Do Your Immediate Cravings And Yearnings Present Stumbling-blocks To Your Relationship With God.

HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD or DID YO COME ACROSS A "STUMBLING BLOCK"  

Genesis 25:29-34

(29) Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. (30) And Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary." Therefore his name was called Edom. (31) But Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright as of this day." (32) And Esau said, "Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?" (33) Then Jacob said, "Swear to me as of this day." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. (34) And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. 
New King James Version

"Perhaps never in all man's history has something so valuable been purchased for so little! The major flaw in Esau's character reveals itself in his careless disregard of the high value of his birthright in favor of an immediate, sensual satisfaction. Unfortunately, far too many of us are like him. Esau was a man, so to speak, who could not see two blocks down a straight road on a crystal-clear day. Because immediate concerns dominated his life, living by faith was extremely difficult for him.

"Either he had no vision, or his personality demanded instant gratification. The things that he valued were those he could have right away. Notice verses 32 and 34. To paraphrase he says, "What good is the birthright if I have to wait for it?" Apparently, he either did not consider making a sacrifice to retain it at all or quickly passed over the thought. Therefore, he hungrily gratified his appetite and went his way, much like the harlot who, after plying her trade, unconcernedly says, "I have done no harm."

"However, Moses writes, "Esau despised his birthright"! Despise is a strong word, meaning "to be scornful" or "to treat with contempt." Notice Paul's remarks about this in Hebrews 12:16: ". . . lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright." Paul judges him as "profane," which marks a person as irreverent toward what is sacred. The Greek word literally describes one standing in front of a temple (where God dwells) rather than within it, suggesting one not admitted into the body of true knowledge. Esau displays his profanity by treating something hallowed—his birthright—as if it were common.

"Esau further demonstrates this perversity in his thinking in his choice of wives (Genesis 26:34-35). He is unconcerned about God, the things of God, and the future. His mind is elsewhere; he is worldly. The Christian must live in the present dealing with life's problems as they come to him, but always with the future, the Kingdom of God, in mind.

God's Word depicts Esau's worldliness through the medium of eating. Eating something he desired at the moment meant more to him than a tremendously valuable gift of God. Though he became very wealthy, the Bible ignores his death, which oftentimes indicates something ominous. It is worth meditating upon how much satisfying immediate cravings and yearnings, perhaps even for food, presents a stumbling-block to our pleasing God.  (John W. Ritenbaugh, http://www.theberean.org/)

Science Verses Religion, What Is True?

Science Verses Religion

The majority of the people in the world hold one of two basic beliefs on when life began.  One belief is based on scientific and archeological evidence.  The other belief is based on the creation story as told in the book of Genesis.  “Which is myth, God or Evolution?  Louis Boundure, director of Frances Strasbourg Zoological Museum and professor of biology at the University of Strasbourg, stated: Evolution is a fairy tale for grownups.  This theory has helped nothing in the progress of science.  It is useless.”(14[pg. 3])

Due to the lack of evidence for the theory of evolution as presented by Darwin, scientists are starting to accept the idea of an intelligent designer.  This idea is the basic concept of the creation story as told in the book of Genesis.  “ ‘Certainly not all scientists agree that no Creator exists and that we as human beings are the product of random chance. In 1972 the California State Board of Education asked NASA director Wernher von Braun, who has been called the father of the American space program, for his thoughts on the origin of the universe, life and the human race. Here's how he responded: ‘For me, the idea of a creation is not conceivable without invoking the necessity of design. One cannot be exposed to the law and order of the universe without concluding that there must be design and purpose behind it all. In the world around us, we can behold the obvious manifestations of an ordered, structured plan or design . . .To be forced to believe only one conclusion—that everything in the universe happened by chance—would violate the very objectivity of science itself.’ . . . (Scott Huse, The Collapse of Evolution, 1997, pp. 159-160)”

“Many educated people accept the theory of evolution . . .   (O)ur existence as humans is one of the best arguments against it. According to evolutionary theory, the traits that offer the greatest advantage for survival are passed from generation to generation. Yet human reproduction itself argues powerfully against this fundamental premise of evolution.”  If evolution is how all life developed and the higher up the evolutionary latter, the more advanced the biological systems are, “. . . how is it that higher forms of life evolved with male and female sexes?  If humans are the pinnacle of the evolutionary process, how is it that we have the disadvantage of requiring a member of the opposite sex to reproduce, when lower forms of life - such as bacteria, viruses and protozoa - are sexless and far more prolific? If they can reproduce by far simpler methods, why can't we? If evolution is true, what went wrong?”

Evolution is based on the premise that from generation to generation, strong “. . . characteristics that offer a survival advantage . . .” were retained while weak traits were eliminated.  If this were the case, “. . . how can we explain the human infant?”

“There are thousands of species whose newborn can survive on their own within days and sometimes minutes after they are born.  “Many never even see their parents. Yet, among humans, an infant is utterly helpless—not for days but for up to several years after birth.

“A human baby is reliant on adults for the nourishment, shelter and care he or she needs to survive.  Meanwhile, caring for that helpless infant is a distinct survival disadvantage for adults, since giving of their time and energy lessens their own prospects for survival.

“If evolution is true, and humans are the pinnacle of the evolutionary process, why does a process as basic as human reproduction fly in the face of everything that evolution holds true?  Even Charles Darwin, whose theories about evolution took the world by storm, had second thoughts.  In his later years he reflected on what he had started: ‘I was a young man with unformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything; and to my astonishment the ideas took like wildfire. People made a religion of them’ (William Federer, America's God and Country, 1996, p. 199, emphasis added)”  (14 [ pg 2]).

There are many reasons to be more than skeptical beyond what we just looked at. “ Charles Darwin . . .  (who was the) British Naturalist who popularized the theory of evolution through natural selection . . .”  said the following:  “ ‘For I am well aware that scarcely a single point is discussed in this volume [Origin of Species] on which facts cannot be adduced, often apparently leading to conclusions directly opposite to those at which I arrived.’” Even Darwin doubted his own theory.

The simple truth of the matter is, there is not a shred of evidence that is available to prove this theory.  “‘To postulate that the development and survival of the fittest is entirely a consequence of chance mutations seems to me a hypothesis based on no evidence and irreconcilable with the facts. These classical evolutionary theories are a gross over-simplification of an immensely complex and intricate mass of facts, and it amazes me that they are swallowed so uncritically and readily, and for such a long time, by so many scientists without a murmur of protest.’ - Sir Ernst Chain (1906-1979), co-holder of the 1945 Nobel Prize for isolating and purifying penicillin, director of Rome's International Research Center for Chemical Microbiology, professor of biochemistry at Imperial College, University of London.”  ( 14[ pg 5]).

Why has the theory of evolution become so entrenched in today’s society?  “Why has evolution become so widely accepted, and why has the Bible come to be viewed with such hostility? What has changed?

Have you ever wondered about any of these questions?  If you have, then you should read the book.

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YOUR SOUL And YOUR SPIRIT.

BOOK PREVIEW - The terms soul and spirit have been discussed at length throughout philosophy, literature, and religion.

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The Truth in Biblical Symbols.

You can learn answers to life’s greatest questions through FREE informative Bible guides.  CLICK LINK FOR YOUR FREE GUIDES. 


Read Genesis 4:3-7. What do their two different sacrifices symbolize?

The sacrifices symbolize the difference between attempting to work one's way to heaven represented by Cain’s offering and the realization that salvation is by grace alone, made available to us only through the merits of a blood sacrifice which is the symbolism of Abel’s offering.  Abel’s offering pointed toward eventual salvation through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

There was a difference in the offerings they brought: Abel’s was a more excellent sacrifice than Cain’s.  “…the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect…” (Genesis 4:4-5).   

Cain’s offering was only a sacrifice of acknowledgment that God was the creator.  But, Abel brought a sacrifice of atonement, for his sins.  Blood was shed. Abel was admitting to God that he was a sinner and he was looking to God for salvation.

Abel offered in faith, and Cain did not.  Abel, in faith to God’s word, offered with an eye to do God’s will, but Cain did not submit to God’s will.  Abel’s offering was an act of faith in response to the knowledge that they both would have received from God in regards to sacrificial offerings and what God required of them. 

If it was supposed to be an offering of atonement for their sins, which the scripture leads the reader to believe, require the spilling of Blood. Abel was obedient to what God had instructed them to do in order to atone for the original sin of Adam and Eve and Cain was not. This is made evident by God respecting Abel and Abel’s offering and rejecting Cain and his offering.  

The scripture indicates that they knew what they were supposed to offer, instruction they would have received from God.  Abel was obeying God where Cain was continuing to do what his parents originally did.  

The Old Testament, continually points toward the Great Sacrifice that was to come, that of Jesus’ sacrificial giving of His own life on our behalf to absolve us from our sin.  Leviticus 17:11 is the Old Testament’s central statement about the significance of blood in the sacrificial system instituted by God. God, speaking to Moses, declares: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”  (Leviticus 17:11).