New Community Church

July 03/09 Friday, Genesis 8: 1-22, God Remembered.

After many days God remembered Noah, his family and the animals and the waters receded. God renewed the command to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. God had remembered Noah and Noah worshiped God as the first act of obedience to God. He built an alter to God and took some of the clean animals (he had take seven pairs) and sacrificed some of them to God. God smelled the pleasing aroma (the aroma of righteousness in contrast to the stench of wickedness.). And God said in his heart never again; not the ground nor living things as I have done. We can count on seed time and harvest, summer and winter, day and night. It is part of the God’s covenant that comes up in the next chapter.

Father, thank you for your promises and for your grace. We are not worthy.

© 2009 Pastor Case, New Community Church, Newaygo

July/02 Thursday: Genesis 7: 1-24, The purpose of the Ark

The Ark must have caused a stir among Noah’s neighbors; it wasn’t like Noah was building it near a large body of water. Not only was Noah building but he called people to repentance. The neighbors must have had a good laugh over that zealot Noah and his family members. It did not deter Noah because this was a major undertaking and more than likely needed about 120 years to build it. When Noah and his family had finished building and gathered all the food needed God told him to move into the Ark and God caused the animals to come two by two. When it was accomplished God himself shut the door and locked them in. For a brief moment of history there was no strife in the world and the Ark becomes a metaphor for the New Heaven and the New Earth because all life on the Old was destroyed. The waters came and increased to the point that “all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.” It is more than we are able to grasp but we read and accept the text by faith as the Word of God. However, there are 800 different indicators that this was a universal flood and most if not all cultures have a flood story.

Jesus, You are the door, there is no other way to God and only God opens and closes.

© 2009 Pastor Case, New Community Church, Newaygo

July/01 Wednesday: Genesis 6:1-22, “Every inclination to evil”

That is what man is capable of given the opportunity, without restraint, man does what is right in his own eyes and is inclined to all sorts of evil. So it was in the days of Noah and so it is today with those who do not follow Jesus. In those days righteous men intermarried with those who did not regard God; over time God was not followed any longer and there was great wickedness everywhere. God was grieved to the point of determining to destroy all life, “but Noah found favor in the eyes of God.” Noah and his family worshiped God and walked with God in righteousness, a stark contrast to the people around him.
God determined to destroy the wicked but was also determined to save the righteous. He commissioned Noah to build a boat (an ark) a rather large boat to hold him and two of every kind of animal and food for them all. The passage is straight forward and easy to understand but the implications of a universal flood that leaves only eight people alive along with one male and female of each species of animal is more we can grasp and must be believed by faith. Only God could and would do it to preserve his holiness and glory.

Father God, give us faith to see and hearts to believe Jesus our Savior by obeying and following as Noah.

© 2009 Pastor Case, New Community Church, Newaygo

June 30/09 Tues.: Romans 8:18-39, Glorious Freedom

Freedom, who really knows what that means? Americans know a sliver of it. Freedom is being free from what seems natural, guilt, bad decisions, from illness, from brokenness, from natural disasters, from natural death and spiritual death. Nature is groaning to be free along with our spiritual freedom. We mean a recreation which includes our physical bodies and comes to completion in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Spiritually recreated when we accept Christ we wait in hope and patience for its completion. The passage here speaks of the interim; the Spirit’s intersession, God working for good in all things for us, and called for God’s purpose. Predestined to be like Christ! Therefore nothing will be able to separate us from Christ. Nothing on this earth, nothing in hell and nothing in heaven, nothing in all creation will “separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Praise God!

Holy Spirit, intercede for us that our freedom is the Fathers’ purpose

© 2009 Pastor Case, New Community Church, Newaygo

June 29/09 Mon.: Romans 1:1-17, Called to belong to Jesus.

The book is introduced with a summary of salvation in Christ by faith. The Gentile Christians and the Jewish Christians are to be reconciled by Jesus and that righteousness comes from God through Christ Jesus and taken hold of by faith. Put yourself in Rome’s place! A gospel promised through the prophets of old, Son of man in his human nature, born as a descendant of David and in his divine nature the holiness of God by the Spirit and by his resurrection; declared the Son of God. The “God Man” is beyond our kin but we ascertain him and God’s salvation by faith. By the grace of God all believers from every race and creed along with us are called to belong to Christ Jesus. Paul wishes to impart to them a spiritual gift; “to make you strong - that is that you may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith”. I am obligated to preach (a watchman) for “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”. “The righteous will live by faith (Hab. 2:4).”

Father, continue to speak to us the mystery / glory of your salvation.

© 2009 Pastor Case, New Community Church, Newaygo