Title: Hanging out with a bad crowd
(S) Gen 34:1 "Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her."
(O) Dinah is hanging out with the girls from town rather than with her Jewish girlfriends (or in our case girls from church) and she runs into the cool guy of the opposing gang. Sort of a Westside story. This violates everything we believe in - "be not unequally yoked together." etc.
(A) We will end up with those we hang out with and she has been hanging out with the locals who do not believe in God. It is so important to be of the same faith when you hanging around other Christians.
Title: Some mistakes are hard to undo.
(S)Gen 34:26-29 "They put Hamor and his son Sheschem to the sword and took Dinah from Sheschem's house and left. The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. ......They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses."
(O) A young girl can cause her family great distress but making wrong choices. Dinah should not have been raped however her poor choice of friends brought about a terrible sequence of events - murder, war and 2 nations that would no longer be able to co-exist.Gen
(A) Where my children live and go to school and later their friendships will determine the shape of their lives. Important for us to help them make wise choices by keeping the standards high and making church and church involvement a strong habit and influence in our lives.
(P) Lord help me get involved at church.
Title: Jacob commits to monotheism
(S) Gen 35:2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come let up go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress..."
(O) So - here it is - where the great argument between the Muslims and the Christians starts - Jacob commits to monotheism and builds an altar - How can this be construed to be anything but what it is - a place named Bethel - and not more.
(A) We cannot worship a place anymore that we can worship an idol - there should not be any worshipping at Bethel - God is a spirit and we must worship Him in spirit. Believing that God is both a spirit and has had while on earth a body and lives in heaven as God Almighty does not make him 3 gods but rather One God with more than one way of presenting Himself - both faiths believe in monotheism.
(P) I pray for peace in the middle east.
Note: I often forget that the 12 sons of Jacob are really from 4 women and not just the 2 daughters of Laban. There does not seem to be any difference in having a son with your wife's maid or from a wife as each of these sons seem to have equality of status. Why then is it such a big deal between Isaac and Ishmael? I guess it is just whatever God declares and the promise was to be through Sarah and not through Hagar and so it is disobedience in Abraham not trusting God to carry out His impossible promise.
Title: Being humble
(S)Luke 14:11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
(O) This is an exhortation to be humble. How do we know if we are humble or not ---- how do others perceive us? How do we act - I wish I knew if I acted humble or not because I am not sure.
(A) It would be good to ask others whether they perceive us as humble or not.
(P) Lord let me know if I am haughty or proud. Help me to be humble.
Title: Invite the needy and not family for meals.
(S) Luke 14:13 "When you give a banquet invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be blessed.
(O) Don't do very much of this - just when the Agape group come over - should do more.
(A) Someone should take over my sister-in-law Shirley's task of inviting the above ---
(P) This task needs more attention - God make me available.
Title We are to give up everything we have???
(S)Luke 14:33 "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."
(O) This is quite a harsh verse. I do not know of anyone who has given up everything he has.
(A) I think we have to hold possessions loosely and be willing to give them up - but I think that the willingness and the act of giving up possessions is the ideal.
(P) Lord help me to hold thinks a little less tightly.
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