Month: October 2016

Walk in my ways!

“Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!”

“if they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!”

Joe 1:14
Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.
Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

Nehemiah 9:2-3
And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

Ezekiel 18:31-32
Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!

Deuteronomy 5:29
Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!

Luke 19:41
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes

Deuteronomy 32:29
if they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!

Psalms 81:13
Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!
 
Isaiah 48:18
Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;

Ezekiel 33:11
Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

Once again I have referred to a part of the sermon from Jonathan Edwards written in 1741:  “the sun does not willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth does not willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air does not willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God’s enemies. God’s creatures are good, and were made for men to serve God with, and do not willingly subserve to any other purpose, and groan when they are abused to purposes so directly contrary to their nature and end. And the world would spew you out, were it not for the sovereign hand of him who hath subjected it in hope

The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose. It is true, that judgment against your evil works has not been executed hitherto; the floods of God’s vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are constantly rising, and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, that holds the waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward. If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.”

Tell them

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

Joe 1:3
Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.

Deuteronomy 6:7
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Exodus 13:14
And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

Psalms 44:1
O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old

Psalms 71:18
So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Isaiah 38:19
The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.

Psalms 145:4
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts

Psalms 78:3
things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

I don’t know why but the Lord has continued to lay on my heart the need for His word.  He has shown verses of what happens when it is neglected, and as well what happens when it is forsaken.  Do you wonder why He says to teach your children and to their children?  In Judges more than once the results were a total generation that did not know God.  How close are we to seeing this happen in our own families.  He tells us to write them on our door posts, meditate on them day and night, and to teach our children in from morning to night.  Is it possible to teach something we spend little or no time in.  Do we think one morning a week at Sunday school does the deed and we will not be held accountable for neglecting His instruction?  If we don’t spend time in His word how do we hear His voice speaking to our heart?  If we don’t spend time in His word how do we expect to be able to teach our children?  If we don’t spend time in His word how will we be able to make disciples?  We will be held accountable for what we allow to occupy our time away from Him.  Choose to know and understand Him deeper and learn to hear His voice and talk to your children about all you learn .

Pleading to listen

“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.”

“Give ear, O house of the king! For the judgment is for you;”

Joe 1:2
Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers?

Hosea 5:1
Hear this, O priests! Pay attention, O house of Israel! Give ear, O house of the king! For the judgment is for you;

Psa 49:1
Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

Jeremiah 5:21
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

Amos 3:1
Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:

Micah 3:1
Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

Matthew 13:9
“He who has ears, let him hear.”

Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

I wonder how many times we have to be told to listen to what the Lord is saying to us.  God wants to give us peace, rest, hope, love, guidance, and assurance yet we choose to keep Him at arms length until something comes into our lives that upsets it.  Can you imagine looking at this from outside and seeing the Creator of all there is reaching out to His creation and telling them how much He loves them and what He expects from them, and how these people reject His love and guidance – what would you think of people who have rejected and neglected their creator?  Do we think for a minute we will not be held accountable for the rejection and neglect?  Every day we have a choice to learn more of Him or to neglect Him.  We come up with multiple reasons and excuses of why we don’t have time.  The bar of what it means to humbly serve, honor and glorify God in our lives needs to be raised higher.

Discern, Know, Understand

“Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them;” 

Hos 14:9  Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

Psalms 107:43  Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

Proverbs 1:5-6   Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Proverbs 4:18  But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

John 18:37   Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

John 8:47   Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
Job 34:10-12 “Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.  For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him.

Hosea has been a very good book to study.  I am amazed at how many times knowing and understanding God was mentioned.  The moral condition of the people was corrupt and God was ignored. Even with all of these warnings many did not return to God.  What does it take to get us to return to God?  Do we not take them serious?  Do we expect our lives to be any different than those  before us who chose to ignore God?  Do we expect understanding and knowledge of Him and His purpose in our lives if we neglect His word?  We are encouraged to draw onto Him so that our eyes, hears, and mind are opened to His holiness, love, mercy, grace,  atonement, righteousness, gentleness, wrath and judgement.  Ignorance and neglect have a price on our soul.  Do not neglect Him in your life.  Choose to commit each day to Him and study His word to become a workman who is not ashamed of the life led this side of eternity.

Teach Me

” teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

“we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands”

 

Hos 14:2  Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.
Hos 14:3  Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”

Job 34:32  teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

Joel 2:17  Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, “Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Luke 18:13   But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

Hos 14:4  I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
Psalms 51:2-10  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
3  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Being a humble servant does not mean we have reached our goal of serving God.  Note the responses of people in scripture who sought to live in a way that honored and glorified God.  “I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” Against you, you only, have I sinned”, “God be merciful to me a sinner”, “Teach me what I do not see, if I have done iniquity I will do it no more”, “Cleanse me from my sin”. “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” – These are all said in light of knowing God and His holiness and promises.  How do we know if we sin against God?  Does it depend on how we feel? Does it depend on what the culture around us deems right and wrong? Spend time in His word seeking it to be a light onto your soul for the purpose of honoring and glorifying God.  His word is able to shine bright in darkness, give strength in weakness, hope in uncertainty, and peace in chaos.  Keep it close to your heart, mind and soul.

While He may be found

“how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

Hos 14:1  Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.

Isa 55:6  “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
Isa 55:7  let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Psalms 14:2  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

Matthew 7:7-8  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

Psalms 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 

I have taken a bit of the sermon from Jonathan Edwards written in 1741 that I think captures many thoughts in line with these verses; “All wicked men’s pains and contrivance which they use to escape hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, do not secure them from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do.

But the foolish children of men miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow. The greater part of those who heretofore have lived under the same means of grace, and are now dead, are undoubtedly gone to hell; and it was not because they were not as wise as those who are now alive: it was not because they did not lay out matters as well for themselves to secure their own escape. If we could speak with them, and inquire of them, one by one, whether they expected, when alive, and when they used to hear about hell ever to be the subjects of that misery: we doubtless, should hear one and another reply, “No, I never intended to come here: I had laid out matters otherwise in my mind; I thought I should contrive well for myself: I thought my scheme good. I intended to take effectual care; but it came upon me unexpected; I did not look for it at that time, and in that manner; it came as a thief: Death outwitted me: God’s wrath was too quick for me. Oh, my cursed foolishness! I was flattering myself, and pleasing myself with vain dreams of what I would do hereafter; and when I was saying, Peace and safety, then suddenly destruction came upon me.
So that, whatever some have imagined and pretended about promises made to natural men’s earnest seeking and knocking, it is plain and manifest, that whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes, till he believes in Christ, God is under no manner of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction.”

Amen, Amen

Who is Like you, oh God

“They are both stupid and foolish;”

“Behold, they are all a delusion; their works are nothing”

Hosea 12:9
He destroys you, O Israel,
for you are against me, against your helper.
Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?
Where are all your rulers—
those of whom you said,
“Give me a king and princes”?
I gave you a king in my anger,
and I took him away in my wrath.

Deuteronomy 33:26
There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
who rides through the heavens to your help,
through the skies in his majesty.
The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you

Exodus 15:11
“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

1 Kings 8:23
“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart;

Jeremiah 10:7
There is none like you, O Lord;
you are great, and your name is great in might.
Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For this is your due;
for among all the wise ones of the nations
and in all their kingdoms
there is none like you.
They are both stupid and foolish;

Isaiah 41:28
But when I look, there is no one;
among these there is no counselor
who, when I ask, gives an answer.
Behold, they are all a delusion;
their works are nothing;

What replaces God in our lives to the point where we no longer see Him as ALIVE and AWESOME and OUR HOPE and OUR SHELTER and OUR REFUGE and OUR ROCK and OUR KING.  I imagine something gets lost in our culture where we can easily criticize our President without fear.  We can choose to not stand if he should come into a room. We can choose turn our back on him without any fear of retribution.  Speaking with a friend from Asia yesterday, he was telling me about the King in Thailand who passed away.  If you did not stand upon his entry into a room you would be thrown in jail.  For the next week it is mandatory to wear black and if you don’t you would be thrown in jail. In many countries the office of the King is regarded much higher than the President in our culture.  Is it possible this view of our President dilutes our perception on how we look at God, or how we think we should serve Him?  It would do us well to think deeply about God and our commitment to Him in line with His word and expectations for each of our lives.  How does the excuse “I’m sorry God, I was just to busy for years on end to give you more than a passing thought” sound?  Our heavenly King has asked us to desire to humbly serve Him with all our heart, mind and soul.  How does this happen unless we choose to know and understand Him?  How does this happen if we spend little or no time in His word?  How do we praise and worship Him without continually expanding our knowledge of Him?

There is no God but Me

“I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God”

Hosea 13:3
But I am the Lord your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior.
It was I who knew you in the wilderness,
in the land of drought;
but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;
therefore they forgot me.
So I am to them like a lion;
like a leopard I will lurk beside the way.
I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs;
I will tear open their breast,
and there I will devour them like a lion,
as a wild beast would rip them open.

Isaiah 43:11
I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
Also henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”

Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before me.”

Isaiah 45:21
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.

Deuteronomy 8:12
I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God.

Doesn’t this seem to be a reoccurring theme?  Trouble – Seeking God – God saving – Serving God – Blessed by God – Forgetting God – Trouble. How many times do we need to hear this from scripture and are convicted to examine our lives in light of His word?  It seems mankind is content on only serving God after there is an event bringing trials into their lives.  Where does our lives and commitment line up to what God expects in light of “Love me with all your heart, mind, and soul.” “Desire me.” “Serve me.” “Seek me.” “Honor me.” “Glorify me.” “Worship me.” “Love me.” “Praise me.” “Walk humbly before me.” “Pray to me.” “Give to others for me.” “Be kind to others for me.” “Be generous to others for me.” “Be patient with others for me.” “Take care of widows for me.” “Love others for me.” “Take care of orphans for me.” “Encourage others for me.” “Make disciples for me.” “Tell others about me.” “Trust me.” “Rely on me.” “Cling to me.” “Believe in me.” “Seek to know and understand me.” It does not take a quantum theorist to figure this out.  If we choose to spend time in His word with a passion to desire to know and understand Him,  and do all of these and more for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying God with all our heart mind and soul – the world around us will grow very dim as He becomes our everything.

Blind, Naked, and Poor

“Ah, but I am rich;
I have found wealth for myself;
in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”

Hosea 12:8
Ephraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich;
I have found wealth for myself;
in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”

Deuteronomy 29:19
Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man,

Zachariah 11:5
‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord.

Revelation 3:17
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

How do people get to the point where they determine they need nothing?  “Prosperity!” How do they get to the point where they no longer see need to humbly serve God? “Serving self!”  How are they encouraged out of it?  “The word of God!” What is the counsel of the Lord and how does it come into our everyday lives? “The word of God.”  In Hebrews it says “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” We live like there is no God or that if we believe He exists it is only for our benefit of eternity and a place to run to in times of trials and troubles.  How can we understand His grace, mercy, love, blessings, punishment, and discipline not to mention how are we to be a light that shines in a dark and lost world, or how we are to lead our families, or how we are to be an encouragement to others, or how we are to make disciples, or how we should live to be humble servants, or how can we grow in faith, love, kindness, mercy, grace, gentleness, generosity, godliness, or why we should praise Him….. The answer is simple – choose to stay in His word.  Choose to humbly serve Him.  Choose to honor and glorify Him.  Choose to listen to His leading.  Choose to desire Him.  Choose to obey Him.  Choose to have our eyes opened to see as He would have us see and understand.  Choose to have our ears opened to hear what he would have us hear.  The word of God is alive and active – choose to live and walk in it.

He is in Control

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;”

Hosea 12:6
“So you, by the help of your God, return,
hold fast to love and justice,
and wait continually for your God.”

Joel 2:12
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

Deuteronomy 4:30
When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

Why is it we expect people, who have no desire for God and serving Him, to have actions in their life that would display these attributes?  They are lost and don’t know what they are doing.  I was recently very upset at the action of a person, those who sided with that action, and the outcome of that action against a dear friend of mine.  I have never felt so helpless and could not even be good counsel to my friend.  My heart hurt deeply for this person.  My friend was upset and I could do nothing.  I wanted to say something that would encourage them but anger, revenge, and possibly hate filled both my heart and mind against those who did this against my friend.  And then out of the mouth of my friend came these words “God has a plan for me and this is just part of that plan.  He is in control.” I was the one being encouraged and ministered to from the person who had so much to complain and feel sorry about.  I was the one with a heart that needed to seek God and praise Him for who He is.  I was the one that needed to be reminded God is in control.  I was the one who needed to be put back on a path with my eyes on God and not the situation.  My friend’s heart and soul stayed pure even when wronged.  It is good for us to remember God is alive, He is all powerful, He loves us, He will allow nothing to come our way that is not in His plan for our life, He will never leave or forsake us, He will comfort us, He will give us rest, He will lift us up.   All praise, honor and glory to Him alone.