Was Abraham a Hebrew???

I was thinking about Abraham and how God called him, a Gentile, out and set him apart. God made some promises to him and he believed God. As a result, he became circumcised to show that he was set apart unto God. The Hebrew race was began by a man who was himself a Gentile!

Romans 4:9-12
⁹Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

¹⁰How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

¹²And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

This was alluded to in Acts Chapter 7:1-8 when Stephen told them where the twelve tribes of Israel began.....a gentile. This caused the Sanhedrin court to become white with rage toward him and, along with the things Stephen said about the other patriarchs, caused him to ultimately be killed.

^{Acts 7:1}Then said the high priest, Are these things so?

²And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

³And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

⁴Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

⁵And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

⁶And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

⁷And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.

⁸And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.

I find it fascinating that God's plan for salvation included a Gentile from the beginning. This brings to mind the verses in John.

John 3: ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

How exciting it is to realize that God thought of us from the beginning! He had a plan for the salvation of the entire human race. Because a Gentile was grafted in at the beginning, salvation was ultimately brought back to the Gentiles. How awesome is that?

The question is............will you be a believer like Abraham and take God at His Word??

This is what us Southerners would say is "an oldie but a goodie".... Thank God he grafted me into his family!!

My life is full these days. Between work and college, I have the equivalent of two full-time jobs...not counting my duties as a wife and mother. This week, in particular, I have found that there is some distance between me and my heavenly Father. Partly, it is because time changed and my kids are waking up before the time when I usually have my quiet time with the Lord. I also started a temporary job that I really don't like that much. I've found myself being grouchy with my husband and my kids.

This morning, I awoke with a whisper in my heart and the word........remember. Shortly after that, the song "Roll Back the Curtain of Memory" started rolling through my mind. I opened up my Bible and turned to one of my favorite passages Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Life is a temporary arrangement. The people who are nearest to me are borrowed. My family here on earth is not an accident. God knew who I needed in my life and who I would need to be responsible for. Our lives here a full of troubles and trials. However, when I get to heaven, my family will be free from strife and overloaded schedules.

Greater than that is the knowledge that a perfect man with a perfect plan laid down his life for mine. Because he took my life to the cross, I now live through him. I can call God "Abba, Father" because Jesus Christ adopted me into the family. What a thrill!

The words of this song are so timely. "Remind me where you brought me from and where I could have been"........... Thank you God for the reminder of where my priorities lie.

Birds have Nests, Foxes have holes......

My friend and I were laughing recently. Apparently, our pastor was eating dinner with her and her family when he said, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."(Matthew 8:20) She said, "Wow, you're a poet". When he told her it was from the Bible, she was embarrassed and they all had a good laugh. It did get me thinking though.

Here I am, a wretched, hateful, unloving person, whom God had mercy on. In the last year, I very well could have been homeless if not for my parents. Now, I have a home, albeit not a nice one, a family, food to eat, shoes to wear, clothes on my back, and a job to help provide. I am very thankful for the comforts God has allowed me to have. In addition, I have a husband who is becoming more like Christ every day, children, extended family, and the best friends in the world.........and I don't deserve any of it.

Contrast that with Jesus Christ. What man was more deserving of glory? What man was more worthy of the riches of this earth? What man would have been a better husband, father, friend? And yet, during his time here on earth, he was denied every comfort. He literally did not even have a home. He WAS the homeless man on the street. He did not know where his next meal was coming from. Is it any wonder that he commands us to care for those who are in worse shape than us?

When he returns, it will be with all the splendor and glory that he deserves. What a Savior! Listen to this song. It pretty much describes how I feel about Jesus. If you don't know him, don't let the day end without surrendering your heart and life and laying them at his feet.