Tag: Bible

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 28TH 2026, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Volume 9, Number 18, Edition 418
“Cain & Abel – Part 6”

I’m up to the penultimate edition of the update of one of my old sermons on Cain & Abel that I preached to my church family in Homestead Florida in 2018. Let’s go:

As the story goes – Cain wandered eastward from Eden. He eventually settled – he dwelt – in the land of Nod. (“Nod” in Hebrew means wanderer, exile, or fugitive.) Cain decided that he would wander no more. He found a woman. He got married. She became pregnant. She gave birth to their firstborn. They named him Enoch. Enoch means to initiate, to create, to dedicate. Cain created a city. He named that city Enoch. It was the first city in the creation.

Now about that city – named and dedicated to his firstborn Enoch. Cain founded the city to protect him. He was in fear of his life. It was a city founded in fear of death. It was the anti-Eden. Sin ran rampant. You could’ve called it “Sin City”. Sin separates man from God.

It was the first manmade civilization. It was outside of the presence of the LORD – by design. So Cain was away from God for the rest of his life – by choice. The city and all of its residents – were just like Cain. All of his descendants – were just like Cain. They didn’t know the LORD. Cain had built his own kingdom. A lot of good things were initiated and created in that kingdom, but sin surrounded it all. Sounds like every modern city today.

God gave Adam & Eve grace. God gave Cain & Abel grace. God has given each and every one of us His gift of grace. It’s the greatest gift that He has given us. And nobody has been excluded from God’s grace. Nobody. It’s the same grace then. It’s the same grace now. Grace for our sinful past. Grace for the here and now. Grace for what lies ahead of us – out there – on our respective journeys.

You know some of us are still waiting – waiting patiently – or otherwise – for a gift from God to come down and enter our heart and soul, but God wants you to know that you already have the greatest gift of them all – His gift of grace. Don’t miss His gift of grace because you’re so focused on some other gift that you want from God. Maybe some other gift that someone else has that you don’t have.

BOILERPLATE

#SundayScripture is published online every Sunday at 0300 U.S. East Coast time. It was created in its current form in February 2018. I share my testimony here each week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord – and get closer to Him with each new day. If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned, for the best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and I pray that the LORD will bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you, and may He be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you, and may He give you peace. I pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN and AMEN.

Tags Bible, Blog, Christ, Christian, Church, God, Jesus, Message, Minister, Ministry, Pastor, Preacher, Reverend, Scripture, Sermon, Sunday

Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 21ST 2026, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Volume 9, Number 17, Edition 417
“Cain & Abel – Part 5”

I’m continuing my update of one of my old sermons on Cain & Abel that I preached to my church family in Homestead Florida in 2018. Here’s the next portion of that sermon – updated 8 years later:

So upon hearing his punishment for murder from God – Cain told Him that it’s too harsh. “You’re being too cruel, LORD.” See Cain believes that his chances of survival – out there – in the foreign lands – wandering about – with no home – with no work – are slim to none. He said to the LORD, “Anyone who finds me will kill me !”

You know I originally thought that during the time of Adam & Eve – and their first two born – Cain & Abel – that they were the only 4 humans in the creation at the time. But the fact that Cain is worried that he’s a goner out there in the unknown lands once it’s found out that he murdered his brother – means that there must be other people in the world at the time.

That’s just me thinking this out – speculating – if you will. The Bible isn’t clear as to the population of the world during the time of Adam & Eve and Cain & Abel. But I’m thinking – it was probably more than 4. (Adam & Eve had other sons and daughters.)

In my 20TH year on this journey – I’m still learning with each new day in His Word. That’s what it’s all about. Gotta keep studying. Gotta keep learning. Gotta keep moving forward. Gotta keep getting closer to God.

“Anyone who finds me will kill me !” See Cain was being very realistic there – a murder for a murder. Cain was scared for his life. Cain also hinted – for maybe the first time – that he needed God in that moment. He pled for mercy.

And so this harsh, judgmental, and cruel Old Testament God surprised Cain. He marked Cain. He vowed to protect Cain. Anyone who kills Cain will be avenged sevenfold. Maybe it was a physical mark on Cain for all to see as a warning. Don’t mess with Cain – or you will experience the wrath of God.

See God was protecting Cain. He was giving Cain traveling mercies. His punishment was exactly what Cain needed. Cain needed to go out there, and lose his pride, and explore the unknown – new lands, new opportunities, new people. Cain needed to discover and use the gifts that God gave him to do something else – other than working the fields. He lost that opportunity. God took away that livelihood.

God had other plans for Cain. God wanted Cain to produce great fruits. God wanted Cain to realize that He had blessed him with a second chance at life. God wanted Cain to realize his deadly sins of the past, and repent, and turn from them. God wanted Cain to rely on Him for guidance and direction in a new life. Sounds like salvation to me. Sounds like – the first salvation in the Creation. But wait – not so fast.

Our God is a generous God. He was generous to Cain. He showed grace and mercy towards Cain. Cain didn’t deserve to live. But our God is a loving God. He loved Cain so much that he wanted him to see his full potential in a new land. God wanted the same for each of us while we were slaves to the world – before we knew Him.

See the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament. And He’s the same God today. He’s loving. He’s forgiving. He’s compassionate.

BOILERPLATE

Tags Bible, Blog, Christ, Christian, Church, God, Jesus, Message, Minister, Ministry, Pastor, Preacher, Reverend, Scripture, Sermon, Sunday

Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 14TH 2026, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Volume 9, Number 16, Edition 416
“Cain & Abel – Part 4”

Cain got very angry at God. Adam & Eve never got angry, and they corrupted the whole world forever by bringing forth sin into the Creation. So with that sin in existence Cain showed great pride (sin), and then he got very angry (more sin). It was literally the first temper-tantrum in the Creation. Doesn’t Cain sound like a modern-day sassy and rebellious backtalking teenager ? Yep. Cain was the first of them.

God saw how Cain was acting the way he was, so he sat Cain down, and He gave him some useful advice – that went in one ear and out the other.

God told Cain, “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right – then watch out ! Sin is crouching at the door – eager to control you. (It’s waiting to attack and destroy you.) But you must subdue it, and be its master.” (Genesis 4:7)

Cain didn’t listen to God. Satan tempted Cain. He convinced Cain that maybe – just maybe – he misunderstood what God had commanded. (Sound familiar ?) God said that Cain should do what is right. God said that sin is here, and it will control you – if you don’t subdue it and be its master. He said that to keep Cain from sinning. But Cain was manipulated by Satan – just like his parents in the Garden.

The rage within intensified. It soon controlled and consumed Cain.

Remember my sermon last month (September 2018) on being “Humble & Gentle” ? James warned that if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart – then that is not God’s wisdom at work. That kind of wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, demonic, and even devilish. That kind of wisdom leads to disorder and evil of every kind.

Cain had that kind of demonic devilish wisdom:

One day Cain suggested to his brother – “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field – Cain attacked his brother – Abel – and killed him (with a large stone to the head). (Genesis 4:8)

It was the first act of violence – the first murder scene – in the Creation. Very soon after – the LORD asked Cain where his brother was (even though God already knew what happened). God knows everything. Can’t hide anything from the LORD. Cain responded sarcastically – just like a defiant teenager. He essentially said, “I don’t know where he is. What am I – in charge of my brother now ? !”

The LORD responded, “What have you done ? Listen ! Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground !” Now you are cursed and banished from the ground – which has swallowed your brother’s blood. No longer will the ground yield good crops for you – no matter how hard you work ! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.” (Genesis 4:10-12)

History repeats itself. Adam & Eve and mankind were banished from the Garden Of Eden forever. Yep. Cain is just like his mom. He is the firstborn.

See we’re in the Old Testament here, so God is harsh, and judgmental, and cruel. That’s different from the God of the New Testament – who is loving, and forgiving, and compassionate. (At least that’s what a lot of people think today. Me – not so much.) Stay tuned. It’s about to get good.

BOILERPLATE

#SundayScripture is published online every Sunday at 3 AM U.S. East Coast time. It was created in its current form in February 2018. I share my testimony here each week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord – and get closer to Him with each new day. If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned, for the best is yet to come !

Tags Bible, Blog, Christ, Christian, Church, God, Jesus, Message, Minister, Ministry, Pastor, Preacher, Reverend, Scripture, Sermon, Sunday

Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 07TH 2026, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Volume 9, Number 15, Edition 415
“Cain & Abel – Part 3”

2 weeks ago I began updating one of my old sermons on Cain & Abel that I preached to my church family in Homestead Florida in 2018. Here’s the next portion of that sermon – updated 8 years later:

Soon after – Cain’s younger brother – Abel – also brought forth a sacrifice. It’s not known whether or not Abel knew that Cain had already brought forth his sacrifice. He may have known. They worked very near each other in Eden. I’m thinking that Abel did not know, and that he was merely doing what he thought was the right thing to do. And I’m thinking that neither Cain nor Abel really knew what exactly the other would bring forth to God until they actually saw it for themselves.

As the second-born I think that Abel was more independent than his older brother Cain. I think that Abel thought of himself as an afterthought. I mean “Abel” in Hebrew means vain, empty, nothingness. Adam & Eve thought for a long time what to name their firstborn. He will produce things. He will be a go-getter. He will bring forth great goods. He will be named – Cain. They didn’t really think that much at all about what to name their second born. It was really random. Abel may have seen Cain get all of the attention growing up – since he was the firstborn. But it didn’t seem to phase Abel. Abel just did his own thing. He was the independent thinker. He was the quiet one. He was the shy guy.

Abel didn’t seem to have a relationship with his mom. I think that Cain did. I think that Cain wanted to impress his mom more so than God. I think that Abel had a closer relationship to God. I think he knew what would impress God. So Abel brought forth the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. So Abel – the second-born – brought forth the best portions of the firstborn. Abel got it right. The LORD was impressed with Abel. He had respect unto Abel and to his offering.

Abel was “Humble & Gentle” – just as he was when he presented God with his first blood offering. Cain ? Not so much. Cain was “Kicking & Screaming”.

(“Humble & Gentle” and “Kicking & Screaming” were the titles of two previous sermons that I had preached back then. I sometimes did callbacks – or references – of previous sermons that I preached.)

Cain was shocked – completely stunned – that God appreciated Abel’s sacrifice over his own. How dare his younger brother steal his thunder ! Abel didn’t do it intentionally. Abel didn’t say, “I am going to bring God something so much better than what Cain will bring God.” He didn’t say that. He didn’t think that. Abel merely did what came natural to him – without even thinking about it too much. Cain probably thought a lot about what he was going to bring God, and he wanted to do it first. He wanted to “one-up” his brother. That’s what someone full of pride does. Cain figured that since he’s the first – by default – he’s the best – and everything he brings is the best.

Cain was dejected. He felt rejected. (Now God didn’t necessarily reject Cain’s sacrifice. God just didn’t accept it at the time.) See God never rejects us, but everything must be done in His time. God was essentially giving Cain a “do-over”, but Cain didn’t quite get it. He was too stubborn. He was too full of pride.

BOILERPLATE