Rejoice

 Psalm 32:11 (KJV)
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

 When was the last time you were glad or shouted for joy?

Or are too concerned about the economy? What the politicians are doing in DC? Or even what to make for dinner tonight.

Stop what you're doing. Go outside. Shout to the Lord! Be thankful for all the blessings He's given you. Worship him like your savior and king were standing right in front of you. Lift your hands to the heavens, or dance, or stand in silence with tears running down your face.

Just 'be' in God's presence and rejoice.

Idols

When most think of idols, images of Buddha come to mind or shrines, grottos with the Virgin Mary or other figures. They're found in homes, on properties and churches.

Yet, idols can be other things as well. The current popular singer, TV or movie star. Money. Your job or spouse, or anything that takes the place of God in your heart.

The Bible tells us we should have no other gods before God. The love of money is the root of all evil. Where your treasure is so is your heart.

Modern day Christians get as caught up in this as unbelievers do.

Are there idols in your life?

A Different Perspective on 'As the days Noah were'

There is a popular thinking among a few last dayers that the days shall be like Noah's and that the 'sons of heaven' shall once again come to Earth, bring many secrets with them and the whole world shall be deceived.

However, Matthew 24: 37-39 (KJV) it says:
But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.
And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Notice what Jesus said. He didn't say the 'sons of heaven' shall return and do what they did before. In fact, those particular demons are locked away until the day of judgement.

2 Peter 2: 4-5 (KJV)
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgement;
And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. 

Notice those particular angels, the ones who interbreed with humanity, were cast down into hell and chained up until the day of judgement. They will not be free to do what they did before.

What it really looks like is that life will seem normal. People will be going on with their daily lives and then, bam! Christ returns for his church.

Rain only? How deep?

In Sunday School most are taught that God caused the great flood by forty days and nights of rain. Yet, in Genesis 7:11 (KJV) it says, after it tells Noah's age...the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Fountains of the great deep broken up  - literally means the springs of main sea or subterranean water supply was burst or ripped open and the windows (literally) of the moving clouds opened.

Vs 12 (KJV) And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Before this time, the earth was watered through a dew or mist only. Rain did not exist. So you can imagine the shock of everyone when it rained, not to mention the sea or the springs bursting forth under the ground.

It also says the water was 15 cubits.  (vs 20). Roughly speaking in today's terms that would be around 19 feet. If humans were only living in one part of the world, then conceivably, it would have wiped out every living thing.

It took several months for the waters to abate and for there to be dry land again.

Question is, did this flood happen world wide? Or was it isolated to one area only?

Considering the number of stories worldwide about a flood, one would give credence to this event. It would have been easy to pass it down from generation to the next, changing it as happens in folklore and legends. 

Genetic manipulation in Genesis?

I was watching Sid Roth one evening and two of his guests suggested that not only did the 'sons of God' mate with human females, but there was also genetic manipulation of animals.

In Genesis 7:2 (KJV) God commands Noah -

Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female; and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

The word clean is tahor. It means pure in a physical, chemical, ceremonial or moral sense. Related to taher - implied to be pure, physical-sound, clear, unadulterated. Levit. uncontaminated. morally - innocent or holy. clean, purge, purify.

Most importantly here, it must be noted that in the time of Noah, the Law did not yet exist, so no animals were considered unclean.

So why then did God command Noah to take clean beasts by sevens and unclean beasts only by twos? A bigger question is if the world, the evil of it, caused God to want to destroy it, why would He even allow the unclean beasts to survive? Wouldn't it have been better to allow the creatures altered from the way they were created to die and keep only those that were clean or unchanged?

All very interesting questions to which we have no real answers.