Bible Study for the Biblically Challenged Anyone?

I'm actually going to be heading off to PA for a couple of days to visit my brother but will take my bible with me and do a little reading and see it I can follow this a little better.  What sounds confusing is when you all place Iraq and Iran as places of some of these happenings.  Makes it kind of odd of they are the chosen holy places yet muslim and other religions are the major religions of the area then why are we practicing a different religion?

Adam and Eve did not have any genetic defects, so that enabled them and the first few generations of their descendants to have a far greater quality of health than we do now. Adam and Eve's children had few, if any, genetic defects.

This is also the explanation as to why they lived such long lives.  To me, it was explained that before Adam's fall, they were perfect, like fans plugged into the wall, they would have kept on going and going ... God told Adam if he ate from that tree, he would die in that day.  Death was a punishment not something that was going to happen inevitably. When he sinned, he unplugged himself from his life-source.  Like a fan at high speed, suddenly unpluggled, the blades slow to a stop, it took just under a day (1000 years) for his life to stop.

Because they were genetically perfect but with death now in the code, their offspring would still live long long lives and intermarriage was ok since like Moody said, their genetic code was not polluted with disease yet still had the amazing capabilities to produce offspring of all races.

Moody, regarding the command to leave Ur ... it was a command to leave the family that would not travel with him, a command to leave a pagan city, a command to leave the weath and false security/protection the city offered.  In addition, not all of Abraham's family worshipped the true God. Laws regarding marriage had not been given to the nations, which Abraham was considered: a man of the nations.  It was not until he called out a special people out of the nations, for a special purpose, did he give the Law covenant which contained laws regarding marriage and inter-marriage.  God is specific in his requirements, he doesn't hide truth and he will lead people to the truth if they want it.

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Correction, I should say a man from the nations ... he was not like them, or "of" them which is why God could see that Abram would listen and eventually came to be called a friend of God.

Moody and rock you too are on a rool.  I got so sidetracked and exhauseted with family that reading those frew chapters and catching up here is on my agenda tomorrow.  I tell you what I was never one to be real excited about religion or the bible but find myself attracted to this thread and it is drawing me in to read further and deeper.  Really understanding what I am reading and not just glancing at thd words saying i read it.  Thanks for starting this, just remember us slow peple need the time to keep the pace with out cancer ives  LOL

Thanks for slowing down. Takes me time to read and digest--between failing eyesight and concentration/retention issues.

Do you think Abram told Sarah about his message from God?

Would we be obedient to God, pick up our family, and move as Abram did?

What do you think was going through her mind when she had to leave Abram and go to Pharoah?

1.  Do I think he told her?  Yes... and I am sure that she was quite puzzled that their names would be changed as to their new purpose .. "Father of a multitude?" and yet they were childless? She would no longer be Sarai, "my princess"  ... but Sara "princess" ...  We have seen that Sarah was not afraid of her husband, she was submissive but didn't cower in front of him, she was not a mouse.  I think her ability to be this way made her a confidant of Abram, he could tell her anything, she was also his "friend" 

2. Would we be obediant? I think we have all shown that we would do it and other times we wouldn't ... We see the results when we don't follow the lead of holy spirit. We see what happens when we do listen to God's word.  When you read the passage, though, an interesting thing takes place:  Terah goes with Abram and his family.  Terah was not a worshipper of the true God!!!  He worshipped false gods. Yet, he went along, he, too, was submissive to God's Will and supported the efforts of God's true worshippers. It would not have been easy for Terah to leave the city of Ur and dwell in tents, packing up all the time.  Living with the animals.  Before, they lived in the city, the animals had their place.  What do you pack up after a lifetime in a city??

And today?  How many times have we seen a wife or husband who is not a christian, yet is there at a gathering serving food or allowing his wife to donate sizeable funds? How many times do you see an unbelieving mate drive the family to church? Sitting there in church yet not having the faith? I have seen women with unbelieving mates yet you'd never know it!!  This one little old man attends every single Sunday, more than a lot of baptized people!  Sometimes, non-believers are more faithful in deed than the faithful!!!  

I don't know if Terah ever "converted" but alot of unbelievers eventually come around due to the good conduct of their mates or others. I have seen men late in years get baptized with their wives crying, tales of their husbands who belittled their faith now gone to rest because their husbands now believe.  These mates were eventually won over by kindness and love shown by not just their mates and family but by the whole congregation.  So, just because someone has an unbelieving mate, remember to be kind .. talk about baseball, talk about the weather ... say hello.  No need to pressure: make them feel good they came today.

3. What was in her mind?  LOL ...  Probably not being too submissive with her thoughts!!  "That fool Abraham sending me here!!!"  Maybe even a little bit of, "Well at least I get to sleep on a real bed with real walls this week!"  

How sad to hear about the youth minister,  so hard to know what is the right thing to do some times. I hold in my prayers the family of the minister as well as all those who struggle with knowing what to do---protecting self vs helping others.  What  a  sad choice to make.