Genesis 8:1 – But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.
Noah and his family were tossed to and fro by the flood waters for 150 days. Think about that. That’s 5 months. Five months with all those smelly animals, family members in close quarters – daughters-in-law and mother-in-law together. How about the seasickness? I’m sure there were times when Noah wanted to jump ship!
But, then we read these words, “But God remembered Noah…” Have you ever felt like God forgot you? Have you ever prayed, “God, don’t forget about me, please. I’m here doing what you asked me to do. Please, don’t forget about me.” Have you ever felt like God forgot you were standing in line waiting? Have you ever stood in line, got to the counter, and the person that was supposed to help you walked off and left you waiting? How many like to be there? You have things to do, places to go, people to meet, and now you’re frustrated because somebody forgot about you.
Sometimes the writers of the Bible use human language to make God more personal, to help us get our little minds around the situation. So, they use human words, like the word remembered. But, God never forgot. He was simply waiting.
Maybe you feel like you’ve been forgotten. It seems like when the blessings get handed out, you get passed over. You’re ship has not come in yet, and you’re wondering if there’s a ship coming. Know that God has not forgotten you, or your situation. In time He’ll come.
In the Bible when we find these words, “God remembered…” it is always accompanied with action. Here are a few examples.
Genesis 19:29 – So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.
Genesis 30:22 – Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.
Exodus 2:24 – And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Hold on. Don’t give up on your marriage. Don’t give up on your dream. Don’t give up on your children. Don’t throw in the towel in a moment of panic. Hold on no matter how stinky the situation gets! God will act in his time when you’re right and the time is right.
When you pick up an angel from the tree you agree to purchase a gift in the name of the parent that is in prison. The imprisoned parent has actually chosen an appropriate gift for their child. That information has been given to us. We then purchase the gift and deliver it to the child for the parent. Pick up your angel today! Don’t loose it! Make sure and stick the angel on to your wrapped gift and bring it to church by Sunday, December 21st. 
The Dangers of Porn
The lure for many is too great. Pornography is like a drug. It releases chemicals in our brain that produce a rush of adrenaline, a kind of high. It creates a temporary release. It’s a distraction from the pressure of the real world. It creates a moment of fantasy.
Like a drug, after we view it once we want it again. Over time our senses become callused and we need more of it to get the same stimulation. Harder and harder kinds of porn are eventually needed to produce the same rush. Over time our minds become completely warped. At best pornography will cause sexual frustration, perversion, and anger that will damage and destroy a healthy marriage. At worst it will lead to violence, rape, child molestation, and even murder.
Check out some of these stats (http://www.safefamilies.org/sfStats.php)
As of 2003, there were 1.3 million pornographic websites; 260 million pages (N2H2, 2003).
The total porn industry revenue for 2006: $13.3 billion in the United States; $97 billion worldwide (Internet Filter Review).
U.S. adult DVD/video rentals in 2005: almost 1 billion (Adult Video News).
Hotel viewership for adult films: 55% (cbsnews.com).
Unique worldwide users visiting adult web sites monthly: 72 million (Internet Filter Review).
Number of hardcore pornography titles released in 2005 (U.S.): 13,588 (Internet Filter Review).
Adults admitting to Internet sexual addiction: 10%; 28% of those are women (internet-filter-review.com).
More than 70% of men from 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month (comScore Media Metrix).
More than 20,000 images of child pornography posted online every week (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 10/8/03).
Approximately 20% of all Internet pornography involves children (National Center for Mission & Exploited Children).
“At a 2003 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, two thirds of the 350 divorce lawyers who attended said the Internet played a significant role in the divorces in the past year, with excessive interest in online porn contributing to more than half such cases. Pornography had an almost non-existent role in divorce just seven or eight years ago.” (Divorcewizards.com)
What are we to do? In Matthew 5:29-30 Jesus said, So if your eye – even if it is your good eye – causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your boy than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand – even if it is your stronger hand – causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Don’t go gouge out your eye, please! But do take some drastic measures. Confess your sin to a trusting, godly, prayerful friend. Repent of your sins and renew your commitment to Jesus Christ. Take your computer out of your basement and put it in the kitchen where the whole family can see what you’re doing. Better yet, consider unplugging the computer all together. Pray and ask God to renew your mind. Begin to meditate upon God’s Word.