October 20, 2010 The First Family 3

Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?"

Good Salvation Wednesday Morning, my dear brothers and sisters... Salvation Wednesday and the day we pray for the lost and pray for God to use we who are "Born Again" to work the fields of harvest to bring in the lost. Remember as we work those fields, WE CANNOT SAVE ANYONE, only Jesus can do that, our job is to spread the good news about Jesus, and bring them to the feet of Jesus and to pray with them and guide them, get them into a good church. And brothers and sisters, I say a good church because there are a lot of bad and not so good churches out there. And it is not just the name of the church or the denomination for example, the Baptist church in most all cases is a good church, and I know of one where the pastor, Pastor Kevin Brown is in love with Jesus and he puts the word out as it should be. But then there is that one that protests at military funerals and that is just wrong. Again there is a big difference.

Also yesterday I said I was going to check on who else beside the Amish might be farming the old ways, and said I was going to ask my dear brother in Christ Oliver Ogden. Well my dear sister Sharon Ogden whose name I should have also put in my message yesterday responded with this answer...

"Of course the Amish do and so do the Old Order Mennonite. They both only have farms of 40 acres or less--because that's all they can handle with the animals. Some Old Order Mennonite are allowed tractors with steel wheels (not rubber tires)--others are not. Every district is different."
Thanks Sharon for your help.

Yesterday I also received this question from a dear sister on the line... "Why was Cain's offering rejected? Wasn't it the first and best, just like Abel's?" While I did receive one answer on this from a person who I saw in person yesterday and mentioned the question, I am not posting her answer today and it is a very very good one. But I would like others to seek this out... I am also going to research it, and maybe some of you pastors could weigh in on it. Yesterday I said we always need to give of our best, but this question and the answer go deeper than that. Please send in your answer! Oh that homework!! And don't tell me your dog ate your computer!!!

The First Family 3: Genesis 4:6 - Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?" 7 "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (NIV)

Let's dig into these scriptures today and see what we can come up with. The very, very first thing that comes out of the scriptures to me is that "The Lord said to Cain." It is not just what He said, this is pointing out to me once again that God talked to that first family. Remember how God walked in the garden of Eden and spoke to Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:9 - God called to the Man, "Where are you?" And again you see it in Genesis 3:11 and 3:13. And I want to point out to you this from Hebrews.

Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (NIV)

So again God talked to Adam, Eve and now we see Him talking to Cain, and let me tell you that He is talking to me this morning already for, and listen to me here, if He did not talk to me, I just could not write these messages and do the other things God wants us to do. Do I always listen to God? Confession time here this morning, No, sad to say, I have not nor do I now always listen. There are times God has had to tell me over and over again to do some things and I have not done them or I put them off. I pray and all of you can pray for me, that I do better at this.

Ok, what else stands out? "Why are you angry?" How often have we gotten angry in our lives? I can't count that high, can you? While I have gotten angry at others, let's face it, I managed buses and when drivers did not do what I wanted them to do, I got angry. If, at my service stations, mechanics did not listen, I got angry. And so it goes, and I will come back to this in a minute... Lets move on...

"Why is your face downcast?" Is not our face downcast if we are angry? Means about the same thing? Then God said this "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? And folks, that is a very important question from God that again is good today. While man might accept us when we do what is wrong, God will not, we must do right to please God. What do I mean man might accept us when we do what is wrong? Well, let's look at a few things. Men go to strip clubs, women take off their clothes and a lot of people accept it. Hooters girls wear not much and people go there to eat. Here is a big one. Over 3500 unborn babies are killed daily and in America we accept it. Not all on these subjects, but some. And while man accepts these and other things, GOD DOES NOT, and man ,and man meaning man and woman, will pay dearly for their actions someday. If they do not change, if they do not come to God, if they do not confess over to Jesus, they will for sure BURN IN HELL. But God has given man a way out, a way to get rid of the sins... That way of course is Jesus!

Then God said. "But if you do NOT do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." You must master that sin, meaning you must get rid of it, you must work around it, get it out of your system. Sin is crouching at our doors, brothers and sisters, again it is the same today as back then. Satan wants us and is just standing at your door, and the one and only way to master the sin is to come to Jesus!! And everyone said Amen this morning... Can you master the sin today, let's go to God now, I have gone on long enough today, let's go to God for His protection. Tomorrow we find out what happens when we do not master the sin, and we find out about some sin in the family... today it would be called a capital crime. Be back tomorrow for the FIRST MURDER!

Dear Father in Heaven, Today, Salvation Wednesday on this line, I want to clean up myself for You and I pray others will also pray this prayer with me... Lord Jesus, You died for me and right now I need cleaned of sins and I need the blood you shed on the cross to wash me clean, and then I need your help to repent of my sinful ways. Clean me, Lord, and help me learn not to sin again, and to get Your word out to others. Help all of us work for You and bring in the lost sheep... In the name of Jesus I pray... Amen.

Tomorrow more on that first family... For now, get to work for Jesus, time is running out. And please share those blessings. Love ya, Pastor Dan.