Remember when you first saw something awe-inspiring? I can only imagine what your experience was, but I thought the good I saw in my childhood should never be forgotten. I especially want to remember Christ now, more than anything. I’m more interested in bringing Him up anyway. Besides, this passage can be found in page 8 of my NKJV Bible, page 10 of my NASB Bible, page 16 of my VOICE copy, and page 17 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
We live in a time where obedience to Christ is either characterized as religion, or more commonly, immaturity (if it’s actually of Him), but four thousand years ago, Abraham was willing to give to God what he knew He wanted, so he brought Him some sacrifices, seeing that they were shadows of Christ, Who came about two thousand years later. The news of such obedience, more being done several hundred years later (Exodus 14), allowed Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, to give God the praise He deserves (Exodus 15:1-18). Indeed, such heroic deliverance can only come from Christ! I think that’s the thing we hesitate to remember (though I don’t want to forget) — let’s just cut to the chase: I just saw much of the 2003 Daredevil movie just moments ago, and I could get some interesting vibes from remembering how much I wanted to be like one of the Marvel superheroes as a kid. But I didn’t realize until mid-2009 that even they needed saving, and I certainly wasn’t going to conclude I was one of the best men who had ever existed, so I decided to follow Jesus when I messed up so bad I wouldn’t get out by any human means. The tale is thrilling, if I can say that, but now is not the time for me to tell it.
Do you have any prayer requests? Drop ’em down in my e-mail: ron.outland4727@gmail.com! I’ll read the e-mails (if I have any) and write down your prayers on my bedroom wall! I’ll head out, now, because I want to get my medication refilled (it’s a long, painful story) and maybe head to the waterpark between the clinic and the house I’m now typing this in. See you in the next one!
I don’t want to release a long backstory that would surely bore you to tears, for I may be able to do that with anyone if I explain anything long enough. But there are many reasons why I have my blog title the way it is, one big reason being that I get to have plenty of fun, new experiences along the way. It’s kind of a core reason why I named it “Ron And His Stories.” Besides, it could be decades before I am finished with this round of Bible notes, and I hope to, by God’s will, go through every chapter, even if it’s just one note per chapter for awhile. I think Jonathan has become annoyed with me saying I’m writing this post, but I then clarified I didn’t want to post a lot of personal information or history on this one. So this time, I’ll keep it brief, mainly speaking on the Scriptures and inviting you to use them yourself. This passage is found in page 8 of my NKJV Bible, page 10 of my NASB Bible (Old Testament), page 16 of my VOICE copy, and page 17 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
Abraham still didn’t believe God’s promise or anything from Him very well, but He took him outside and showed him the stars, saying, “That’s how many descendants you’ll have!” (Verse 5, NLT) Thank God Abraham believed Him right then and there, and was justified immediately as a result (verse 6). I found it difficult to remember when I was assaulted mentally by a thousand contradicting thoughts (I won’t speak of its sources now), but I knew I had accepted Jesus because I had said that His Father was a better parent to me than anyone who had taught me anything or wanted me to emulate them — and during that moment in late 2009, it was before I had even heard of the whole “children of God through Christ Jesus” thing. So I was convinced, especially when I found a better environment in terms of Christian fellowship. I think we can all doubt Christ at least once, but Romans 4 is a good chapter to help you be faithful by His power, just as He is faithful to all (2 Timothy 2:13).
Of course, now, I’m waiting on a deli position still, praying that Jesus would tell the hiring manager to give me the job and that actually happening, but even if nothing happens, I can praise Him anyway. It’s really an echo of Daniel 3, just like in Hillsong United’s “Another In The Fire” song. Some of the lyrics go like this: “Even if He doesn’t, I ain’t bowing to this world.” But I think many are awaiting a promise from God that, thankfully, is perfection. It’s not as though anything can ever be “too good to be true” — that’s ridiculous Reformed thinking; total Calvinistic and thus man-made/demonic nonsense and not Christian. If you want to listen to the song on YouTube, click here.
We need to get better on hoping for the best, for God’s promises never fail, yet they don’t seem widespread. I guess they’re not, but anywhere is a good place to glorify Him. Even if you’re hurting in your heart, He is forever faithful 💖 I wish to remember this for myself better, and not let abuse get the better of me this time, for our world has some pretty wack policies. Sometimes, you can’t find truth anywhere. But it’s unbiblical to assume that something’s so good it cannot possibly be true. Read that last sentence again. Let it sink deep into your core being. I want you to remember this for the rest of your life. If we don’t, God won’t be forgiving. He’s always able to help you with that, though 😇
Have any prayer requests? Write one in my email: ron.outland4727@gmail.com! It should be scriptural, but many prayers are good. But any prayer exalting politics will be immediately rejected (though it’s not a bad thing to pray anyone would become Christian). Let this sink deep into your heart, too.
There’s so much I want to cover in this chapter I don’t even know where to begin! I can’t fit it all in this note without it being uninteresting for you, and I know you wouldn’t even be paying attention anyway (but I pray the Holy Spirit speaks to you through this note and in all notes afterward), but I don’t think people would be insubordinate to God overnight. I don’t think you even need to read my notes; what matters is if you read the Bible. But better safe than sorry…
(This chapter is found in page 8 of my NKJV Bible, page 10 of my NASB Bible (Old Testament), pages 16-17 of my VOICE copy, and pages 17-18 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.)
This chapter starts with God coming to Abraham in a vision. He promised to give him a huge amount of descendants, and he believed Him! He also repented of his old lifestyle because he was convinced God was able to fulfill the promise for him. This is explained in more detail in Romans 4. He later obeys Him in a strange way seven chapters from now, but Christ began to live in him from that day forward. Also, I noticed that the VOICE edition put in italics that the vision was a kind of waking dream at the end of verse 1. Then I realized that when we daydream, we can get visions from God… but also demonic deceptions and frightening things can come from an evil spirit. I believe we should focus on Jesus, for His visions are never unscriptural, nor are they strange to one with common sense. But I don’t want to spend so much time talking about that that I forget why I’m even writing this note, for I’m not willing to lose focus on the subject. Still, in early 2013, I realized that Paul was explaining the relationship each person can have with God based on Abraham’s example while he was writing Romans. For I read into John 8:56 based on this story. Indeed, a relationship with God through Christ Jesus one can have as His adopted brother or sister… it makes common sense, right? It’d be nonsensical to say to your child, “You are not mine.” And God won’t disown His children, for we won’t deny Him, and Jesus had said in Matthew 10:32 that whoever confesses His Name here on earth, He will acknowledge them before His Father in Heaven. Besides, disowning your own son or daughter is an unforgivable sin (see 1 Timothy 5:8), and God is incapable of any sin, no matter how small or large. It was from this I gained an awareness I was really Christ’s (and also on calling His Father a better parent before I had even heard of the whole “children of God” thing; see Romans 8:14-17, but this confession was after mid-2009). Wow, I went off-topic…
The following several verses tell us that Abraham wanted to know for sure how he’d get the land he’s promised from God (we’ll get to where it is near the end of this note), so He had him bring some creatures, cut them in two except for the birds (this isn’t commanded today; thank God), and when something came to pluck their flesh, he swatted them away. I think that was just something God wanted him and a number of other people to do in a particular season… sometimes, we can do something good, but it’s just not the right time, so it’s not really practical to carry it out. For instance, I heard that the deli at my Fry’s store is hiring, so I asked about it (you can go full-time, pretty much), and I decided to wait a few days because I hadn’t mentally prepared myself for the job (I only just found out two days ago it’s not that hard; it’s just busy), and thank God I don’t need to get a food handler’s card before my training begins! But I’ve tried twice to find the deli manager since then and I was unsuccessful in both occasions. For yesterday, she wasn’t there, and this morning, I came too late, for there was inventory I didn’t know about. Oh, well… I’ll try again tomorrow afternoon before I clock in for work at the front end (remember, I’m a courtesy clerk trying to pay back his debts).
Next, God lets Abraham know what is to come for the next several generations (I counted them, there are seven generations that pass between him and the people descended from him). It’s spelled out in more detail throughout the next 50 chapters (until Exodus 15), put on hold for about four more books after that, and brought to completion at the end. It’s a doozy, actually, so spoiler alert: Abraham’s descendants (the Israelites of the late 15th century B.C. onward) don’t do so hot. They actually become a byword to the nations around them (1 Kings 9:7), even to this day. But don’t be alarmed: more and more people in Israel throughout the generations will be saved, just as Paul prophesied in Romans 11:26, saying, “All Israel shall be saved” — meaning those God knows will accept Him. And now that I said this, you might think, “Whoa, Ron, isn’t foreknowledge a thing in the church that divides?” Well, actually, the foreknowledge I’ve heard about… too often that is indicated as if Jesus didn’t die for everyone. I think that’s ridiculous. For there are many passages across Scripture that say Jesus died for each person. The Greek for Romans 14:15 and 1 Corinthians 8:11 (matching with Romans 8) even mention that people from whom Christ died can reject Him. The Bible doesn’t say that anyone’s left out of His sacrifice. Anyone who says otherwise is committing a capital offence against Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 8:12). So in other words, don’t be afraid to say something good to your neighbor or coworker. But don’t do it in a way that freaks them out. Pray for others instead 😊🙏🏼🙌🏼 — sometimes, that’s all you can do. But it’s different for everyone, just as it was for God’s prophets in the Old Testament (Isaiah-Malachi). Besides, God wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4); He doesn’t want anyone perishing (Ezekiel 18:32). These truths I hang tightly to, and I fight for them tooth and nail. You won’t hear these in most churches!
The final verses (17-21) mention the lands in which the people the Israelites would dwell in — God gives those lands to Abraham right then and there. Not a bad design for that time, don’t you think? Today, we have nations in which there can be more than a billion people, but it’s been nearly four thousand years since God spoke the things mentioned here, and many people have made babies with each other (how each of them did it, I don’t know; each story is a strange one to the next though it usually happens with a woman getting pregnant), but thank God that people can become Christian in any generation and people group. The last people group, the Jebusites, David placed his kingdom there a thousand years later (2 Samuel 5), and he named the capital city of Israel Jerusalem.
Have any prayer requests? Drop one (or multiple) in my email, ron.outland4727@gmail.com! What are your thoughts on this blog post? Leave a comment below, and I’ll see you in the next one. (I’ll do some more notes on this chapter, for this has some pretty important material.) Sayonara!
DISCLAIMER: I do not believe that going against anything God says is a good idea. But when someone exalts a particular commandment as if it should be chief among the reality of God’s love or even if they promote idolatry with this like it should be worshiped or something, that’s always bad news. It’ll throw off everyone. By the way, this passage is found in page 7 of my NKJV Bible, page 9 of my NASB Bible, pages 15-16 of my VOICE copy, and pages 16-17 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
I was going to write about Melchizedek some more, and also connecting this enigmatic Man with other trippy things found across the Scriptures, but I believe that people are getting the terms “obedience” and “sacrifice” in 1 Samuel 15:22 mixed up, twisting the Word to fit their religious delusions. The 1/10th of everything that Abraham had given to Him — that I think is a worshiped doctrine in the Church at large. It’s not a thing in New Zealand (thank God!), but here in the U.S., it’s always a nightmare to hear something like this, for this kind of deceptive preaching is quite popular and widespread. Someone can even tout the Malachi 3:8-10 passage as if it were a central theme to Christ’s beliefs (but He and He alone is the centrepiece of everything we should believe; see Hebrews 3:1). I’ve heard things like this before. Thank God it’s not required for any salvation prerequisites, nor is it necessary for growth. In fact, the whole unit of 2 Corinthians 8-9 allows for any gift to God from one’s heart. I’ve grown up in a church in which my mom had been giving to it and having me and my brother do the same… but we didn’t know the truth behind their hypocrisy, and I frankly decided after high school that churches like this weren’t worth my time, though it took a while for me to find out how un-Scriptural it was (and still is) — for I believed any church could be godly. But godliness is usually mocked by those “churches,” so it can be difficult to find another church if you don’t know where to go. Thank God that Two Rivers Church is a Bible-based community, flowing in the Holy Spirit constantly. If not for that (or Hillsong anywhere in the world), I’d be toast. My, I went off-topic…
Abraham gave to God from his heart, not out of some religious obligation! The law of Moses wasn’t even around in those days (see Romans 5:13). Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, Paul wrote (Romans 5:14); it’s kinda ridiculous that people didn’t look forward to Jesus, and even when they studied the Scriptures, they rejected His Spirit speaking to them. I don’t believe it was a monetary thing anyway, the 10% of the spoils Abraham took with him. (The word “tithe” is ridiculous, so I’m avoiding it when I can.) Cash offerings to God He won’t reject if you do it in love to Him, though. But there’s a time and a place to either give or not give, not to be stingy or encourage such things, but finding an appropriate balance. People are dying because they have no food, you know? Besides, you can read more of the book of Hebrews to find interesting information about both Melchizedek and Jesus’ family tree, likewise of how the old covenant is a shadow of the one we have now.
Anyway, I hope you find this helpful. Do you have any prayer requests? Write to me on ron.outland4727@gmail.com what you want prayer for, and I’ll write it down on my bedroom walls! I may also give you feedback, I don’t know. But I’ll see you in the next one! 😁
This chapter is kind of an enigma. Four kings fight off five other kings? This isn’t right… but I’m more disturbed that Lot was captured so that he never recovered, though Peter writes much later that Lot was a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7). This chapter is found in pages 7-8 of my NKJV Bible, pages 9-10 of my NASB Bible, pages 15-16 of my VOICE copy (there’s a note about Melchizedek near the end; I’ll comment on that in a second), and pages 16-17 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy. I don’t want to write much on this, by the way; I’ll likely make a note on verses 18-20 later, maybe later tonight, for I’m making a pizza right now 😋🍕😇
Someone noted in the Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) version (footnote z, page 16) that Moses made an explanation where the cities were located, for this happened several hundred years before the Israelites arrived in the land this was set in. It’s really neat 😊 but it’ll be hard for anyone to recognize where this is if they don’t know where Israel is. Still, Jesus said that Abraham didn’t do satanic deeds when some Jewish people were confronting Him about truth and freedom (John 8:40) — I’m referring to killing Jesus; which is something that unfortunately, was unavoidable after He had done three years of ministry. Still, Abraham had hated idolatry his whole life, seeing that he had destroyed all the idols in his father’s shop in his childhood (see here for more thoughts on this). It’s too bad he had lots of things stolen from him, though. But at least Lot is in good hands here 😌
The most interesting part of this chapter is the Melchizedek figure. The writer of Hebrews said he was without parents or genealogy, having neither a beginning nor an end (Hebrews 7:3) — I think Melchizedek was Jesus in disguise. Sounds strange, yeah, I know, but when you see this much godly personality about someone like this, it can only mean Melchizedek was Jesus, albeit briefly. This I don’t think happens often, but we can give to people in need because we’d be entertaining angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). Abraham gave a tenth of everything he had to Him… for what I don’t know. I don’t think this is required for anyone in terms of monetary giving to any church to stay with Jesus or to even receive Him in the first place. But if you want to give from the heart, He loves it (2 Corinthians 9:7)!
The next four verses after this speak of the king of Sodom (remember, the people were chief reprobates; see Genesis 13:13) — oh, my pizza’s done; time to cut it! (a few minutes later…) I’m letting it cool down for five more minutes, for it’s very hot. Anyway, he wanted to give Abraham the spoils if he’d give his people to him. I’m like, “That’s not a good idea.” I don’t know what he was thinking… but I don’t think he acted on God’s authority, the king of Sodom. Indeed, he was probably the one who was making such incredible arrogance and stinginess happen (see Ezekiel 16:49), as other kings may have done before. But at least everyone had chances to repent and believe Jesus, for Abraham wanted to see Him one day (John 8:56). I know I only want to do what’s right and see Him. I pray I’m not dealt a fate worse than death as a result…
Anyway, on an unrelated story, I saw lots of Super Mario Maker 2 content for the Nintendo Switch on YouTube, and I’m very excited to see video footage of whatever creative levels I imagine millions of people will create from their levels! It’s really cool, for God loves creativity like this. When I first found out about it, I thought, “Wow! This is already better than the first game for the Wii U, released in 2015!”
Have any prayer requests? Drop them in an e-mail on ron.outland4727@gmail.com! I’ll write each of them down in my bedroom walls! I’ll see you in the note on verses 18-20! Ciao!
It’s really saddening to me that Abram and Lot separated here. They had a lot of possessions, but what I just found out was that there was a lot of strife and animosity between their herdsmen. I think Satan set that up so that Lot could be debased in Sodom, have his own daughters have sex with him, and both become pregnant with boys who later father enemy nations of Israel. But thank God they can be saved! I pray for revival in their family tree. Also, this chapter is found in page 7 of my NKJV Bible, pages 8-9 of my NASB Bible, pages 14-15 of my VOICE copy, and pages 15-16 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
I noticed that a note placed in the middle of this chapter was speaking of Abram waiving his rights to his nephew, Lot. (See Genesis 11:27 for who fathered him.) I think that’s really cool. I want my niece to be able and desire the freedom to live anywhere she wants when she’s older. I won’t destroy freedom of concept for her. But someone just told me on Instagram that I’ll eventually exasperate her one day, but look at the Greek for Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21; point invalid! I’ve even thought of saying to her, “I don’t want to make you angry, for then I don’t think God will forgive me.” It’s so bad because I’ve been reading the Instagram posts on parenting and there’s so many comments on them saying, “Children should listen to their parents, no matter how what methods they use.” But that’s straight-up heresy and utter nonsense! This will destroy them in the future, and if they pray for those parents’ destruction; God wouldn’t blame them. This has happened to me multiple times before, and I was especially incensed before my college career began, for everything was ruined, even after I was allowed back on the university! (I went to ASU from 2009-2014, and how everything happened is a long story.) Also, if anyone or anything tries to make me not spread the word about this (I’m still paying for student debts as a result), God won’t forgive them, for they are making a fundamental mistake, going against His sacrifice for everyone, saying, “It’s not enough! We need to make more things happen so that God will forgive!” Those atheists will be destroyed for this by God Himself (Romans 3:8).
Well, I’ve said enough for now, but you may be thinking, “It’s been less than 18 hours, bro.” Well, you’re right, I just didn’t wake up early enough because I was up until like 9:30 a.m.; it’s kinda ridiculous. Sorry, guys… but I want to let you submit prayer requests to me through e-mail (e-mail address: ron.outland4727@gmail.com) — have anything you need prayer for? Drop a prayer in my e-mail and I’ll write it down on my bedroom walls! If the first prayer that comes here is that I wake up earlier, that’s totally fine 😂😂😂
I’m on vacation from work right now, but I wanted to make some Bible notes this week while I’m off (and am paid handsomely for the vacation time); indeed, I believe God wanted me to give this note a shot! This passage is found in pages 6-7 of my NKJV Bible, page 8 of my NASB Bible, pages 13-14 of my VOICE copy, and pages 14-15 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
Anyway, a famine came upon the land of Canaan, so it was only right that Abram and his wife and family member(s) who traveled with them went to Egypt, and it was good that the Egyptian Pharaoh accepted them. Funny how Abram told the Egyptians there that his wife, Sarai, was his half-sister (revealed eight chapters later; see Genesis 20:12), though. He was simply afraid she would be raped, I think. And who can blame him? I know I’d really hate for anyone in my life to be raped, especially my niece, or if it’s happened to anyone before. It has happened to three of my friends, unfortunately, and I’ve wanted to get kinda ridiculous in methods on how to eliminate sexual abuse crimes like this forever, but unfortunately, I don’t think I can do it now without losing my mind. I got the conviction that these are reprobate sins (the sexual abuse incidents) from Genesis 34. We’ll get there a while later, though. But the retribution from God happened because the people there were getting too hands-y with Sarai, and we later see that Abraham (Abram’s later name) is a prophet in Genesis 20:7. (Sidenote: I kinda think that chapter is quite underrated, but it’ll be a while before we get there, too.) Still, I think God’s wrath was pacified when the pharaoh sent Abram and his family on their way… but why? Wasn’t the famine still going strong during that time? What happened? This reminds me I shouldn’t be mistrusting with other people, although I can’t blame anyone for being afraid of abuse. I have no wish to do that, actually 😌 it says in the Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) translation that the Pharaoh was scourged in verse 17, but I think I need to look up the Hebrew and Greek and see if I find any parallels to the discipline thing in Hebrews 12…
(Minutes later…)
Hmmm… this is rather interesting. I found that the Hebrew for this word I just spoke of has its origin of a prim or a root, for what I don’t know. Still, though I found one other piece of information in the Greek (go to studylight.org and search Genesis 12:17), I decided not to put the link here because it has John Calvin’s commentary, and in case you missed it (go here for the original post), Calvinism is an abomination — that’s what I believe. I also know he is the founder of Calvinism while “rebuking” another divisive theology with a rival theologian — like many people in the U.S. politics thing, they can find common ground and sometimes even work together in eliminating the good in the land. This can happen in any country, actually. But thank God it doesn’t have to be enforced in a lot of places… though I kinda think that good beliefs are often discouraged in most of the world, despite the U.S. inventing freedom of religion in the 1700s. It’s kinda ridiculous, I think. Very much ridiculous, actually. You can go here for where I got the Hebrew meaning for the word “scourge” (AMPC) from.
Oh, I should’ve mentioned that the whole Sarah-is-Abraham’s-half-sister thing is found in footnote x in this book (page 15 of the Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy I have). I still think it’s not necessary, at least, not anymore, but I think there were too few people in those days to seek out someone not related to you for a wife or husband (depending on which of the two genders you are). There were some things spoken of in Leviticus 18 or 20 concerning this implicitly, but I don’t wish to get into that now because, for the most part, it doesn’t seem possible to contrast that with Christ’s forgiveness (though the translation I spoke of earlier covers forgiveness of such lewdness in 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 — I do know that it’s pretty un-Christian, however). I’d rather marry a woman who isn’t related to me at all, actually. I might even try to live in a different nation and marry one there. But I have a bit of a messy history of whom I’ve pursued before, even after my conversion in 2009. But more of that later. For now, though, let me just say I’ve spoken briefly with a small group in Awaken about this chapter in 2015, but I haven’t seen two of the people (Josh and Abby Thomas) in many moons, yet I’m very happy my friend, Sarah ran into them 😊 she’s now going to Awaken as frequently as she can, now! Thank God we’re like brother and sister 💝💖💓💘💌 I have to tell them after sunrise about this blog post — as a matter of fact, I think I can text Josh this and have him read it. But I still wish that the five of us — me, Josh, Abby, Sarah, and her friend we’ve talked about before (I’ll respect her privacy and not mention anything) would live close by, especially in Heaven 🤗💏👯♀️
Anyway, it’s like, almost 5 a.m., so I need to go back to bed so I don’t miss out on swimming outside with Jonathan, for I really enjoy Jesus in this way.
See you in about 18 hours with chapter 13! I’ll also slip in something I only recently mentioned in a previous post and announce you with some awesome news, too!
In this passage, we see that Abram (later known as Abraham) builds two altars in the land we know now as Israel. I’m glad he did this, even though he didn’t believe God until some time later (Genesis 15:6, also Galatians 3:6, Romans 4, and James 2:23). I imagine that the two altars were built in worship to God in those days nearly 4,000 years ago, though. Also, this passage can be found in page 6 of my NKJV Bible, page 8 of my NASB Bible, page 13 of my VOICE copy, and page 14 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
I must be honest, though, I don’t think I’m doing so hot on focusing on Jesus, for I’ve been very afraid of being done in by debts even though I can still get more hours at my Fry’s store. But I can’t do it with the courtesy clerk position I’ve had for the last year and a half because there’s so many of us, for there aren’t enough hours for the management/company to give for me to go full-time. I can get a different position I might be interested in, though, or I can go to another store to go full-time there. One job I think would be pretty legit is a position in the Starbucks coffee shop. But it’s not always the best one, for people have heard questionable things at best about the Starbucks logo. Still, I don’t think Christ would be opposed to any of His followers working there, for coffee in and of itself is good, just as Paul said in Romans 14:14. I think coffee has existed for many centuries. Also, I talked with my friend, Pete, about why I didn’t meet up with him last Sunday like we should have… it was because the A.I. in the computer that does everyone’s schedules in the Fry’s stores put me in for a shift during that time, and I only found out the day before. Now he believes I shouldn’t seek the delivery job in which I’d drive stuff across Arizona for Petsmart until much later, seeing that he figures I’m not good at time management and communicating with so many people, likewise with getting up earlier… those things are probably true, actually. I don’t know how I’m going to get better at ANYTHING when we have such a hateful culture using all sorts of things to create prejudice, as well as almost every church in and out of the U.S. being so antithetical to Christ’s love and forgiveness, even if a number of them believe in the gifts of the Spirit and practice any of them, just as I do. I wish the Church hadn’t been so wise in their own estimation over the years; just look at Proverbs 3:7 and Isaiah 5:21! Proverbs 26:12 even says, “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (NASB). Instead, I want to glorify Christ in everything, and to make Him known to places where He’s never been named before. At least Jesus can be worshiped in any season, but I think Satan may have put the shift in the Fry’s system in the first place, for the schedule is not done by a human. One of my front end managers wisely put it as a stupid mechanic.
I pray I find a good job in the Fry’s division of the chain of stores it works with, and one in which I don’t have to travel far, though if I went full-time, I sorta wouldn’t mind going on a bus, but at times, I wouldn’t be able to make it home, so I’m not really thinking about going too far away from my house. I also want to practice kindness in everything, for I didn’t ask for a Sunday shift. Maybe I should’ve switched with a friend who wanted me to work this Thursday in the first place. (I just now thought of it.) But now it’s too late, for I might not be able to make it out of debt, now. But I guess I wouldn’t have been highly considered for the delivery job anyway, since I didn’t think of meeting Pete much… I don’t know. It just sucks that I can’t think of a lot of things fast enough. At least Fry’s is part of a union, though, so I’ll have job security 😊 but it’s too bad that I can’t pay off my debts very fast 😫😒😓 still, I’m happy to go to some waterparks pretty soon 🤩🤩🤩 (I have season passes to two of them). But I don’t want to settle for less. I don’t deserve to be stuck in debt because I couldn’t finish my degree in college 😭😭😭 — divisive stuff had happened since before I even started. I can tell you later, though, I won’t do it in this post.
Pray that things get better for me so I can continue working on these posts. Sorry it’s been so long, by the way 😅 see you in the next one!
P.S. I don’t want to be focused primarily on anything but Jesus.
Hello, friends! I’m back with a Genesis 12:1-6 note on here, found in page 6 of my NKJV Bible, page 8 of my NASB Bible, page 13 of my VOICE copy (with a note sandwiched between verses 3 and 4) and page 14 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition). Tonight, I’d love to share how Israel has been a blessing to me, especially in the context of Christ Himself, the greatest Jew ever. First, though, let me say this: How have most of them been so cold-hearted and hateful towards Christ and everyone else? And when you try to preach the word of Jesus to them or someone else who may or may now have been what one might consider a Christian nation, how can you expect to have any success when most of the time, Christ’s Name is used to destroy the good in each of them? (Comment your opinion below!)
Anyway, I think Israel’s pretty rad, even though their leadership system usually convinces their citizens to harden themselves against the Lord Jesus and also the marginalized around the world. And if you’ve read an earlier post I wrote back in February, you’d be able to get a clue what I’m saying. This is not what Abraham had intended. Indeed, Jesus said that Abraham didn’t kill anyone in John 8:40. Still, I loved that they made the biggest Harlem Shake video in early 2013, 70,000 people were in it! But don’t look at the comments; most of them are divisive, favoring either them or their neighbors, promoting hostility as if God had set it up. This is not what He did when He took Abraham’s descendants out of Egypt almost 600 years later. They say that Jesus has bones in this world still, but that’s incredibly infuriating to me because He lives today, and none of His bones were ever broken (John 19:36, also Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, and Psalm 34:20, according to the footnote of the VOICE copy I have in page 1,321). Even so, my county that I live in has a Jewish sheriff ✡ and I’m praying he becomes Christian so that there’d be a huge homecoming for him (Romans 11:12; the NASB renders the last several words there as “how much more will their fulfillment be!”) — I’d love to have revival last in my metropolitan area.
The footnote v of page 14 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy on verse 3 here is worth mentioning. It says that to look disfavorably on the Jews is inviting God’s displeasure, but you don’t need to worry about displeasure from God if you’re already right with Him, because if that’s the case, you have a life of faith, and He’s thoroughly pleased with you because of this; see Hebrews 11:6. Too bad the Jews have been opposed too many times since Abraham left his hometown, though, yet in most cases, it’s because of their generation’s disobedience to God, so that He would oppose them due to His Name being tarnished because of them (Romans 2:24, also Isaiah 52:5 and Ezekiel 36:20-22). It can be difficult sometimes to not look down on them if you’re a Gentile (non-Israelite) like me, even if you’re aware they have land again. It was restored to them in 1948, and that was because God had said they should all come back in one day in Isaiah 66:8. And thank God that happened; it’s been almost 71 years since then.
Jesus also wants you to be a blessing to others, too. We should all be the light of the world as Jesus said in Matthew 5:14. It’s not worth it to have darkness snuff out anything. But thank God that John 1:5 says it cannot overcome light 😌 I’m reminded of this in one of Hillsong United’s earlier records, in the first track, Point Of Difference. There’s videos of the song and/or its lyrics on YouTube, and I’m using that song (and also what Jesus said a few verses later about not trivializing Him, as the Message puts it) to pray into the Holy Spirit and become more rooted in Him. I’m doing this with several of their records, actually, including the new People record that came out last Friday. And on an unrelated subject, Avengers: Endgame came out Thursday evening, too, so go watch it if you haven’t already. I’ve seen it, and love it a LOT! But I won’t spoil it for you. By the way, Jesus is descended from Abraham, so Israel was to be a blessing to the world as God had commanded Abraham to do, but most of them never were thankful to Him for that, but they were conceited like crazy — well, you’ll have to read in later books to find out; I won’t post a lot of information yet. But if anyone is in Christ, they’re of Abraham’s family (Galatians 3:7), so they’re able to bless others well (Galatians 3:8-9).
Another thing I forgot to mention is that people of all nations have cursed Israel before, so God wasn’t happy about that. But I don’t think that has to be a generational thing, yet I really wish neither had pretended to honour Him by making right-wing political stuff happen (or make any politics happen, actually) — I want to eliminate the nationalism that is more or less aligned with Jesus’ knowledge of the Jews accepting the antichrist in the future (John 5:43), and Jesus doesn’t approve of him, as I’m sure you know. But the Church has become the very thing the first century-Christians had sworn to oppose persistently, and as a result, Christ is calling His people out of all of them to make many house churches. Even the good churches, like the one I’m going to (at least it’s been addressing the hateful correction and fake maturity problems I’ve been facing lately, for I want neither of that in my life) — those ones will need to become house churches sooner or later, too. And due to this, I’m not expecting the Holy Spirit to actually be glorified in any of them. Also, I found something in my Operation World prayer book where, in the list of issues in the U.S., many bad things happen. One issue I found is that evangelical stuff is often what’s passed up as Christianity by everyone. What I find interesting is that unlike most of the other parts of the prayer book, these people passing off deception as truth in this manner (remember that they are very unwelcoming to the immigrants and refugees and are willing to persecute all who wish to do what is right) are not mentioned as ones who deserve our prayers. Because these people are so antagonistic to Christ, they will face God’s wrath in the future, just as 1 Thessalonians 2:16 had said the anti-Christian Jews were under. Abraham took his wife and their nephew, Lot, out of his hometown… I kind of want to do the same with me, my brother, and our families and friends, so that none of us would be defeated by our disobedience to God’s command in Revelation 18:4, and I want to honour Him in everything. I don’t want anyone to be hunted down by political jerks or under God’s holy ban, including those I know! But for now, I must say that we shouldn’t let politics get the best of us.
I’m going to end this with a hilarious meme I saw years ago, for in just 75 minutes…
Sorry that I didn’t get all parts of the text in this one 😅 see you later!
Here is an overview of Abraham’s life from the day God called him out of his homeland until his death. This time period was about a hundred years. By the way, this part of Genesis is found in pages 6-14 of my NKJV Bible, pages 8-18 of my NASB Bible, pages 13-31 of my VOICE copy, and pages 14-31 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
I find it very cool that Abraham did the things he did here so that he could be a pillar that all who follow Jesus would count on. And spoiler alert: Jesus Himself said in John 8:56 that Abraham rejoiced that he would see His day. I also found that Abraham’s model of believing on Christ (based on Genesis 15:5-6) Paul referenced much later in Romans 4, but it’s not just in a promise; it’s a relationship God wants to begin with each person. Yes, I mean you. I saw a skit on YouTube with Lifehouse’s Everything song not long ago (first time in a few years), and let me tell you, I was floored, for I wanted to be close with Jesus as I imagine Abraham was, for it says he didn’t know where he was going when God called him out of his land in Hebrews 11:8. I’ve been getting to my roots of my Christian journey quite a bit, actually, for it says in Revelation 2:5 to do the deeds I did at first so I don’t lose my footing. I don’t believe we need to do only those deeds, though. But more of that later… much, much later. And yes, I’m very well aware that he had multiple children from three different women. I think it was weird that he had a child with Hagar while still being married to his half-sister, Sarah, though. But again, sex with family members is not necessary. Maybe God allowed it in those days because there weren’t a lot of people back then, but it’s certainly not the case, now. Incest is pretty warped anyway.
I’ll get into more into this over the coming months ahead. See ya!
Ron And His Stories 