So Jacob called the place Peniel,saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” Genesis 32:30

 Audio Link: http://mylandmarkchurch.com/basics/20110111.mp3

Meeting God as Your God

Genesis chapter 32.

 It’s dark. The man is alone, praying by the river when the ambush comes.

 The stranger comes from nowhere and has the advantage of surprise, but the man holds his own. All night they fight tooth and nail, both weaponless, neither gaining the advantage for a long time.

 But sometime before daybreak, the man has pinned the stranger down and won’t let him go. Now the strange attacker is at the man’s mercy. The stranger will get nothing from the man. The tables have turned. “Give me something,” the man demands. And when the stranger responds, Jacob knows without a doubt he has been wrestling with God himself.

 For Jacob, it takes an ambush to realize that God is not a God who keeps his distance – that God is not merely the God of other people.

 What will it take for you to meet God as your God?

Today’s reading: Genesis 32-34
This week’s reading:  Genesis 24-46

Jacob:I’ve worked 4 ur father with all my strength,yet ur father has cheated me,changing my wages 10times.However,God has not allowed him 2harm me.Gen.31:6-7

 Audio Link: http://mylandmarkchurch.com/basics/20110110.mp3

Where is God in My Schemes?

The story of Jacob – which starts in Genesis chapter 25 – is a remarkable portrait of a schemer. I would call Jacob the used-car salesman of his time, but that would be derogatory toward used-car salesmen.

 Jacob always has an angle. And, to add frustration to the fair-minded reader, Jacob’s angle usually seems to work out. But a good schemer is often bested by a better one, and Jacob meets his match in his father in law.

 The obvious question for a Bible reader is: Where is God in all this? Well, stay tuned. Jacob’s successes and frustrations are preparing him for an encounter with the living God that changes everything.

 If you – or someone you know – have life figured out, know where you’re going and are doing just fine, thank you … The story of Jacob is a good reminder that God may be moving you toward a destination you didn’t see coming.

Today’s reading: Genesis 29-31
This week’s reading:  Genesis 24-46

So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” Genesis 22:14

Audio Link: http://mylandmarkchurch.com/basics/20110107.mp3

God Will Provide

In Genesis 22, Abraham faces a horrifying choice. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

Put yourself in Abraham’s shoes. The God you know, the God you love, the God who has been with you and for you your entire life is now asking you to do something almost too terrible to imagine. What do you do?

Abraham simply obeys. The author of Hebrews tells us that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son because he believed God would keep his promise – even if that meant raising Isaac from the dead.

God ultimately provides a substitute. He stops Abraham and instead provides a ram to be sacrificed – which causes Abraham to name the mountain “the LORD will provide.”

This story shows something that’s always true about God. When God asks us to sacrifice something, He provides everything necessary for our obedience. The LORD will provide.

Today’s reading: Genesis 18-20
This week’s reading:  Genesis 3-23

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” Genesis 15:1

Audio Link: http://mylandmarkchurch.com/basics/20110106.mp3

God’s Promise Alone

In Genesis 15, God repeats a promise to Abraham*: Abraham will be great, the father of a great nation that will call him father.

 Abraham sees a problem. He is old, how can he have a son now?

 For God, this isn’t a problem. In fact, this seems to be exactly the way God loves to work. God loves to take the humanly impossible and do it.

 In Romans 4:19, Paul reflects on Abraham’s faith. He doesn’t mince words, he says Abraham believed God would give him a son even though Abraham was “as good as dead.”

 There is no question God can deal with whatever you’re facing today. The question is: Will you trust God like Abraham did?

 *Yes, yes. Abram.

Today’s reading: Genesis 15-17
This week’s reading:  Genesis 3-23

I will make u into a great nation, & I will bless u; I will make ur name great, and u will b a blessing...& peoples on earth will b blessed thru u. Gen.12:2-3

Audio Link: http://mylandmarkchurch.com/basics/20110105.mp3

A New People by God’s Promise

In an important way, Genesis 12 is the beginning of the Bible’s redemption story. Now that we’ve been introduced to God and have a glimpse of the way humanity relates to God, we see the beginning of a plan that doesn’t reach completion until the final chapters of Revelation.

 That plan begins with a promise in Genesis 12:1-3. God tells Abraham*he will receive greatness and blessing – he’ll have a great name and a great nation so that all the nations will be blessed through him.

 God’s promise to Abraham is unconditional – God is going to do it. But, along with the promise comes instruction to Abraham. He is to leave everything he knows and go where God sends him.

 Because Abraham trusts God and obeys, he is held up as an example of faith throughout the rest of the Bible. And because God keeps his promise to Abraham, we can benefit from Abraham’s blessing through Christ.

 *Yes, I know he’s named Abram at this point.

Today’s reading: Genesis 12-14
This week’s reading:  Genesis 3-23

God: "...nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down & confuse their language so they will not understand each other."Gen. 11:6-7

Audio Link:
http://mylandmarkchurch.com/basics/20110104.mp3

Confusion
The Tower of Babel is a brief little story – nine verses at the beginning of Genesis chapter 11.

You might know the outline of it: Humanity decides to build a tower to heaven so they can reach God. Unfortunately for their plan, the tower does attract God’s attention. And before you can say “communication problem,” God has confused their languages to the point the builders can’t understand each other at all.

The Tower of Babel is an example of God saving us from ourselves. We’ll never build our way to God – whether we try to build with bricks or good deeds. We meet God only on God’s terms.

Then and now, the way to please God is to trust Him – to meet Him by faith.

Today is a great day to meet God on His terms. Today is a great day to trust Jesus.

Today’s reading: Genesis 9-11
This week’s reading:  Genesis 3-23

Audio Link:

http://mylandmarkchurch.com/basics/20110103.mp3

“I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created...4 I regret that I have made them.”But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.Gen6:7-8

A Promise

The story of the Flood in Genesis chapters six to nine is the story of a God who will not give up on humanity no matter what. Humanity is described as completely evil both before and after the Flood (see Genesis 6:5, 8:21). Yet God chooses to make a covenant with Noah and save mankind anyway.

 The covenant God makes with Noah (Genesis 8:20-9:17) is God’s promise to never again destroy the earth by a flood – in fact, God promises to sustain life on earth until the final judgment.

 The covenant – the promise – that God makes depends on one thing. God Himself. And this is the most important fact in God’s interaction with us. God’s promises depend on God. God doesn’t wait for us – He acts for our benefit.

 Today, God’s promise to Noah remains in effect. And God’s final promise – the promise of life through faith in Jesus Christ – is ours for the taking.

 Will you let today be a day you look at God’s promises and say Yes by faith? I pray you will.

 Today’s reading: Genesis 6-8
This week’s reading:  Genesis 3-23