“A Covenant Making God” Genesis 9:8-17

16 “When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Yes, it only climbed as far as number ten in the list of top reasons for the flood.  The collective “ahhhh!,” from the [...]

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“Old & New Rules” Genesis 9:1-7

Noah and his family are fresh off the ark when God repeats a command and gives some new ones.  Just as he had commanded Adam & Eve, God now tells Noah and his family to procreate and fill the earth.
Then God makes a provision for eating meat, saying, “Everything that lives and moves will be [...]

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“Divine Restraint” Genesis 8:20-22

The flood may have wiped out all but eight humans from the face of the earth, but it didn’t wipe out the depravity of man.  The infection of sin that had corrupted the world was carried on the ark and released into a renewed world.  God had no illusions about this.  The earth had been [...]

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“Paradox” Genesis 7

Noah’s ark is a popular theme of children’s books. An ark with animals is a top-selling toy. Noah and his floating menagerie are considered “cute.” When you think about this, it is really strange. The context of Noah and the ark is absolute judgment–the annihilation of all living things on the [...]

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“Be Ready” Matthew 24:36-51

In spite of Noah’s preaching and in spite of Noah’s decades of bizarre boat construction, the people of Noah’s day were caught totally by surprise when judgment came.  They were not ready.  Life had continued as it always had.  One day led to the next, just as it had for as long as they could [...]

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“Living on Credit” Romans 4

Some of our financial woes in this country come from an abuse of credit.  As individuals and as a nation, we have overextended ourselves.  As a result, our lives rest precariously on a bubble which could burst at any moment.  This kind of credit can kill you.  It is bad credit.
Romans four speaks about another [...]

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“A Preacher of Righteousness” Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:4-10

Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.
 - St. Francis of Assisi
God is in the remnant business.  We were reminded Sunday of the thin strong strand of faithful remnant that stretches back through time.  A remnant made up folks on whom God had sown grace and who faithfully stood as witnesses to [...]

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“Exchanging the Truth of God for a Lie” Genesis 6; Romans 1

I caught the last 15 minutes of a film on PBS on Sunday night.  The last scene took place in the barracks of a Nazi concentration camp.  The prisoners, most of whom were Jewish, were discussing whether or not God had broken his covenant with the Jews.  Considering the circumstances, it was not a ridiculous [...]

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“Grief and Grace” Genesis 6:1-8

Genesis 6:6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
 
In just a few generations, the downward spiral of man’s sin had hit rock bottom.  At the completion of his creative act, God looked [...]

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