He read in this book so many promises that I can take to heart. I really like the following verse in the King James better, here is what it says: Joel 2:25, "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten..." We think time goes by and we lose it. We lose those years. However, we see in the Lord's mathematics, that he can do a time reversal. He can abundantly return to us the years that we think have been lost.
What a locust eats is gone. You have to wait till next year for the plants and crops to be regrown. If this same activity occurs over years, famine begins to set in and death eventually occurs. God is a God of growth and new beginnings though. He turns the years that were destroyed and he repays them. He will "repay" as it says in the NIV. I love that. God remembers. He remembers the years of sorrow (possibly caused by sin or neglect) and he repays what we deserve. This causes quite a bit of jubilation to come out of our mouths if we dwell on this characteristic!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Hosea
Hosea reconciles with his wife, Gomer. This might sound like a very normal thing in the world, but the crazy thing is, Gomer was a prostitute, and his story made it into the cannon of Scriptures. This is quite remarkable to me. God looked on this couple, and he even tells Hosea, 3:1, "Go show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adultress."
God is definitely a God of 2nd chances. He doesn't look on the outward, he looks on the inward heart. He sees our rebellion. He sees our sin, but he also sees the potential. God works in mysterious ways. Would I have put this story in the Bible? Probably not, however, in his infinite wisdom, we see that God is a God of forgiveness, of reconciliation and simply put, nothing we have done will preclude us from his love. I rejoice over this aspect of my God.
God is definitely a God of 2nd chances. He doesn't look on the outward, he looks on the inward heart. He sees our rebellion. He sees our sin, but he also sees the potential. God works in mysterious ways. Would I have put this story in the Bible? Probably not, however, in his infinite wisdom, we see that God is a God of forgiveness, of reconciliation and simply put, nothing we have done will preclude us from his love. I rejoice over this aspect of my God.
Daniel
Daniel is one of my favorite books. I love reading about the end times. There is so much information in this book about what is going to happen, but I also read of one of my favorite verses in all of scripture, Daniel 12:3. "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever."
This is my life's quest: to be wise and to lead many to righteousness. This only occurs as I'm allowing the work of the Holy Spirit to be working through me. The only way that I can ever be wise is for His wisdom to be at work in me. On the other side, the only way that I am righteous at all is for his righteousness to be at work in me. The only way that this equation can work is that I'm allowing the cross to be the central focal point of my life.
Overall, I'm a selfish individual. Therefore, righteousness is not apparent, and I'm not leading anyone towards it, quite the opposite. To go the way of the cross is to surrender, to give up, to humble myself and put Christ at the center of my life. His ways, His ideas, His passion and His leading. This will allow His life to be at work: and his life was righteous.
This is my life's quest: to be wise and to lead many to righteousness. This only occurs as I'm allowing the work of the Holy Spirit to be working through me. The only way that I can ever be wise is for His wisdom to be at work in me. On the other side, the only way that I am righteous at all is for his righteousness to be at work in me. The only way that this equation can work is that I'm allowing the cross to be the central focal point of my life.
Overall, I'm a selfish individual. Therefore, righteousness is not apparent, and I'm not leading anyone towards it, quite the opposite. To go the way of the cross is to surrender, to give up, to humble myself and put Christ at the center of my life. His ways, His ideas, His passion and His leading. This will allow His life to be at work: and his life was righteous.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Ezekiel
One of the most well known passages in Ezkiel is chapter 37, talking about the Valley of Dry Bones. I found this section of scriptures quite remarkable. We see that the Lord speaks to Ezekiel and calls him to prophesy to this great valley full of bones. His cry is for them is to be rallied into a great army.
The bones come together and form bodies and soon afterwards, the skin covers them and life is breathed into them. God breathes into his people. With his breath, comes life. His breath is the power of the Spirit. This is what I need in my life: the power and double anointing of the Spirit. With his spirit comes life and empowerment.
The bones come together and form bodies and soon afterwards, the skin covers them and life is breathed into them. God breathes into his people. With his breath, comes life. His breath is the power of the Spirit. This is what I need in my life: the power and double anointing of the Spirit. With his spirit comes life and empowerment.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Lamentations
We see in the book of Lamenations (most likely written by the prophet Jeremiah) a personal account of how sin has affected an individual. With such phrases and words as "deserted, bitter anguish, become unclean, without pity, I am in torment within, hunted me like a bird, see our disgrace etc" we see the condition of man.
I want to have this same disdain before my God concerning my sin. I don't want to live a life of apathy towards sin. I don't want my life to become careless and lazy. I don't want to be deceived and allow darkness to shroud my vision. I don't want sin to cause my to become spiritually calloused. I want to be spiritually alive. Spiritually alert. I want the Spirit to have free course in my life. I don't want to cover the power of the Spirit or in any way hinder what God wants to do in my life. I want to be a life changer, not another lifeless vessel seeking out the temporal trash of this age.
Only with a clear vision of my sin and its destructive forces do I truly see the power of the God that I serve. He is mighty to save and quick to forgive. This is called grace. It doesn't make sense and it sure is contrary to the human nature, but I'm truly thankful for grace. I don't deserve forgiveness, but with an outstretched arm, He saves me from the destruction that I should receive. Thank you Lord!
I want to have this same disdain before my God concerning my sin. I don't want to live a life of apathy towards sin. I don't want my life to become careless and lazy. I don't want to be deceived and allow darkness to shroud my vision. I don't want sin to cause my to become spiritually calloused. I want to be spiritually alive. Spiritually alert. I want the Spirit to have free course in my life. I don't want to cover the power of the Spirit or in any way hinder what God wants to do in my life. I want to be a life changer, not another lifeless vessel seeking out the temporal trash of this age.
Only with a clear vision of my sin and its destructive forces do I truly see the power of the God that I serve. He is mighty to save and quick to forgive. This is called grace. It doesn't make sense and it sure is contrary to the human nature, but I'm truly thankful for grace. I don't deserve forgiveness, but with an outstretched arm, He saves me from the destruction that I should receive. Thank you Lord!
Jeremiah
Jeremiah has been called the weeping prophet by many. We read in 25:32, "Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth." V34 "Weep and wail you shepherds; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. ...v38...because of the Lord's fierce anger."
I think we would all agree that sin will eventually catch up with us. That which is done in the dark will be brought into the open by the light. The Lord sheds light on the hearts of all men, and they will be found out, those that do iniquity. Jeremiah is aware of the demise of man, and the nations that rebel against the Lord. His call is a call of repentance and turning. If we truly see the end of man, and his distance that he has caused between him and the Lord, our repentance will come easier. Jeremiah reminds us of the wrath that is to be unloaded by Lord due to the rebellion of the land.
I think we would all agree that sin will eventually catch up with us. That which is done in the dark will be brought into the open by the light. The Lord sheds light on the hearts of all men, and they will be found out, those that do iniquity. Jeremiah is aware of the demise of man, and the nations that rebel against the Lord. His call is a call of repentance and turning. If we truly see the end of man, and his distance that he has caused between him and the Lord, our repentance will come easier. Jeremiah reminds us of the wrath that is to be unloaded by Lord due to the rebellion of the land.
Isaiah
We read throughout the book of Isaiah a number of different themes. One of the themes that stuck out to me was this thought on the "Day of the Lord." We find out that it's a terrible day. A day that God's wrath is poured out on sin. I don't necessarily believe that it's an ongoing day, I believe that it's a singular event, quite possibly part of the End Times series of events. I also believe that it could quite possibly occur right after Christ comes to take up, or rapture, His people home.
It's a day that doesn't necessarily have to occur, but will indeed occur due to the sin of the nations. Sin is rampant, not only here in the US, but globally. The sin of greed is apparent and we read of sins of abuse, moral decay, fighting, anger and rebellion throughout the newspaper headings. Today is the day to repent. May we find mercy in God's eyes...
It's a day that doesn't necessarily have to occur, but will indeed occur due to the sin of the nations. Sin is rampant, not only here in the US, but globally. The sin of greed is apparent and we read of sins of abuse, moral decay, fighting, anger and rebellion throughout the newspaper headings. Today is the day to repent. May we find mercy in God's eyes...
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