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GENESIS 18 GOD’S CONTEMPLATION WHAT TO DO WITH SODOM & GOMORRAH

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December 14

GENESIS 18

16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosenhim, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

                                                                    – Genesis 18:16-21

GENESIS 18 GOD’S CONTEMPLATION WHAT TO DO WITH SODOM & GOMORRAH

A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA

After the visit of God and the two men at Abraham’s tent

They left proceeding to Sodom and Abraham went with them

While travelling, God contemplated whether to share his plan

He knew that Abraham was to become father of many nations.

The Lord was weighing whether sharing this with him was beneficial

He wants Abraham to know the fate of the surrounding cities

God considers Abraham as a friend who is wise to understand

He generously gave Abraham wisdom so he can rule righteously.

Isn’t it interesting how God was contemplating whether to share with Abraham his plans for Sodom and Gomorrah? Surely, God knows how to deal with these sin cities, but it is another glimpse of God’s character. He shares and communicates his plans with all those who continue to believe and trust in him. He considered Abrahm as a friend who he can be privy to. Besides, these cities were neighboring places of the promised land to Abraham and his descendants. Since Abraham will be father of many nations, he wanted to show him his dominion over these areas and what happens to those who defy the Lord.

REFLECTION

  • Who are God’s friends and why are they considered his friends?
  • How can you develop deep friendship with the Lord himself?

FAITH PERFECTED ILMA’S VLOG

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May 8
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FAITH PERFECTED
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. – James 2:19-26
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In this verse James preaches about how faith is perfected. In verse 9, he explains to the those who have committed their lives to Jesus that faith is not just believing in Him. As he mentions in verse 9, even demons do that. So, what difference does that make between believers and demons?
In the next verses, he gives us examples of those who have perfected their faith. In verses 21-23, he shows the story of Abraham whose faith is coupled with works, which resulted in the perfection of his faith. His faith was proven by his willingness to give up his own son to obey God, that is why he was considered righteous and a friend of God. It was by this perfected faith that he became the father of all nations.
In verse 25, Rahab sampled the saving faith by helping the spies that Joshua sent to check the land of Jericho. Rahab took the risk of hiding these spies because she has heard of the stories of the God of the Israelites who have delivered them from all the Egyptians. By ensuring that the Israelites captured Jericho, she proved her faith with works of helping the Israelites fulfill God’s plan for his people.
In verse 26, James reiterates the importance of the presence of the Spirit in our lives because our bodies would be dead without the Spirit. He likens this to faith. Without works, faith will be dead. Sadly, the world has twisted the true meaning of faith. The world looks at faith on a different lens, where faith is working for their own salvation. The bible tells us that God chose us first, even the ability to accept Him comes from him alone.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some believers think that faith isn’t an action word?