Todays scripture reading was taken from: 1 John 4: 1- 10, 20,21; Genesis 18: 17,23; 12: 1 - 3. The Word was shared by Pastor Madzivire. The scripture theme for the service is: Closer work with Jesus. Because Johns letter (1 John 4: 1 -10, 20, 21) was about the basics of faith in Christ, it helped his readers reflect honestly on their faith. It helped them answer the question, Are we true believers? John told them that they could tell by looking at their actions. If they loved one another, that was evidence of Gods presence in their lives. But if they bickered and fought all the time or were selfish and did not look out for one another, they were betraying that they, in fact, did not know God. In the book of Genesis 18, when God revealed His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to the wickedness of those cities, Abraham asked God to spare the people. In fact, Abraham engaged in a lengthy conversation to mediate for the cities. First, Abraham wanted God to spare the righteous people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. He asked, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:23-25). Second, Abraham’s nephew Lot lived in Sodom. God did spare Lot and his two daughters, perhaps as a direct result of Abraham’s request. Genesis 19:29 states, “So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.” Abraham certainly wanted to see his own extended family protected from God’s judgement. In Genesis 12:1-3, the Lord says to Abraham, “Go from your country and your kindred and your fathers house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This blessing included land that, at the time the promise was made, belonged to other people. There are several reasons why this transfer of ownership was appropriate. First, “the earth is the LORDs, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). As the Creator of the earth, God has the right to do with it as He pleases. He can take land away or give it according to the counsel of His will (Psalm 135:6). The land pledged to Abraham was part of God’s provision for the Jewish people. After the Exodus from Egypt, the Jews were given the Promised Land, confirming God’s power to predict the future and fulfill His promises. Let love abound in all of us, as God has shown us great favour, even from the time of Abraham till today. Share your love with others, therefore showing Gods love.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 09:20:26 +0000
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