The Flood: Painting a Picture

Ok, so some of you might think of the flood as destroying the earth, which it was, but the flood is much of than that. let me explain, the flood is like God painting a picture, of course there was creation, but God changed the world and did some touch up work when the flood happened. (I'm not saying that when God made the earth it wasn't perfect, I'm saying that sin and humans made the earth less perfect and God destroyed all living things while repairing the world.)
Imagine a mountain...many peaks behind it and just beautiful.
Keep that picture, but now think of the ocean... waves hitting the beach...and it gets better in the sand sometimes a wave leaves a mountain looking impression.
Now, imagine huge, powerful waves hitting rock and carving the mountains we see today. pretty cool? that is why creation makes sense. some people say that with an explosion the earth was created .
Ok, another picture, imagine buying a model car set, then getting all the pieces in a bag, now shake the bag...think about how long it will take you shaking the pieces up so that you have a car when you open the bag maybe...never.
When people talk about "the big bang" they are saying an explosion created the earth and universe. To me, it seems crazy to think that could happen by shaking things up.
You see, God wants us to see that he signed his picture and he left incredible evidence.

The Flood: Introduction

Ok, so I am doing a two post series on the flood. first I'll start by telling the bible story most of you have probably heard "Noah's Ark" 
Let's start. first, you should kniw that people lived a lot longer then. see genesis 5, which is a list of people after Adam.
Genesis 5:32: After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
See, that's a long time, but now I'll take you to genesis 6, where God looks all the people in the earth.
The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.


So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them."
Noah did everything just as God commanded him.


Then we move to chapter seven, after Noah has finished the ark.


The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made."
Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.


In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month--on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet.
Every living thing that moved on the earth perished--birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.


The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.


First, this last part is true, it rained for 40 days, but the water didn't vanish in moments after 40 days, it took 150 days for the water to soak up into the ground.

Proverbs of Wisdom part 1

Most of Proverbs was written by Solomon, (David's son) but the writer doesn't mater, all of proverbs is filled with wise sayings. Here's some from the first three proverbs:


The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
Proverbs 1:7-9


Turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Proverbs 2:2;5-8;10


Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
Proverbs 2:12-15


Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:3-6


Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Proverbs 3:7-10


Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
Proverbs 3:13-18


Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
Proverbs 3: 25-27


I love proverbs, there are so many good verses.

A higher focus

This week, I went to a camp that had this theme:
MY FOCUS NEEDS THE RIGHT FOCUS
And I learned a lot there. for example, I learned of a cool verse, a bunch actually, here is one:


Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1


That was the theme verse, but another one which I remind myself throughout the day is this one:


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. Philippians 4:8

That camp taught me a lot, and all I want you to remember is to have the right focus, that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.

Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1-3

psalm 21

O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give!
You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.
You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him--length of days, for ever and ever.
Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.
Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.
At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.
You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind.
Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;
for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.

psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

psalm 17

Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer--it does not rise from deceitful lips.
May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.
As for the deeds of men--by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.
They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.
They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground
They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.
Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword.
O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.
And I--in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

psalm 16

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave,nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
You have made know to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 34:10

If your a christain, you have the power to do all that if good because of these few words:

"Lions may grow hunger and weak, but those who fear the lord lack no good thing." (Psalm 34:10)

God wants us to love him. If we do, he'll work miracles through us. If you take a look at the verses around, you'll find more reasons to seek God.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. 
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
Psalm 34:5-10;12-13

Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

Those who fear him do lack nothing. This verse encourages me because I have the power to do anything when I trust the lord.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22&23

All that can be yours, if you think you lack patience, or joy of whatever else, you don't have to. Even things off that list, as long as they're good, can be yours because as a Christian, you lack no good thing.

Lions may grow hunger and weak, 
but those who fear the lord lack no good thing. 
Psalm 34:10

Add to your faith part 7

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2peter 1:3&4

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your brotherly kindness love

When you become a Christian you have faith but it does stop their. learn how to be a good christian, it all starts by adding goodness to you faith, then knowledge to your goodness, then self-control, then perseverance to your self-control, and then to your self-control perseverance, and to your perseverance godliness, and to your godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 2peter 1:5-7


For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
2peter 1:8