Genesis 12:1 Matthew 10:37 Discipleship 101

Get thee out of thy country...And from thy kindred...And from thy father's house...Unto a land that I will show thee. Genesis 12:1

These words were spoken not only to Abram, but to every soul who ever comes to Christ.

When we come to Christ, we become sons of God, citizens of Heaven. Our first allegiance is to Him. Genesis 12:1 is very clear that there is no place for national pride in the heart of a follower of Christ. No, nor family pride either.

We should be looking for the land that he will show us. But the simple truth is this. God cannot bring us into His land--The Promised Land--unless we are first willing to renounce both national and familial pride and allegiance.

Jesus backs this up when he tells us that, "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. He that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37)."

It doesn't get any clearer than that.

Genesis 6:9: The Man with the Perfect Pedigree

 Genesis 6:9 tells us Noah was a just man who walked with God and who was perfect in his generations.

What in the world does that mean, "Perfect in his generations?" Does it mean that socially, Noah's family was fit for polite society? That Noah had a good pedigree?

Yes and No. Polite society had nothing to do with the fact that Noah had a good social pedigree--which he did. The answer to this question can be found in Genesis chapter 6 verses 2 and 4, where we are told that the sons of God took the daughters of men as wives and had children by them.

Noah was perfect in his generations because none of his ancestors nor his three sons had any traffic with "The Sons of God." No intermarriages between the sons of God and the daughters of men [producing off-spring called nephilim] had taken place within his family tree.


It is commonly suggested that the "Sons of God" were descendants of Seth (as Noah was), and that the "Daughters of Men" were the descendants of Cain. There is no scriptural basis, however, for this line of reasoning.

Scripturally, we find that Adam was a son of God (Matthew 3:38). We find that angels, both fallen angels and holy angels, are called sons of God (Job 1:6). But from the fall of man until the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we do not find another human besides Adam ever referred to as a "Son of God."

When Adam fell, he forfeited the right for his descendants to be called "Sons of God." That right was not restored until Jesus came and paid the penalty for Adam's sin. We read about this in John 1:12 where it says, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God..."

After Adam sinned, not a single human had any power to be called a "son of God"--not even Noah, who was perfect in his generations and walked with God.

So who were these sons of God who took the daughters of men as wives and had children by them?

They were angels who defected from God. The very same ones who are presently imprisoned in Tartaras for leaving their first estate (1 Peter 3:19-20, Jude 6). These angels married the daughters of men and bore children who were quite magnificent. Magnificent...giant... bullies, according to the Word of God (check out the Hebrew).

Noah's family tree was not tainted by this unholy union between the daughters of Audawm (Adam) and the Ben Elohiym (sons of God) .

This was very important, because if it had been, then the prophecies concerning the Messiah would have become null and void. But God's Word always comes to pass, and God rescued Noah and his family. And Jesus, the Messiah, was born of their perfect lineage.

Because of that, those of us who call on his name to be saved are given power to become Sons of God...

Is there really any power we'd rather have?

Psalm 30:5 Weeping May Endure for a Night

 Psalm 30:5 includes the phrase, "weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning." This phrase is most often connected to weeping through hard times with the hope that they will not last--a "this too shall pass" sort of thing. There is no scriptural problem with that interpretation, and it is generally true that this too shall pass...

What is not generally realized, is that this phrase, taken in context, is referring to a specific event revealed in Bible Prophecy as a horrific event that will cause much weeping--an event that will pass. After that, the weeping will be replaced with joy.

The entire verse says this: For his anger endures but a moment In His favor is life Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning

Psalm 30:5 begins by referring to the anger of the Lord and how it lasts but a moment (a very brief-limited period of time). The weeping, in this verse, is a direct reference to his anger, and for the length of time that the anger and the weeping is given. It will be for a night.

How does one get Bible prophecy from this verse? By comparing it with other verses that are directly connected with this one. Below are only two examples, but there are many more.

Isaiah 26:20-21 reveals that a time is coming when the Lord will come "out of his place" to punish the inhabitants of the earth. Isaiah reveals that his indignation (anger/wrath) will last only for a "moment." (same Hebrew word used in Psalm 30:5. Your Bible doesn't say "moment?" A little "while" and a moment are not the same thing, and the evidence weighs heavily in favor of the manuscripts the King James Bible was translated from).

John 9:4 Jesus makes the statement: I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day for the "night" comes when no one can work.

In each of the above verses, both Jesus and Isaiah are referring to a specific period of wrath that is coming on the inhabitants of the earth. Joel referred to this time as a dark and a cloudy day (Joel 2). Jeremiah calls it "The Time of Jacob's Trouble." Jesus also called it a time of "Great Tribulation."

Thank God this terrible time has not arrived yet. In the meantime, we must be about our Father's business in sharing the good news of Jesus, the only Christ--God's Christ--who came and, through the blood of his cross, made peace with God for us.

Right now, we live in the time of favor (1 Corinthians 6:2). We can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved (Romans 10:9-10,13). But during the time of indignation, only those who "endure to the end" will be saved (Matthew 24:13)...

Author and speaker, Jocelyn Andersen, is an eclectic Christian writer. She is a Bible teacher who writes about many subjects including Bible prophecy and equality of the sexes. She is best known for her advocacy in domestic violence awareness. Her book, Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence, has been a staple in the library of resources on that subject.  

To receive Jocelyn's newsletters, subscribe HERE.

To receive an announcement from Amazon whenever a new book is released by Jocelyn Andersen, subscribe to Her Amazon author's page.

To Contact Jocelyn: Use the contact form in the sidebar of her blog at www.jocelynandersen.com to leave comments on her books, to reach her with questions, or to request for her to come and speak at your group.