Ecclesiaste

 Ecclesiastes 1 - This is a book I don’t know much about. So with the completion of John, I am moving on or back to the Old Testament. Ecclesiastes is the reflection of an old man, who is looking back over human life and the realizations that he has come too. The author (thought to be Solomon) appears to be particularly melancholy as the book opens,“Meaningless! Meaningless!… Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” The NKJV says “All is vanity”. On closer inspection of his own life he says, “I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone..., then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom… madness & folly, but I learned that this too, is a chasing after the wind. As I do my Bible study, I frequently break the passage into two columns. One that lists all that deals with God, the other all that deals with man. Only one phrase mentions God, the rest is all “I’s”. "I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven, I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, I thought to myself, Look I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone, I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge, I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, madness and folly but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind." Verse 18 says “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge the more grief.” It is true that man’s pursuits without God are meaningless. Man can achieve all that there is to achieve under heaven and without God his life will only end in meaningless and pointless sorrow. Man, without God, is utterly meaningless and life with out God nothing more than vain pursuit.

 Ecclesiastes 2 - This book should be an annual, mandatory read for everyone after 6th grade. We all have ideas of grandeur, of course, those ideas of what “grandeur” is can be vastly different from one person to another. To one, it can be a corner office with a six-figure salary, to another traveling on a tour bus playing for packed stadiums, for some just the travel and yet another to be married and have a houseful of children. From the time we are old enough to speak, we are being asked about what we want to do, what we want to be, and where we want to go when we grow up. Surveying the world and all it has to offer, we plot our pursuits to go, conquer and amass our treasure (whatever that might be). Still others seek simple pleasures, denying themselves nothing in the pursuit to eat, drink and merry. As the elderly author of this book, looks back over his life he recalls the pleasure and pursuits that were the focus of his days. He tried cheering himself with wine and embracing folly, he undertook great projects, built houses, planted vineyards, gardens and parks. He owned more herds than anyone, amassed gold and silver, surrounded himself with a harem of beautiful women, refused his heart no pleasure. Yet when he looked at it all, he found it to be meaningless, nothing but a vapor. So, he turned his thoughts to wisdom and while he found wisdom to have more value than folly, he noted that both the wise and the fool face the same fate. Everything that he had pursued and worked so hard to achieve and accumulate would, in the end, be left to another. This look back over what the world, would absolutely define as the best, that life has to offer left this man hating life. There is no point to any of it, without God. “… for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.” Nothing without God. Ever.

 Ecclesiastes 3 - I have to admit, I am not sure that I would enjoy having dinner with this guy. He is a bit too melancholy for my taste, talk about a glass half empty. This chapter starts off with a poem about the tedious repetition and routine of life and the fact that with every positive there is something equally negative and on and on it goes. At the end of the chapter, he is comparing our lives to the lives of the animals. We’re all the same and we all end up the same… dead. BUT! There in the middle he has a brief moment of hope and clarity. I had to really dig into these few verses, look up a lot of the original language, to allow the Holy Spirit to help me understand what he was trying to say here (vs 9-15). When man works to make something it is marked with toil and suffering but when God sets out to make something it always ends in beauty. It is our God-given task to occupy ourselves and humble ourselves with this realization. We can’t  begin to fathom all that God and done and will do. There is nothing better for us to do than to make good use of the time we have, rejoice in that which the Lord is doing and put our hope in Him and His abilities for everything He does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it! I know that it is not 100% certain that Solomon wrote this book, but it sure does fit with his story. Solomon, being David’s (a man after God’s own heart) son, certainly knew of God. However, while he had his moments, he absolutely let his own desires and cravings lead him around by the nose. He had over 700 wives, most of whom worshipped pagan gods in the High Places that Solomon had built for them to worship in. Solomon tried to walk the line, one foot on each side, but it’s impossible. The current of the world will sweep us away and leave us feeling like Solomon did here… aware of the truth but depressed by the reality of his life spent trying to find meaning in what the world has to offer.

• Ecclesiastes 4 - This is by far the weirdest book of the Bible I have ever study. I almost feel like I should know the ending, maybe it would shine some light on these passages. So much of it is just plain hopeless. However, it is very good at reinforcing the hopelessness of a life spent without God. Chapter 4 is a rather depressing look at oppression, toil and the loneliness of life (without God) and it is bleak. Very bleak. There is, however, some bits of wisdom and insight tucked in the melancholy prose. He points out the wisdom of contentment in verse 6, “better one handful (of stuff) with tranquillity (rest, quietness) than two handfuls with toil (trouble, labor and striving). And he points out the benefit in human relationships. Two are more productive than one, two can help one another, two can comfort one another, two can provide safety and security for one another. Now I have heard verse 12b many times (at weddings) “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” and have always heard it in the context of marriage, husband, wife, and God, but I had no idea that verse was placed here in these verses. In fact, I literally said out loud, “what is this verse doing here?”. And while I completely agree that a marriage with God in the middle is far stronger than one without (that could totally be what he was referring to), I got to wondering, if in the context of what this author is talking about (because this is no mention of God anywhere else in this chapter), if perhaps the third cord here represents children and the 3 cords he was referring to was family. So, I did a little digging and did find multiple commentators that expressed the same theory. Even more to Solomon’s life, we see the split of Israel near the end of Solomon’s life between Jeroboam (one of Solomon’s officials) and Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) which makes the whole of Israel more vulnerable to the Assyrians and the Babylonians. “Just a little trivia." So, where does that leave us with chapter 4? Well, there is wisdom in contentment and wisdom in caring for our relationships and most of all… Life is completely and utterly meaningless without God in the middle of it. Don’t do a
• single day without Jesus. That is my take away!

 Ecclesiastes 5 - Sometimes Bible study requires getting your “hands dirty”, ya gotta dig in there and really pull it apart to understand the text in context and in light of the whole inspired Word. For example “Ask and you shall receive” does not mean God is the great genie in the sky on call to fulfill your wishes, nor does “I can do all things through Christ” mean you run a marathon or write a term paper for school by simply plugging into his power, to use these verses in this way is foolishness. Now, what do I mean by foolishness? A fool is not a person, that is incapable of learning, but a person that will not learn. One, who thinks, they are wise enough. With that in mind, let’s look at the first seven verses of Ecclesiastes 5. How do you reconcile the verses found here, that say, “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God… so let your words be few.” with verses like 1 Thess. 5:17 that says “pray continually.”? They seem to contradict one another. And I thought that God wants to have a relationship with us? That He wants us to comes to Him with our requests and concerns, Philippians tells us to “pray about everything”. The passage here in Ecclesiastes is not talking about a person that desires a relationship with God, a person like Mary, who wants to sit at the feet of Jesus and be taught and encouraged by Christ. This passage is talking about the fool, who offers nothing more than superficial religion, someone who rushes in and out of the house of God, never listening only running at the mouth, making rash promises he doesn’t intend to keep. Solomon shares great wisdom in verse 7, “Stand in awe of God.” For those who seek fellowship and a deep and meaningful relationship with God, make no mistake, He is anxiously waiting to “come in and dine with you”. Our prayer life should be marked by an on-going awareness of God through out our day, we should be devoted to prayer, praying at all times and in all things with full dependence on God. Our prayers should be spontaneous, filled with faith, reverence and humility and in submission to God’s will. So, “Go near to listen” - to be taught, to learn and to obey!

• Ecclesiastes 6 - I can almost see Solomon slumped over a desk, dressed in the finest materials money can by, surrounded by every whim and desire obtained over the course of his life. A palace full of wives and children, barns filled with strong and mighty horses. He had everything, this life has to offer and not just a bit of everything but an over abundance of everything and yet he was filled with deep despair. He had and achieved all that he could and yet he found it all meaningless. He had sought to make it on his own, he didn’t need to bother himself with One God, he would cave to the will of his wives and build places for them to worship pagan gods, but in the end, he comes to the realization that man can not contend with God. Sadly, he missed the beauty of God’s sovereignty, to him it is one more burden to bare, whatever exists, whatever man is, is already known by God so why bother. Solomon looked at all he had accomplished, acquired and achieved and all he saw was vanity and shadows, he looked at death and saw darkness and uncertainty. What a hopeless way to live. This is the best that the world can offer. But here’s the beauty of God’s sovereignty that Solomon missed. God has this epic story of redemption weaved throughout the history and story of the world. A rescue that spans generations and ends with all set back in order and WE get to be a part of it!! God wants to include us, to allow us to participate. Solomon was right, God’s story will play out exactly the way He wants it too but what he missed was that we have the opportunity to be in the middle of it working with God to accomplish it! Now that is something to get excited about! Picture Solomon and Esther, both royalty, standing within their palace walls. Solomon weighed down with the meaninglessness of his life, and Esther just outside the door of King Xerxes pondering the question posed by her Uncle Mordecai “… who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Mordecai was right when he said, “if you remain silent… relief and deliverance… will arise from another place” God’s will would be accomplished but unlike Solomon, who found that to be a case for giving up
• Mordecai and Esther saw as an opportunity to be the one God would use!!

 Ecclesiastes 7 - I have to be honest, this has not been my favorite book of the Bible to study, this guy is just so “glass half empty”. But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t valuable stuff to learn here. Sometimes you just have to use your “3D” glasses to see the whole picture and not the blurry one his melancholy mood can paint. I used the list approach with this chapter summarizing themes of verses in light of the whole of scripture vs. his “under the sun” mentality. 1. A good name is better - yes! And the best name is one written down in the Book of Life! 2. Day of death is better... also true! Because as a believer in Jesus Christ this is the beginning of my eternal life with Him! 3. House of mourning and sorrow better... a sober view of our mission while on earth will indeed cause us to make a better use of our time. 4. There is much benefit in the rebuke of a wiseman and In practicing patience. 5. Stop romanticizing the past. 6. Degrees and money, that’s the best This life without God can offer. 7. The extremes of both legalism and libertarism are bad. 8. We are all sinners so, don’t take negative talk about you too seriously. 9. We will never truly arrive when it comes to wisdom, so remain teachable. 10. There is great danger in unchecked passion and sexual desire. 11. Strive to be the one upright in a thousand!

• Ecclesiastes 8 - in this chapter, Solomon starts off with two questions. 1. Who is like a wise man? 2. Who knows the explanation of things? His conclusion is right on, “ then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it he will not be able to find it.” We can not put God in a box, We will never be able to fully comprehend who and what He is and to me that is exciting news. What confidence can there be in a god that can be understood by the human mind? Solomon makes some great suggestions in this chapter as well. “Obey the King” and enjoy life. His observations? Whoever obeys the king will not come to harm, no one has power over his death, oppressive rule by others happens, people seem to forget the wickedness of men after they die, long-suffering often needs to more wickedness, it will go better for the God-fearing man, and righteous men get what the wicked-deserve and the wicked what the righteous deserve. I want to Stop here for a moment, isn’t this the age-old question? Why do bad things happen to good people? Think of it this way, if you were to make the choice to make a mad dash from the store to your car in a torrential rainstorm it would be ridiculous to think that you wouldn’t get wet. Of course, you are going to get wet, even if you were prepared, umbrella, rain slicker, the whole nine yards there is no that you will be able to stay completely dry. It’s raining, and your outside in the rain You’re getting wet. Now consider for a moment, you’ve have decided to wait out the storm in the safety of the store, you’ve got time, there’s no reason to run out in the rain. But as you watch the people running to and from their cars, you see an elderly person fall in the parking lot, without hesitation you race from your shelter in the storm to help. It takes time to help them to their feet, gather their belongings and escort them inside. Now you are soaked, not a part of you is dry, you didn’t deserve to get wet, you had a plan, wait out the storm, but you were in a position to be used by God to help
• someone else. We are living in a “rainstorm” and we are going to get wet BUT that isn’t the end of the story! It’s just a few chapters, a plot twist is coming!!! Those who believe will be caught up in the clouds, given fresh dry clothes never to be rained on again!!! So hold on! Obey the King, don’t rush out of his presence and make the most of this part of the story! 

 Ecclesiastes 9 - several years ago, my daughter wanted to invite a friend to come with her to Vacation Bible School. When I spoke with her friend’s mom about it, she was very hesitant. She even joked about the potential for animal sacrifices. We laughed and I assured her no animals would be injured. I used the opportunity to ask her about her upbringing, and whether or not she believed in God. She motioned to the displays of creation all around her and said “well, i think it’s pretty obvious that there has to be some kind of god behind all this, I’m just not sure what he’s up to.” I was reminded of her this morning in the study of this chapter. Solomon knew without a doubt that God existed but he had no idea if God loved him or hated him. From his point of view God was in control and what He wanted would happen so why bother. Death was the end for everyone, so ya better live up while you’ve got the chance. Life wasn’t fair and in the end, we won’t even be remembered. Ugh. What a hopeless way to live. Solomon did “live it up” but still didn’t find happiness or contentment. That’s because it isn’t possible without God. Yes! “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.” “Heaven rules!” But that is a good thing! We can rest in that, knowing that no matter how messed up things appear, God IS in control His will shall be established. There is no question when it comes to how he feels about you. He loves you with an unfailing and everlasting love. Death is merely the doorway to eternity where all matters of unfairness and unjustness will be set straight. And God will always remember you. You are his masterpiece, knit together by Him, fearfully and wonderfully made by Him. As Solomon has poetically shown us a life lived without knowing God is truly meaningless but a life lived in love with God is one of excited anticipation of what’s to come! So “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might!” For Him!!

 Ecclesiastes 10 - Ya know one of the biggest things I have learned from my study of Ecclesiastes? Don’t be a complainer. Solomon’s “why bother” attitude is exhausting. No wonder Paul tells us to do everything without complaining, so that we can be like shining stars in the universe!! In this chapter Solomon focuses in on the foolish life, pointing out the even small things have consequences. I think this is an especially important lesson to learn young. So many of us make choices when we are young, thinking “what’s the big deal”, not realizing that even the smallest decisions will have consequences. Verse 2 is really the fork in the road of this chapter, “the heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.” This made me think of Jesus, sitting at the right hand of God, I long for life and decisions to always be those that take me closer to Him!

 Ecclesiastes 11 - I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think may-haps that the cloud, under which Solomon spends so much of his time, might just be lifting! I actually, really loved this chapter. It’s full of good advice for life and could be summed up this way. Be adventurous, don’t always play it safe, be generous when you have the means to be so, don’t get bogged down with “what if’s” do all that you can and trust God with the rest, live life to the fullest but be wise in your choices of how you choice to live your life, for all will be called into account. I can think of a few people who really lived out this passage, that understood what it meant to live life to the fullest. Billy Graham, lived his adventurous life to the fullest in sharing the Gospel with as many as 215 million people in live audiences in over 185 countries! What about George Mueller? I can’t wait to meet him! It is said that when God called him to build his orphanage he had $.50 to his name. Not one time did he make his financial needs know to man, he only prayed and left it to God to provide. Over the course of his work, $7,000,000 was sent to him for the building and running of his orphanages! When all was completed his orphanages could care for 2,000 orphans at a time. I truly believe that God has an adventure waiting for each of us, if we would just do as this chapter suggests! Just imagine what God could do if we all had the faith anc courage of these two men!

Ecclesiastes 12 - Ah, the end. I am happy to report that in the end Solomon found the meaning to life. In the end, he found that God is the true meaning of life and he uses this final chapter to encourage and admonish others to do things differently than him. He implores us to remember our Creator in the days of our youth. In other words, the sooner we realize that we are not our own and that God created us with a specific purpose in mind, that happier and more content we will be. What a terrible waste of a life to reach its end and find that it has been wasted chasing the wind, when it could have been directed by an almighty and loving Creator. Chapter 12 could be summed up this way, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, remember Him! Life without Him is utterly meaningless! Here is the secret to meaning of life: Fear God and keep his commandments! This is where the joy is, where your purpose and value will be found! 

2 Peter

2 Peter 1- A gift does not reach it's intended potential until it is opened. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Everything we need! Let that sink in for a minute. But we must take time everyday to go to Him, draw near to Him and receive. How wonderful to know that even if it has been weeks, months, or even years He is delighted to see us and longs to give us everything we need and fulfill his very great and precious promises

2 Peter 2 - "The Lord knows how..." What a comfort!!! Our day to day life, the chaos in this world, things beyond our understanding and control can plague our minds and hearts with fear, worry, anxiousness and a sense of hopelessness BUT! For the believer we have hope and rest in remembering that "the Lord KNOWS how!!!" Rest in that today! 2 Peter 2:9

2 Peter 3 - This world is going to come to an end, it will be judged by fire. Yet, I have been rescued from that judgement by the blood of Jesus Christ! So... How then should I live? Pursing the riches of this world? No. I should be seeking and working for the Kingdom of God! His patience and long suffering means salvation for others! I have been rescued and called to be salt and light through holy and godly living. Lord help us, as your ambassadors to focus on what really matters! May your gospel be preached to all the nations and in my neighborhood!!

1 & 2 Timothy

1 Timothy chapter one, God is our Savior and hope. He gives us grace, mercy and peace. He has entrusted is with His Gospel, he gives me strength, he has considered me faithful and appointed me to his service, he has abundantly poured out grace, faith and love on me. He came to save me and through me he displays his unlimited patience! God is GOOD!

1 Timothy 3 - When a heart is most desperate it says "Tell me the truth…" and then begs a question. The church of the living God is to be the pillar and foundation of truth. We are to be that place where those desperate and lost can find the truth! Do not be a weak pillar crumbling away as a result of the world's erosion! Stand boldly and give this lost and hurting world the Hope found only in the truth of Jesus Christ!! 1 Timothy 3:15

1 Timothy 4 - In later times some will depart from the faith giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons 1 Timothy 4:1. I must always be careful to measure all that I consider godly against God's Word. Just because I found it in a Bible book store doesn't make it true. Just because a minister is on TV and is famously popular doesn't guarantee that what he says is right. The enemy is crafty and many are being lead away from "the faith" those doctrines that are essential to the believer. The easiest way to recognize a lie is to know the truth! Study the Word, pray that the Holy Spirit will give you understanding. Watch your life and doctrine closely. 1 Timothy 4:16

2 Timothy 1 - I have accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. Now what? Do I go back to life as usual? Absolutely not! You are still here today because people that God loves are still lost to the deception of a very real enemy. We must join hands with Him and make our life about His! He did not bring up the sun to simple have us play out our routine, He has work to be done and we are His hands and feet. We must be bold in our mission to share the goodness of the gospel. "Now brothers I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you which you received and on which you have taken your stand. That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the twelve. After that, he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time." God has given you gifts to use for His glory and to further His kingdom, do not sit idly by waiting for the Lord to use you, stir up the Gift of God that is already in you and let your light shine! 

2 Timothy 2 - 2 Timothy 2:3-7 instructs us to endure hardship like a good soldier, like an athlete compete according to the rules and like a hardworking farmer receive a share of the crops (feasting on the word of God) first. Sometimes we can get quite cozy in our Christian bubbles or perhaps desensitized by the world to the battle for souls that rages around us. Following Christ should not be easy, Jesus said that we must pick up our cross, deny ourselves daily and follow Him! There is work to do... Go into all the world and preach the Gospel; so feast on the Word, put on the full amour of God and let's do this! For as C.S. Lewis said "hardship often prepares ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny!!"

There is a work of God that comes along side our willingness to cleanse yourselves. Work that makes us useful and prepared to do any good work, whether it is in ministry at the church, in our workplace or in our homes. An athlete must learn the rules of the game, train, and practice to be useful to the team he has joined. So too, must we "Flee the temptations of our youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace" avoid foolish disputes and quarrels, be gentle to all, instruct and with patient humility correct those who oppose the truth, in order to be useful to the team we have joined through our faith in Jesus. we have been purchased at a high price and given a great privilege to serve on the Lord's team. Let us do as He says and get off the bench and in the game!! 

2 Timothy 3 - In today's world of texts, emails and social media, a letter can be a very special thing. May we never forget the letter from God, that is our Bibles. As you would savor a letter from a friend or relative shouldn't we even more savor a letter from our Creator? Don't let someone else read it for you and simply tell you what it says, you will miss out on all the joy, comfort, encouragement, strength, instruction, love, faith and peace that He has reserved for your time with Him. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16

Looking back over 1 & 2 Timothy I learned that faithfulness to God makes me usable by God, He has appointed me to tell the truth, the church of LIVING God is the pillar and foundation of the truth, we must not abandon and depart from the essential doctrines of the Bible, godliness with contentment is great gain, I am to stir up the gift of God which is already in me, endure hardships like a good soldier of Jesus Christ, flee the evil desires of my youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, remember that all of scripture is God breathed and know... That God will stand with me, and with YOU and give us strength! 

Romans

Romans 3 - I think the biggest deception out there is that we can somehow be good "enough". I read somewhere that even if we were to attribute the rapist and murderer in the deepest valley and ourselves on the highest peak neither of us would be able to reach the stars of Heaven. We have ALL sinned and fallen short BUT... We can all be justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. How deep and how wide is the love of God and our Savior.

Romans 4 - "Credited to him as righteousness... Who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for justification." With out the law there is no transgression, keeping of the law was never meant to save us. The law was given to show us our sin, so that we would be aware of our debt, so that we receive the justification that comes through Jesus. Jesus sets us free from the penalty and bondage of sin. We are FREE in Him. We too live in a country that grants us great freedoms. Out of great love and respect for the cost our freedoms, may we never use our freedom as a license to sin.

Romans 5 - Thing about this for a minute... "Having been justified by faith we have peace with God... We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand..." We stand in grace, permanently. We did not simply receive grace when we were saved and now must work toward perfection. We are from then, till now and forever will be rooted in and covered with grace! Do you understand what that means? Can we ever fully understand?? You don't have to prove your worthiness, God adores you. You have unlimited, open door access to Him and every time you come He is overjoyed to spend time with you, he is not keeping a record of wrong doing. Take a moment, think about this. Picture the door to His throne room open. You can feel the power of the Almighty having charge over everything radiating from inside, you quietly, even sheepishly peek around the door, perhaps embarrassed by the amount of time since you last came to speak with Him, His head snaps up, he looks right at you, a smile spreads across his face, he jumps up and runs to you!! You stand before him in grace!! Sweet amazing grace!!!

Romans 6 Yesterday I was reminded about the access I have to God and the grace that I stand in through Jesus Christ, but today his word asks this question of me, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" Certainly not! What motivates you to live a holy life? In Jesus we too have died to sin, it longer can hold us,we have been set free!! We can walk in newness of life! We are no longer prisoners of the sin that leads to death! Thanks be to God we are now slaves to righteousness!! He is our new good and wonderful master! Let his unfathomable love and grace motivate us to live a life "holy" devoted to Him! 

Romans 7 Just as we have been set free from sin, we have been set free from the law through Jesus Christ! We don't need to strive to seek God's approval through our personal performance. The law's job was to make us aware of our sin, show us our need for a Savior. "O wretched man, am I! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" Thanks be to God! Jesus will!! The word wretched here has the idea of being worn out, exhausted from the hard labor of toil... Toil of trying to be good enough. Thanks be to God! Jesus makes us good enough. Obeying the law can't save you it can only help the innocent, it argues against the guilty. I had a dear friend tell me once that she had decided to become a Buddist because all she would need to do is be a good person. Why carry the burden/lie of trying to save ourselves when Jesus will do it for us! We can be set free from the bondage of sin and the condemnation of the law and belong to Him who was raised from the dead!


I spent most of the night thinking about what I have learned the last couple of days in Romans 6 and 7. The joy that comes from knowing we have been set free from sin and the law. But there are areas in my life where I continue to feel like a prisoner of sin. Like Paul, I know what is right and I desperately want to do what is right but I keep doing wrong. Why do I keep struggling? Because the members of my body are waging war against my mind and making me a prisoner of sin. I am told to put the old self to death daily BUT HOW??? Paul paints a picture of the "new self" we have in Christ chained to the "old self" (our self gratifying flesh). As a prisoner in his time would often be chained to a dead rotting body as part of their punishment. Ultimately at the coming of Christ, he will rescue us from these bodies of death once and for all. But until then we CAN live in freedom, by putting the old self to death DAILY and following Him. This is what I laid awake thinking about, how do we tangibly do it! Jesus loves us too much not to tell us so, I diverted from my usual study this morning to find the answer. Jesus prayed in John 17:17 "Sanctify them by your truth, your Word is truth." Paul said to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, Jesus said we would be sanctified (the original word, hagiazo meaning to be separated from profane things and dedicated to God, to be purified) through the Word. It's that simple. His Word. Have you been set free from sin and the law by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior but continue to wrestle and struggle with your flesh making you a prisoner to sin? The answer is simple you will be purified by His Word. Expose yourself to it every single day through personal Bible study, group Bible study and a solid Bible teaching church. Roll around in it, soak in it, get all pruney in it! There is freedom waiting for us in the daily study of His Word!

Romans 8:1-18 we left Paul in chapter 7 knowing what is right, wanting to do what is right and yet continuing to do what is wrong, then we found that the answer to the struggle was to be sanctified or made pure by daily crucifying the old self through daily study of the Word. In Romans 8 we find a continuation of that thought. Paul opens chapter 8 with the glorious declaration that thanks be to God, THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST! Because through Christ we have been given the Spirit of Life! The Holy Spirit has been given to us, to guide us, teach us, comfort us and to put to death the misdeeds of the body; thus ending the struggle with habitual sin. So we must sets our minds on what the Spirit desires (back to studying the Word) to live and walk in cooperation with the Spirit. In the winter months, my husband and I have this same conversation almost daily. "Brrr! It's cold!" "Where's your coat?" "Inside." A coat can only keep us warm if we use it. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, both are meant to help us, but we have to USE them! 

Romans 8:18-39 God has loved us from the very beginning. We rejected Him, considered Him a liar and ourselves greater than Him and He still loved us. He went to extreme and extraordinary lengths to reconcile our relationship with Him not because He has grown to love us because of something we have done but because He has always loved us in spite of what we have done. He loved us when... And even though we... He gave His Son for us, who died but more than that was raised to LIFE and at this very moment is at the right hand of the Father!! Doing what? Interceding for us!! If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and have been reconciled to God by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior then... CONSIDER, KNOW and BE PERSUADED! Consider that your present sufferings are not worth being compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. Know that God works all things together for the good of the believer and be fully persuaded that nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! This is our source of JOY! If you are reading this today and you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior consider what He has done for you, so that you can be reconciled to Him. Being lords over our own lives only leads to exhaustion and ultimately eternal separation from God. There is joy, life and victory in choosing Jesus!

Romans 9 - In a time when the world can sometimes seem very scary and when it appears that evil might be winning, can I encourage you with this promise today? The purpose of God will stand!!! In Romans 9, Paul shows us that God is not constrained by man or circumstance. He will use a man who's heart is set on good or a man who's heart is set on evil to accomplish his purpose. We can find great comfort in knowing that no matter what is happening in our world or in our lives. God's purpose WILL stand! Okay, on a side note, can I just continue to encourage you in your personal study time? This morning I struggled to understand portions of this scripture, I felt confused and then when I read some commentators I felt uneasy about their take. But as I prayed I got to experience the teaching of the Holy Spirit as He led me into understanding of the passage, through of all things, diagramming the sentences!!! Mrs. Lott would be so proud! Stick with it my friends you have the greatest of all teachers on hand to help you through!! And man! Does it feel awesome!


In Romans 10 it says"they are zealous for God but their zeal is not based in knowledge." Take a look at yourself, glance to your right and to your left and you will find people zealous for God. Some truly are zealous for God but they are zealous with out real knowledge of who He is , others are searching for a god who suits them and if none can be found, well then, why not fill the position themselves. We have become a world full of teenagers! Thinking we know it all, no one can tell us what to do. We think that the Bible is out of date, that we have progressed to a higher understanding of what right is, of what love is. But regardless of what we think… God is still Lord of all! And the good news? He richly blesses all who call on him. All day long he holds out his hands to us, a disobedient and obstinant people. He holds out Salvation and freedom!!! Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that he has been raised from the dead and you will be saved! Let's be zealous for God but let's do it with the knowledge of who he truly is!! Then you can trust, that in him you will never be put to shame!!

Romans 11 dives into God's heart for the Jews and the nation of Israel. Paul longs for his Jewish brothers to be envious of the relationship he has in Christ and that it would draw some to salvation. I want to do the same, I want to portray God in all truth, not just parts, to the people around me, in the hope that some may be envious and want, for themselves, what I have found in Jesus. If I leave out his love than he appears to be an angry God in the sky but if I focus only on his love, than he comes off as a spineless teddy bear. I must consider both his kindness and his sternness, it is there That we can find a God that is fully trustworthy!

Romans 12 - Watch the news for too long and it would be very easy to be overcome by all the evil in our world. Yesterday's attack in Nice reminds us again how dark and how depraved the human heart can become without the saving grace of Jesus and the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit. I was encouraged this morning as I read the words of Romans 12:17 "do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with good." We have the antidote! 1 John 5:4 says "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world __ our faith." So what should we do? "Offer our bodies as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God, do not conform to the pattern of this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to, use your gifts, let your love be sincere, hate what is evil, cling to what is good, be devoted to one another, honor one another above yourself, never be lacking in zeal when it comes to serving the Lord, be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, share with God's people who are in need, practice hospitality, bless those who persecute you, rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn, live in harmony with one another, do not be proud, do not be conceited, do not repay evil for evil, be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone, do not take revenge leave it to God, if your enemy is hungry give him something to eat, if he is thirsty drink him something to drink." And hold on!!! Because Jesus is coming soon!!! 


Romans 13 - As I read Romans 13 and as I have sat here now for sometime pondering what I have read it has been very difficult to try and think on these things with out thinking about the recent lives lost in the battle between citizens and authorities. Romans 12 said "do not repay anyone evil for evil... Do not take revenge, but leave room for God's wrath..." On the heels of that Paul continues in Romans 13 "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities..." Why because no authority exists that hasn't been established by God for some purpose. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right. God doesn't always place people is places of authority to bless us but it is always to accomplish His will. There is order in this world and it starts with first submitting to God and second submitting to the authorities He has established. We must love one another, understand that "the night is nearly over" Jesus is coming soon!! Put aside the deeds of darkness, put on the armor of light, behave decently and Clothe ourselves in the character of Jesus Christ! Job 33:4 says "the Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." Every single one of us has life because God has given it to us... Now we all need to stop acting like idiots and stop taking what the God has given!!

Romans 15 - Coming from a fairly legalistic background I grew up with a very distinct list of rules to follow. Seeing how it was impossible to ever measure up the secondary step in this process of earning God's love was to point out anyone that appeared to be breaking more of the rules than I was, there by earning myself a better position with God. It has been hard work to allow God to rewrite these ways of thinking that have been so deeply rooted in me. Romans 14 has a lot to say about the one walking in freedom and the one who's faith is being made weak by legalism, getting along. One is told to not look down on the other, and the other instructed not the condemn. Here's the bottom line - there are things, liberties that really don't matter, so stop hitting each other over the head with them. These things should be left between you and the Lord, He is perfectly capable of helping His child work these things out. In the mean time, all of us are called to walk in love. Set your mind on righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, pursue peace and seek ways to build one another up. 

Romans 16: 1 wrapped up my study of Romans today. I had avoided the book of Romans for so long thinking it was too difficult to understand. But now as I look back over all I have learned with the help of the Holy Spirit I am so grateful for the time I spent here. A walk from our separated state to the justification and freedom offered us through Jesus to the helpful instruction to use the scripture in our pursuit of holy living and spreading the gospel. I was inspired by the words of Paul as he reached the end of this letter, "may the God of HOPE fill you will all JOY and PEACE as you trust in HIM, so that you may overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. People all around us need hope and we should be overflowing with it!!! Let us put our trust solely in HIM and so that he will fill us with the hope people need!! 

Nahum

Nahum 1 - God is good, slow to anger and great in power! He is also just and will not leave the guilty unpunished. The very wonders of nature bow to him. He knows those that trust him, he is a refuge for us. He will not allow the tangles of sin to afflict us any longer. He will break sin's yoke from our necks and tear sin's shackles away. To us he brings good news and proclaims peace. We are free to celebrate him and fully surrender to him in obedience. But for the guilty, those who's sin has not been paid for at the cross, you will have to pay for those sins. His wrath will be poured out like fire, so repent! An overwhelming flood will be the end of you, so repent! He will pursue his foes into the darkness, so repent! They will be consumed like dry stubble, so repent! They will be cut off and pass away, so repent! God is good AND God takes vengeance and is filled with wrath, BOTH are meant to draw us into a relationship with Him!

Nahum 2 The destruction on Nineveh, one previously given the opportunity to repent but having stubbornly and willfully refused stands armed with her best defenses ready to defend herself. But finds the Lord is now against her, fulfilling His obligation to being Holy and Just. As I thought about Nineveh and the Babylonian army marching by the will of God towards her city walls, I pictured a city being overtaken by a great storm. Man's best defenses are powerless, "the Lord has his way in the whirlwind and the storm..." I love watching a storm from a safe distance but I do not enjoy hiding in a car wash while hail falls from the sky! In Romans 8:31 it says "If God is for us who can stand against us!" We get to choose what side of the storm we are going to be on. I want to know that I stand behind the Commander and Chief of the heavenly armies and that nothing will ever stand against me and my God! What choice will you make?

Nahum 3 - In the end Nineveh refused to humble herself before God. She built herself up based on her perceived strength and power, her pride grew out of control to the point where she thought herself capable of saving herself. It is a lie straight from the pit of hell! We can not save ourselves. We can't be good enough, we can't be smart enough, we can't be rich enough. 1 Peter 5 says that God resists the proud. why? Because it rejects the need for His Son's blood spilt for us at the cross. It rolls it's eyes and twists its mouth with an "I don't need you." BUT!!! He gives grace, sweet amazing grace to the humble!! Don't be like Nineveh destroyed and left to be buried in centuries of blowing sand, Jesus is the cornerstone on which you can stand. 

Hosea

Hosea 1 - Hosea - I think it's interesting that when it comes to breaking the covenant of marriage, adultery is cited as the only legitimate reason. Yet in the book of Hosea, God says Israel has committed the vilest of adultery and then has Hosea marry a prostitute to illustrate the relationship between God and Israel. "Who is she?" The first question asked when adultery has been revealed. Somehow such great betrayal is made even worse when it is found out that she is a prostitute. Here God is faced with such betrayal. Israel has departed from the Lord in favor of another. He is free to walk away, he can wash his hands of the whole thing, but… He doesn't. In an act of great mercy, he will use the only thing that will get their attention, judgment, to bring them back to the place where they will be called sons of the living God. What will it take to get our attention?

Hosea 2 - "She went after her lovers, but Me she has forgot." If avoiding golden calves and statues of Buddha were the only idols in our lives to look out for, so many of us could give ourselves a good hardy pat on the back for a job well done. But I fear God would have the same words for us as He had for Israel, "Let her remove that adulterous look from her face..." Ya know that look that smiles and says "Oh, sorry. I had to work late." While in your heart you know you have been ignoring and betraying the one that loves you. The idols of today may not look like the idols of Israel's time but they are just as lethal. Success, career, hope in politicians, focus on self, materialism, love of nature and trust in science the list goes on and on, can all be summed up as "lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16) As was the case with Israel, God continues to bless us even when our relationships are tainted with idolatry. He calls to us "Remove the adulterous look from your face and the unfaithfulness in your heart! Otherwise...". Otherwise in His mind blowing mercy He will not write us off but rather block our path with thornbushes, bringing us to a place of isolation and utter dependence on Him by stripping us of everything. Why?? Because He is mean and cruel? Certainly not! But because It is THEN that we will realize we are and always will be better off with Him.

At the end of chapter 2 of Hosea God zooms out and takes a 30,000ft view of what He is about to do with Israel. She has forgotten Him, betrayed Him with another but He has not forgotten her. "Therefore He will allure her into the wilderness and speak comfort to her..." God will turn this giant mess we've have made into a Door of hope! A door of restoration! Where you will no longer serve a god out of fear but you will call The Living God your husband. Because you see God doesn't want our fear based obedience He wants our love! A deep intimate love relationship! So He does what needs to be done to bring us to the place where we will finally realize that we are better off with Him and say "You are my God!"

Hosea 3 - In the opening of Hosea Chapter 3 God instructs Hosea to show love to his wife again, even though she is currently prostituting herself. He goes further to say "love her as the Lord loves". This chapter is only five verses long but I have pages of thoughts I could share. But the one thing I keep coming back to is the raisin cakes, it says "they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." This I had to think about for a while. Turns out these raisin cakes would have been offered to these false gods. I can almost picture the cream cheese frosting melted on top and running down the sides (think Cinnabon), the soft dough melting on your tongue with just a hint of freshly ground cinnamon. Tempting I know, but think about the stomachache you have afterwards! They had forgotten about the living God who wanted to have a deep and intimate relationship with them; a love relationship, which by the way, was celebrated with seven feasts! FEASTS, people! Not just dessert! And it got me to thinking what blessings of God am I giving up in exchange for a few raisin cakes? Eve gave up Eden... Gratifying one's self can seem great at the time but in the end it leaves you with nothing more than tighter jeans and a stomachache. Let's not make the same mistake and miss out on the blessings of God or even eternity with Jesus for the temporary pleasure of a few raisin cakes. "Come, taste and see that the Lord is good!"

Hosea 4 - The charges against Israel. No truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God, cursing, lying, murder, stealing, violent crime, no restraint, rejecting the knowledge of God, ignoring the word of God, exchanged Glory for something disgraceful, unfaithful to God, stubborn... I could go on. But here's the deal, verse 5 says "My people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge." We are the most educated generation of people with access to volumes of information 24 hours a day on a device that most of us carry with us at all times. And yet it is our lack of knowledge that will destroy us. Knowing who God is, is not enough! You need to KNOW God. Knowing God comes from the study of the Bible. Yes, you personally have study the Bible for yourself so you will will not be lead astray. The best way to recognize a lie is to know the truth! And the best way to know the Truth is to study the Bible! God said the Israelites were like stubborn heifers. Here's a tip: Don't be a cow! Allow the Lord the shepherd you in the beautiful meadow of His Word. Knowing God through the study of His Word with shape your conduct, knowing God and the accepting his gift of salvation through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ will save your life.


Hosea 5 -Truth. It's hard to find anymore. We have become a culture where everyone can write their own truth. We focus on how we feel. Emotions and feelings have become the measuring stick of each man's personal truth. You know what? That is a bunch of poppycock! A toddler might feel like reaching out and touching that pretty, red and glowing circle on top of the stove but the truth is he is going to get burned. Our feelings and emotions are like ships tossed by the sea and the last thing we need is someone, who will just nod their head in political correctness while we drift further and further from the shore. What we need is a healthy dose of truth! "Don't touch that! You'll burn yourself!" Let's not fool ourselves, we are not more enlightened when in our sin depraved hearts we decide to move God's boundaries of right and wrong. We will get burned. And our ongoing pursuit of self gratification will bring us to the point where our deeds will quite literally keep us from returning to God and what is right. And here's the terrifying part, some in their sin will actually continue to say "I seek the Lord." But here is the truth, "you will not find him." Because you're not really looking for him and because he has "withdrawn himself from you." Don't let it be so!! Your heart is the most deceitful thing, do not trust it! Trust in the truth! "He is the rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are Just, a God of truth and without injustice, righteous and upright is He." The Lord in his mercy will allow us to be carried off by our sin because it is in our misery and affliction that we will earnestly seek Him. Here is some more truth, if while you have read this, the Lord has convicted you of something in your life, repent now, don't wait! Do not allow your deeds to keep you from returning to the Lord. No matter what we think, feel or say, truth will always be truth!

Hosea 6 - "Your love is like the morning mist like the early dew that disappears... I desire mercy not sacrifice and acknowledgment rather than burnt offerings." - God. Israel was steeped in idolatry but they hadn't flat out denied God. They still went through the motions of showing up and offering sacrifices like they were supposed to. But then they would rush off to something else. Ugh. Think about this in your own life, do you have someone in your life that is just going through the motions? Just checking you off their list and then rushing off to something else? If you love that person, look forward to spending time with them and sharing your world with them, then this can cut like a knife and leave you feeling brokenhearted. Are we doing this to God?
"We're you church on Sunday?"
"Yes."
"Oh great! What was the message about?"
"Oh I don't know I wasn't really listening. But hey! I was there!"
God doesn't want to be a box we check off. He didn't give us his Word so that we can simply decorate our coffee tables with it. He gave it to us because He wants us to read it. To study it. To know him. To love him. "what does the Lord your God ask of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul..." Dt 10:12

Hosea 7 - Hosea illustrates Israel's current situation in three ways. First they are like an oven burning with their own lusts and passions. Second, they are like a silly dove easily deceived and senseless and third like a faulty arrow. God has trained them and strengthen them but they have become a useless and dangerous weapon always missing the mark. Yet, unbelievably, they would still gather together looking for grain and wine, wailing on their beds for their problems to be fixed; but never crying out from their hearts in repentance. They wanted all the perks of God while feeding their passions with sin. Things haven't changed, we treat God as if He has become optional. Like we get to decide if He is real. We get to decide what we want to call him. We get to make up our own rules and when the chips are down we can ask the universe, or some other false god or maybe just ask for a good dose of positivity to come our way and fix it. If things get really bad we might even wail from our beds "God please help me!" Our sin is deceiving us into thinking that it is having no effect on us and convincing us that we have not turned our backs on God and that we are free to call on Him for help without crying out from our hearts in repentance first. Here's the bottom line. I am CIja. I am a 49-year-old woman who loves winter and hates spiders. I have three children and currently live in Colorado. If you call me Brenda, Sue or Bob, I will not answer you. If you try to talk me into holding the tarantula at the butterfly Pavilion to change my stance on spiders, I will not. If you look for me in Africa or even Nebraska you will not find me. There is only one of me. I am who I am. Take it or leave it. My dear friends, the same is true for God. There is only one God, whether He suits us or not and He is the Great I Am. You can not will Him out of existence, or mold Him into something that you want Him to be. He is, period. But here's the mind blowing part!!!! He longs to redeem us, to heal us whenever… We acknowledge Him.

Hosea 8 - what a mess Israel has made of herself. She was delivered from her bondage in Egypt and promised a land flowing with milk and honey; but from the very beginning she thought she knew better than God. God said to clear the promised land of all the other nations, so that he could use the nation of Israel to be an example of what it would look like if a nation served and followed God. Why? So that everyone would want to follow God. But they only did it halfway deciding that treaties were the better way. God set up judges to rule, Israel wanted a king like the other nations and so on. Now look at them, divided, half trusting in idols the other trusting in their fortified cities. They had been swallowed up by the other nations, no longer a light on the hill just a worthless thing. A vessel in which there is no pleasure. God, of course, is the potter. He meticulously and lovingly crafted Israel into a magnificent vessel to be filled up and used for him. But without his covering they had become contaminated and useless. As Christians, we to have been sanctified and prepared to be useful for every good work. The lost of this world should be able to look at you and say "I want what they have." We should be different. We should look different than the world. When those thirsty for living water come looking for it, they should find our vessels full and useful. So many are lost and hurting and need Jesus. I beg of you, let's not be like Israel a vessel in which there is no pleasure. The Lord has rescued us, in grateful response let us be in the Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us and use us according to his great purpose. 

Hosea 9 - God's judgment on Israel for their great sin is imminent. They have ignored Him and His warnings. They have refused to repent. But in chapter 9 in the middle of all the bad that is about to happen we see the Lord reflect on the past and how He looked at Israel "They were like grapes in the wilderness." An unexpected blessing! Under the old covenant God would give Israel exactly what He promised in return for their sin. How fortunate are we that we live under the new covenant of Jesus Christ... "for I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more." So today, I have a challenge for us. This week Let's make a conscience effort to be an unexpected blessing in the lives of those that God puts in our paths. Let's be grapes in the wilderness!!

Hoesa 10 - As I read Hosea chapter 10 I just pictured God giving this beautiful piece of land to one of his children. There's a beautiful house with everything that they need. The pantry and the store houses have been filled, the fields have been planted to sustain him. but in the abundance of blessings the child just sits inside watching TV, eventually the cupboards and store houses are empty. So he looks to the fields, they are overgrown with weeds and the ground is hard and cracked from no water. The house is in disrepair. God has blessed him with everything he needed and he squandered it on himself while leaving what he couldn't use himself to rot and ruin from no use and neglect. As Christians we have been blessed with so much, our rescue from sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the precious word of God. But we mustn't squander and neglect our blessings, now is the time to break up the unplowed ground by seeking the Lord in daily and personal Bible study. We are to sow a field of righteousness and to share the fruit of unfailing love that we will reap with those around us. Yes, breaking up the ground through heartfelt repentance and confession is hard and sometimes very scary work. But as I encourage myself, I encourage you to do as David did. We must ask the Lord to search our hearts and to show us any unclean, unplowed ground that needs to be broken up. Now is the time! 

Hosea 11 - I don't even know if I will be able to write this, this morning. I am just so overwhelmed by God. My thoughts are swirling around like puffs of cotton blowing across a sun warmed field!! For the past several chapters we have been hearing about Israel's idolatry, sin and their refusal to repent. The way they have only superficially recognized God and then chased their lustful passions but here is where God blows my mind!!! Listen to Him speak "How can I give up on him?" Ummm... It's easy, he's treated you horribly, betrayed you, completely ignored you, so he deserves it!! "All my compassion is stirred..." Wait… What? I thought we were kicking his butt to the curb? Remember what he's done?? That doesn't make any sense!! "For I am God, not man. The Holy One among you." Oh thank God he is nothing like you and me, absolutely nothing! That he would not give up on us, that his compassion would be stirred in the midst of our sin!! He is God!!! Not man! thank you, Jesus!!

Hosea 12 - People struggle with God. Struggle means to contend with, contend means to struggle to surmount and surmount means to overcome. So, people will struggle to overcome God. In Hosea 12, we are given the example of Jacob wrestling with God in Genesis 32. The Scripture says that Jacob prevailed. This does not mean that Jacob beat God but that while wrestling with God, he realized who he was wrestling against. He wept and said he would not let go until God gave him a blessing. Jacob prevailed because he recognized his sin, he recognized God and humbled himself before God. This was truly a victory in his life. So here's the point. Are you wrestling with God today? Perhaps over a particular sin in your life that you don't want to let go. Maybe over his existence. Maybe over the idea of having someone over you. It's OK to wrestle with God, but this is a match you can not win. Don't be a sore loser. Don't stomp off and let pride bring eternal defeat to your life. Humble yourself before your creator, and by the help of God return to your God, observe his overwhelming mercy and justice, and wait on him always. 

Hosea 13 - wouldn't it be a great end to Hosea if Israel would heed all the warnings and repent!?Return to God and not have to be chastened and judged for their sin!!! Wait!! Wouldn't that be a great ending for us!!! And we still have time! I am praying for America, that there would be a great revival in our land. We have been so blessed and have lived in such prosperity but I see similarities in our story to the story of Israel. They too were blessed and prosperous but instead of their prosperity leading to thankfulness and gratefulness to God, it lead to pride and self sufficiency and they sinned more and more. God would come, after much warning, as a lion, a leopard and a bear to chastened Israel for their sin, it would be intense and painful but... "I Will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death..." It is always about God's amazing grace! So here's the tip of the day - if you are walking with the Lord and he is blessing you with comfort and prosperity, you must fight against your human nature and not allow pride and self sufficiency to creep in. If you are ignoring the truth of Scripture and living a life that "feels right and good" to you, then heed the warnings and repent. Shepherd or lion, Savior or leopard, King or bear, God is always good and ALL He does is to bring us into a loving and intimate relationship with Him. He is the Lord, God. No really, period.

Hosea 14 - I have to admit I am a little sad to be leaving Hosea, I learned so much about the grace of God in the midst of our sin through the study of this book. But we're not done yet!!! In this chapter the Lord shows Israel how to return to the Lord! A step by step guide. Step 1 - take words with you and return to the Lord. God doesn't just want us to feel sorry or sit before him in silence He wants us to use our words. step 2- humbly acknowledge our sin, step -3 ask Him to receive us, step 4 - worship him, and step 5 recognize the God alone can save us. And what will God do is response? Heal our backsliding! Love us freely!! Cause us to grow! Strengthen us, make us beautiful, restore our value and delight in us!! Do you want to be wise? Then understand these things... The ways of the Lord are RIGHT!! 

Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1 - What is it about the human nature that causes us to forget so quickly. I think about 911, the atmosphere in the United States after that happened and how churches were filled but then as the months passed it's like we forgot. People went back to what they were doing and the ways they were doing them.I thought the Lord might take me to the New Testament having finished Hosea, and instead I found myself in Zephaniah, another book of prophecy warning a group of people about God's judgment, if they didn't put the idols and the sin out of their lives. This time it was the nation of Judah. A couple hundred years earlier they watched as their sister nation, to the north, fell under the hand of judgment by the Assyrians and yet here they were in exactly the same situation with prophets warning them that they to needed to repent, get rid of the idols or they would face judgment as well. But it seems that they have forgotten what happened to their brothers and sisters in Israel, they foolishly think that God will do nothing. Sometimes we are tempted to shake our heads at the Jewish people and say "how could they do that, how could they forget!" and yet we are just the same. Many of us walk through life complacent doing what we want to do when we want to do it having little thought to what God would have us to do. So, yet again, I am faced with looking at myself and asking the Lord to show me anything in my life that he doesn't want to be there. Now is the time to deal with our idols and our sins, "let not sinners be laid asleep by the patience of God. " Matthew Henry 

Zephaniah 2 - Gather yourselves together and deal with the mess you have made. Inquire into yourselves, look into your heart while the Spirit is still before you. Don't wait, do it now. Don't let your heart be hardened, this is a matter of life and death. And to those who walk with the Lord, seek the Lord! Don't give up, either from pride, thinking you have arrived or from despair at what is happening around you. Seek righteousness, pray that during this time of great deception and wickedness that the righteousness of Christ will be given to you. Seek humility. Do you not look at the deceived and lost around you and think yourself greater than them. It is only the saving blood of Christ that makes you different. Gather together. Look into your hearts. This is a matter of life and death and each day that you don't live entirely for the Lord is nothing more than useless chaff blowing in the wind.

Zephaniah 3 - I am sorry (okay, not sorry) but we are idiots! We have GOD, an almighty, mind blowing, merciful and loving God. And yet, we hold on to our sin and idols. We are careful to deny our flesh of nothing it desires. We feed it like its a roaring lion, who can not be denied. We neglect God, our families, our responsibilities all to feed and care for the beast of our flesh. Oh yes, we lift up hallow prayers "Lord, take this from me..." But we are not willing to sacrifice anything. We say our prayer like we are supposed to and then immediately return to the thing we asked him to take a away. We lay it at his feet, heads bowed, eyes closed and with"Amen" still on our lips we snatch it up and start running. And when we feel we are at a safe distance, we feed and nourish our sin once again. We defile ourselves and live in rebellion, while we hold out our God tokens. Making excuses and playing the victim. Ya know what? Saying "No!" To our self and to our flesh will demand sacrifice on our part. We must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him. It is and will be hard work! Every day, deny, pick up, and follow! It's time to get serious about following Christ. He is worthy of our praise and sold out devotion. It's time to take a good hard look in the mirror. Acknowledge the sin and flesh that you are feeding, quit saying "Lord! Lord! Out of one side of your mouth while serving your flesh with the other. We think to ourselves "I need this...", "I can't help it...", "it's not that big of a deal..." But it is! It is stealing all that God has for you. Freedom, relationships, contentment, and intimacy with him. STOP! Listening to the stupid snake and trust God to meet your needs, draw near to The Lord your God who is in your midst, the mighty one, and he will save you. He will rejoice over you with gladness, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing!