Morning Devotions: The Promise, Romans 1:1-2, Genesis 12:1-9

The very first verse of this awesome book we have been jumping through, Romans 1:1, introduces us to a man named Paul. The first thing he tells us is that he is a slave of the Son of God. His assignment is to be an apostle, an ambassador or missionary, for the gospel that God promised long ago through his prophets in the Scriptures.

Romans 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, nasu

What exactly was it that was promised? Paul starts with Abraham so that is where I will start. Genesis 12:1

Now YHVH said to Abram,
   "Go forth from your country,
    And from your relatives
    And from your father's house,
    To the land which I will show you;

The Almighty calls Abram to leave his country, his relatives and his father’s house. Everything that had ever been familiar or gave him comfort for his future and his earthly identity, he had to agree to leave these behind. Where was he going? Someplace that the Almighty would show him. That was it.

     There were a few perks to encourage him. He would be a great nation, he would have the Almighty’s blessing (favor), His name would be great, he would be a blessing, those who favor (bless) him would also be favored, those who despise him (curse) would also be despised. And finally “IN” him all the families of the earth will be blessed. (more on that as we look at The Promise later on) Would you go if it was you the Almighty made this promise to?

     Do you know where “heaven” is? IF you are a believer that is where you have been called to. You do not know where heaven is, only that you are going there. If you believe, then you are part of the great nation; though you have not met most of your fellow citizens. You are blessed by God. I know that we have an enemy in the spirit realm; an enemy who hates us with perfect hate. There are days when his hate is so overwhelming that it is easy to overlook how loved we are by the Almighty, but we are! The promises made to Abraham when the world was still fresh and new are the same promises made to whoever believes as the world winds down. The promise comes through Y’shua, known to most as Jesus. He is the one who would bless the families of the world… like me, like you. It is through his death, his blood, that our sin was paid for. In his resurrection we also have life. Even though we are on our way to the place we have not seen yet, we do not walk alone. We have been given the breath of God, the Holy Spirit for our comfort and instruction, and even to convict us of our sin when we make a wrong turn. All this is yours IF you believe. Do you? 

May 26, 2016

Mrs. Hagerty

Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures,
 Genesis 12:1-9Now YHVH said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse.  And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. YHVH  appeared to Abram and said, " To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to YHVH who had appeared to him. Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to YHVH and called upon the name of YHVH. Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev.