more of that later, probably in the next post. I do pray for all of them to become Christians, though, the descendants living today (they went to the land now called Saudi Arabia).
Also, before I began writing this post, I started thinking of the Sanctus Real song written nearly 15 years ago called “I’m Not Alright” — they’ve released an album with that song on it; you can watch a video among many online. They’ve released several albums, but they’re no longer making music today. I don’t remember why… but anyway, it got me thinking: did I not go anywhere because I was convinced that God wouldn’t move in my life again if I did, or if I didn’t? (I’m speaking of when I had moved into my mom’s house again five years ago, but I’ve since moved out; hopefully I never live with a parent or sibling again.) And if that were the case, why did I endure so much because of it? I miss when I could be openly confident in proclaiming Christ’s Name because I knew little to no abuse would happen by others. Maybe I couldn’t really do it because the sinister reality of extremist religion was unfolding, and now, five years later, I might be canned if I said anything spiritual, so that Christ might be put to death in the U.S. and in many parts of the world this time. (Disclaimer: I’m simply using an expression; I don’t believe Christ can die again (see Romans 6:9), but I am saying that there’d be no more believers left in the U.S. anymore, and likewise many parts of the world; we’d be in trouble if that happened, and knowing how successful evil can be, I pretty much have no chance in getting a fourth person saved at this point even though I pray my niece would become Christian.) Indeed, maybe I’m stuck not being able to say anything in or out of work because God knows that the reality that Amos 5:13 briefly summarizes can sometimes happen. I’m praying that one day the “Christian” terrorism is gone, but I can’t expect all of us to survive the onslaught of the ridiculous crusader mentality. For it’s not “convert or die,” it’s instead showing mercy to everyone. I think that’s where people think Christ is useless, which is a stupid assumption in my opinion. It is true that we can honor the past without looking backward, though. Too bad that the face of Christianity is not being recognized as Jesus; instead, the expression that calls itself godly is looking a lot like radical Islam. I fear that Jesus will never be recognized as the Centrepiece anymore, not now, not 20 years from now when my niece turns 21 (she turned a year and a half today; congratulations!) — not ever. If He doesn’t take His people up into the heavens soon, He’s not God. Remember the El Paso shooting that happen a week and a half ago, and another incident that was also occurring in Dayton, Ohio? They (and numerous other incidents like this that have happened in fairly recent times) all have one thing in common: worship of right-wing politics! We could be next on their hit list!
But even so, I really have enjoyed what Christ has done since 2014, even though several years have gone by since I last heard anything from Him about going to the Pacific/Asia area to get many people saved there, except maybe the billion-soul harvest in which a billion (or more) will be saved like simultaneously. Thank God nothing can stop this from happening, though 😇😇😇 I do wish the culture and the church weren’t working together (in some circles, at least) to eliminate every last godly man, woman, and child who didn’t submit to the extremism I talked about earlier, though. It reminds me of the 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 passage, actually. They follow the Pharisees in killing everyone who had even the slightest trace of wonder or curiosity, just as they had sentenced Him to death and later spread a deceptive rumor about faking His resurrection. It’s not as though Jesus didn’t rise again, for death couldn’t hold Him (Acts 2:24). And many people who might read this post would hate and thus reject Him and become more conceited than Hagar, even though they know all this! On the contrary, they (like the Babylonian king/regent Belshazzar in Daniel 5) have exalted themselves against God in heaven! Thus He will announce that they won’t make it to New Jerusalem. I don’t address anyone in particular; I just wish no one else would be killed because of Voldemort recruiting people to take over the world lest Christ actually gets a permanent death this time.
I hope you’re not discouraged by anything I’m saying today; I just wish I could get more people loving Christ and others as I do. I might actually hesitate on sharing this… but if you do read this, what are your prayers for today? Leave one in my e-mail: ron.outland4727@gmail.com! I’ll read each one and write them down, then stick them to my bedroom walls so I remember them! I’ll see you in the next chapter (the next few are quite diverse, but Isaac isn’t born until chapter 21). Ciao!
Ron And His Stories 