Habakkuk 1:1 – 3:19

February 15, 2012

"Mark it down. God never turns away the honest seeker. Go to God with your questions. You may not find all the answers, but in finding God, you know the One who does." ~ Max Lucado

Habakkuk complains—the LORD answers. Habakkuk complains again—and the LORD answers him again. Then Habakkuk "gets it."

You are God

↓

 I am man.

 Blessed be the name of the LORD.  

Habakkuk's questions could be asked by anyone of us. Habakkuk 1:2 - "LORD, how long must I ask for help and you ignore me?" Habakkuk 1:13 - "How can you put up with those evil people?"

You read the headlines and that question has to come to mind. The truth is: God does not ignore our pleas. No. He never turns away from the sincere heart. God is GOD!! Why do we think we should decide how things are or are not done? We need to let go, and let God. Our minds are finite. We cannot begin to understand the ways of God.

Habakkuk did not know (or understand) that God was using the Babylonians and they were part of His plan. Even though Habakkuk complained, he came to a very important conclusion. Habakkuk 2:1 - "I will wait to see what he will say to me; I will wait to learn how God will answer my complaint." (Isaiah 40:31 - "...those that wait on the LORD will renew their strength...")

God answers. Habakkuk 2:3 - "It may seem like a long time, but be patient and wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not be delayed. The evil nation is very proud of itself; it is not living as it should. But those who are right with God will live by trusting in him." God goes on (paraphrased). The proud will not last. They want more and more, but there will come a day when those they have hurt will laugh and make fun of them...(the proud) will no longer be in control.

How terrible it will be—

for those who steal and force payments from others. One day those you have stolen from will turn against you. They will realize what is happening and make you shake with fear.

How terrible it will be—

for those who have gained wealth by doing wrong. You've made many plans to destroy many people You think you live in a safe place and will escape harm. You aren't safe. Even the stones of the wall and boards that support the roof will cry out against you.

How terrible it will be—

for the people that wrong others to get what they want. God himself will destroy what they have built... all their work will be for nothing. People everywhere will know the LORD's glory.

How terrible it will be—

for people who trick others to fulfill their own evil desires. They will be the ones who are tricked. The cup of God's anger from the LORD's right hand is coming around to you. (CF - Psalm 75:8)

How terrible it will be—

for those who expect their own work and efforts to save them... their own efforts will come to nothing.  

Habakkuk 2:5–17 - The "How terrible it will be" section. The world calls it "karma," what goes around come around. God calls it justice. The LORD's will WILL prevail. Vengeance is mine saith the LORD. Habakkuk 2:20 - "The LORD is in his Holy Temple; all the earth should be silent in his presence." The LORD! HE is God and HE is in control.

Habakkuk prays. 

Habakkuk 3:2 - "LORD, I have heard the news about you; I am amazed at what you have done. LORD, do great things once again in our time; make those things happen again in our own days." (May we see your hand working in our lives...) 

Habakkuk 3:17–19 - "But I will wait patiently for the day of disaster that will come to the people who attack us. Fig trees may not grow figs, and there may be no grapes on the vines. There may be no olives growing in the fields. There may be no sheep in the pens and no cattle in the barns. But I will still be glad in the LORD; I will rejoice in God my Savior. The LORD God is my strength. He makes me like a deer that does not stumble so I can walk on the steep mountains."

No matter what, we will praise Your name. To God be the Glory. Great things HE has done. We will wait on the LORD.

"This is one piece of luggage God hates. He doesn't dislike arrogance. He doesn't disapprove of arrogance. He's not unfavorably disposed toward arrogance. God hates arrogance." ~ From Traveling Light by Max Lucado

Written in the margin of Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) KJV:

See Luke 12:32 - "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom."

 3 lovely pictures:

1. Shepherd and flock—He guides us
2. Father and his family—He gives provision and pity
3. King and his subjects—He governs and protects us

What a God we have—none like Him.

Psalm 40:4 - "Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust."

Addendum:  Quotes I have highlighted from the topical inserts in this section of my Bible.

Money

"Jesus also had a definition for greed. He called it the practice of measuring life by possessions. Greed equates a person's worth with a person's purse. You got a lot = you are a lot. You got a little = you are little. The consequence of such a philosophy is predictable. If you are the sum of what you own, then by all means own it all. No price is too high. No payment is too much. Greed is relative. Greed is not defined by what something costs; it is measured by what it cost you. If anything costs you your faith or your family, the price is too high. Besides the price we pay for our possessions, what price do we pay in life for our greed?"

New Creation

"Observe the sequence. First, we recognize we are in need (we're poor in spirit). Next, we repent of our self-sufficiency (we're sad). We quit calling the shots and surrender control to God (we're humble). So grateful are we for his presence that we yearn for more of him (we want to do the right thing more than anything else). As we grow closer to him, we become more like him. We forgive others (we're merciful). We change our outlook (we're pure in thinking). We love others (we're peacemakers). We endure injustice (we're treated badly for doing good). It's no casual shift of attitude. It is a demolition of the old structure and a creation of the new. The more radical the change, the greater the joy. And it's worth every effort, for this is the joy of God."

Peace

"Never underestimate the power of a seed. 'People who work for peace in a peaceful way plant a good crop of right living.' The principle for peace is the same as the principle for crops: Never underestimate the power of a seed."

Next Entry: Zephaniah 1:1 – 3:20  

Nahum 1:1 – 3:19

February 14, 2012

"God doesn't want people to fail; rather, he gives them opportunities to repent and enter Heaven. But if they persist in sin, they will be punished." ~ Life Lesson

Nahum prophesies about the city of Ninevah. Ninevah—the same town Jonah was sent to. The same town who had accepted Jonah's/God's message and repented and therefore was saved. The same town—100 years later. Their repentance was short lived. They did not pass it down through the generations, and now Nahum is prophesying about God's impending and thorough judgment. Nahum 1:3 - "The LORD does not become angry quickly, and his power is great. The LORD will not let the guilty go unpunished."

"The LORD is good, giving protection in times of trouble. He knows who trusts in him." Nahum 1:7

"But, like a rushing flood, he will completely destroy Ninevah. He will pursue his foes into darkness. Whatever they plot against the LORD he will bring to an end... they will be entangled... they will be consumed... it will be defeated and brought to an end." (Nahum 1:8–12)

Nahum 1:13 - "Now I will free you from their control and tear away your chains." (NIV - "Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away.") Nahum 1:15 - "The wicked will not come to attack you again; they have been completely destroyed."

God—He is the One! How exciting it will be to see how HE is going to free us! No power of hell, no scheme of man can EVER pluck us from His hand. God is our Deliverer, Refuge and Strength!

In the margins of Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) KJV she has written:

Take Heed!

Hebrews 4:1 - "Now, since God has left us the promise that we may enter his rest, let us be very careful so none of you will fail to enter."

Hosea 4:6–10 - "My people will be destroyed, because they have no knowledge. You have refused to learn, so I will refuse to let you be priests to me. You have forgotten the teachings of your God, so I will forget your children. The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. I will take away their honor and give them shame. Since the priests live off the sin offerings of the people, they want the people to sin more and more. The priests are as wrong as the people, and I will punish them both for what they have done. I will repay them for the wrong they have done. They will eat but not have enough... because they have left the LORD."

I Corinthians 3:10 - "Using the gift God gave me, I laid the foundation of that house like an expert builder. Others are building on that foundation, but all people should be careful how they build on it."

I Corinthians 10: 12–13 - "If you think you are strong, you should be careful not to fall. The only temptation that has come to you is that which everyone has. But you can trust God, who will not permit you to be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, he will also give you a way to escape so that you will be able to stand it."

II Peter 1:5–10 - "Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service to God; and to your service to God, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love. If all these things are in you and are growing, they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ. But anyone who does not have these things cannot see clearly. He is blind and has forgotten that he was made clean from his past sins. My brothers and sisters, try hard to be certain that you really are called and chosen by God."

Luke 21:8 - Jesus said, "Be careful so you are not fooled. Many people will come in my name, saying, 'I am the One', and, 'the time has come!' But don't follow them."

Galatians 6:7 - "Do not be fooled: you cannot cheat God. People harvest only what they plant."

Luke 21:34 - "Be careful not to spend your time feasting, drinking, or worrying about worldly things. If you do, that day might come upon you suddenly, like a trap on all people on earth."

Jeremiah 48:10a - "A curse will be on anyone who doesn't do what the LORD says."

Psalm 37:23 - "When a person's steps follow the LORD, God is pleased with his ways."

Ephesians 2:10 - "God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing."

John 13:17 - "If you know these things, you will be happy if you do them."

I Corinthians 15:57–58 - "But we thank God! He gives us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ. So my dear Brothers and Sisters, stand strong. Do not let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the LORD, because you know that your work in the LORD is never wasted."

Joshua 1:8 - "Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything." (Only verse that has "success.")

Addendum:  9/30/15 ~ What a blessing it has been to have Jane's Bibles. I love that because of her faithfulness to the LORD, she is still teaching us and impacting our lives to this very day – seven years after her earthly death and the beginning of her eternal life. Her Take Heed! verses are just amazing. We should indeed all take heed. God has clearly laid out the blueprint for successful living. It is up to us to follow it. If we do, He will guide our paths and give us joy in the journey.

I just realized it's September. It's been eight years since Jane told us to read Isaiah 30. Nahum and Isaiah 30 – written 50-100 years apart from each other but with the same basic messages of each other and Jane's "Take Heed."

• Warnings against trying to do things your own way
• There will come a day for accountability
• God will protect those who trust in Him
• God's justice WILL prevail

We believe!  Thank you again, LORD, for blessing our lives with Jane.


Next Entry: Habakkuk 1:1 – 3:19

Micah 6:1 – 7:20

February 14, 2012

It is the LORD who brings peace. (Micah 5:5)

Micah 6:1–2 - "Hear what the LORD says: Get up; plead your case in front of the mountains; let the hills hear your story... listen to the LORD's legal case... listen, the LORD has a legal case... and he will accuse." Micah 6:8 - "The LORD has told you what he wants from you: to do what is right (act justly) to other people, love being kind to others, (love mercy) and live humbly obeying your God."

The voice of the LORD calls. The wise person listens and chooses to honor Him. Micah 6:9 - "Pay attention to the rod of punishment, pay attention to the One who threatens to punish."

• Are you still hanging on to those things that I call wicked?
• Are you still using cursed false measures?
• Can I forgive people who cheat others with wrong weights and scales?
• Are you still doing cruel things?
• Are you still telling lies?

As for me (the LORD), this is what I will do:

• I will attack
• I will ruin
• I will make you sick
• You will not be satisfied
• You will work and work but you won't be successful
• You will plant but you won't harvest
• You will try everything but nothing will come of it

This is because you chose to follow other gods instead of following me, "so I will let you be destroyed." Micah goes on to say that it is your own family that will turn on you, setting traps, doing evil, untrustworthy, ruthless, anything to seek their own gain. But! The LORD is kind. Micah 7:7 - "I will look to the LORD for help. I will wait for God to save me; my God will hear me." The NIV says it this way: "But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior, my God will hear me."

What a contrast between the statement, "My God will hear me" in Micah 7:7 and, "They will cry to the LORD but he won't answer them" in Micah 3:4.

God is in control (Micah 7:9–10):

• He will defend me
• He will bring about what is right for me
• He will bring me out into the light
• I will see HIM set things right
• My enemies will see this
• They will be ashamed

Micah 7:10 (NIV) - "She who said, 'Where is the LORD your God?' My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled under foot like mire in the streets."

Micah 7:15 - "As in the days when I brought you out of Egypt I will show them miracles." Then they will know that I AM the LORD. Micah 7:18 - "There is no God like you. You pardon sin. You forgive the transgressor. You are full of mercy and compassion. There is hope for the lost."

LORD, please give my sister and brother-in-law another opportunity to change their hearts and minds. Wrestle from their hands anything that is keeping them from turning to you. May they know that you are the LORD God All-Mighty. Amen.


Next Entry: Nahum 1:1 – 3:19

Micah 3:1 – 5:15

February 13, 2012

Listen! LISTEN! You should know the difference between right and wrong. Instead of hating wrong, you love what is wrong and hate what is right. For your own selfish purposes you devour others, chopping them up and spitting them out. Nothing is beyond the bounds of what you will do to obtain what you want... what you feel is your "right." Someday you will cry to the LORD but he won't answer you. He will hide his face from you because what you have done is evil. (Paraphrased from Micah 3:1–4.)

If people give them what they want then all is well. Micah 3:5 - "But is someone doesn't give them what they ask for they call for a holy war against that person." If you don't bow, bend, or break under their threats, schemes, and manipulations there will be a price to pay, and they will call for a war against that person. How dare someone stand in the way of their selfish desires! How dare someone expose the lies and trickery! How dare someone reject wrong and stand up for what is right! Their shouts of peace turns into a call for war. God says, "It will become like night... it will become dark for them." They will no longer hear the word of the LORD and will know longer "see" truth.

Micah exposed truth. He exposed the other prophets dishonest ways. Micah was sent by God for the purpose to speak truth—and he did. Micah 3:9 - "Listen to me, you who hate fairness and twist what is right." You have built your wealth and status on doing what is wrong. Yet, you lean on the LORD and say, "The LORD is here with us, so nothing bad will happen to us."

How does that happen? How does someone purposely do what God calls evil, building their power and wealth by harming and destroying other people, taking what they want, devising evil schemes, robbing people of their inheritance (Micah 2:1–2), letting nothing stop their evil desires and yet still say, "The LORD is here with us, so nothing bad will happen to us?" How can they think that? How can there be such a disconnect between wishful thinking and reality? It is not something that can happen quickly. It has to be a continued life of deliberate disobedience, a numbing of the conscience, a blinding of the eye, until the "reality" one lives in is a self-created "reality" and not Truth.   

Micah 4:5 - "They don't know what the LORD is thinking; they don't understand his plan." (I have written 6/14/10 - "We will wait on God's plan" in the margin of my Bible.) The how, when, where, is up to God and we are content to wait on Him.  God has promised us protection. He has provided us every provision we've needed. But while we are content to wait upon the LORD, those against us are like the nations Micah talks about in Micah 4:11 - "Let's destroy (her). We will look at her and be glad we have defeated her." And to those people Micah says, "But they don't understand what the LORD is thinking; they don't understand his plan." For those obedient to God's will, they look at that statement and say—we will wait. But for those disobedient to God's law, they are totally ignorant to what God is thinking. In the "reality" they've created, they have left God out of the equation. Victory is not theirs. The NIV says, "You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the LORD, their wealth to the LORD of all the earth." (Micah 4:13)

Addendum:  9/29/15 ~ "... a self-created reality..."  Micah 4:12 - "But they don't know what the LORD is thinking; they don't understand his plan."   

Those who live a life of disobedience are totally ignorant to what God is thinking. Their ignorance comes from a "continued life of deliberate disobedience; a numbing of the conscience; a blinding of the eye; until the "reality" they live in is a self-created "reality" and not Truth."  

Listen! LISTEN! You should know the difference between right and wrong.


Next Entry: Micah 6:1 – 7:20

Micah 1:1 – 2:13

February 10, 2012

Micah 1:1–3 - "Hear this... listen... the LORD God will be a witness against you. See.. the LORD is coming..." The time for action is near. The time for destruction has come. Micah 1:7b - "(You) earned (your) money by being unfaithful to me, this money will be carried off by others who are not faithful to me." Your wounds are incurable.

Micah 2:1–3 - "How terrible it will be for people who plan wickedness, who lie on their bed and make evil plans. (Psalm 140:1–3) When the morning light comes, they do what they planned because they have the power to do so. (Psalm 140:4–5) They want fields, so they take them; they want houses, so they take them away. They cheat people to get their houses; they rob them even of their property that is why the LORD says: Look, I am planning trouble against such people, and you won't be able to save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, because it will be a terrible time." (Psalm 140:9–11)

They don't want to hear the truth. They say, "Don't prophesy about these things! Nothing to make us feel bad will happen." And Micah says, "I must say this... the LORD is becoming angry about what you have done. My words are welcome to the person who does what is right."

They didn't want to "hear" the truth. Words of truth are welcome to those who are living right. Micah tells them to "Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined beyond all remedy." What should have been their place of peace and rest was ruined beyond remedy. Instead of listening to truth they listened to lies. They wanted to hear what they wanted to hear even if it was lies. They didn't want to hear from a prophet of God. Micah 2:11 - "You want one who promises to prophecy good things for you if you give him wine and beer. (Buy him off or pay him.) He's just the prophet for you."

A prophet for you—instead of—a prophet from God. Which is exactly where the problem lies. All about "you" (pride). The choice is simple. What is it going to be? You—OR—God? If you choose God's way then He promises you protection and freedom. Micah 2:13 - "Someone will open the way and lead the people out. The people will break through the gate and leave the city where they were held captive. Their king will go out in front of them, and the LORD will lead them."

"Humanity was designed for a relationship with God. As the body craves oxygen, so the spirit craves God. We all have a passionate desire to know God and to communicate with Him, but ever since Eden, we have been guilty of sin, and nothing but repentance—by humbling ourselves before the cross of Christ—will ever bring us back into fellowship with Him... denying the existence of God cannot make him go away any more than denying the existence of the IRS makes the tax man go away... someday... we all must die.. .their eternal spirits must stand before the true and righteous, and all-knowing God of creation and explain why they felt compelled to run so hard to escape the God who loved them and gave His Son as a sacrifice... they can explain why... and they will hear his reply. On that day, sincerity will mean nothing; hard work will mean nothing; good intentions will mean nothing. God judges every man, woman, and child by the standard of the only God-man who ever lived, Jesus Christ." ~ From Storm Warning by Billy Graham

Addendum:  9/28/15 ~ Listen! The LORD God will be a witness against you! How terrible it will be! I read those words and the description of the actions that the LORD hates and it brings tears to my eyes and a sadness to my heart. We all know people who are living their lives as Micah described.

Our life choices DO matter! Make the right choices TODAY! Repent TODAY! Surrender TODAY!

The Settlement Conference the judge ordered gives my sister and brother-in-law (by the grace of God) one more opportunity to change their hearts and do what is right. In a few weeks they are to submit to us what they want from us in order to settle. It will be very interesting to see. We expect the number to be astronomical. Anything more than splitting the remaining funds in escrow down the middle will still be them seeking to rebuild their house of cards off of what God has given us.

Sometimes people have believed the lie for so long that they actually believe the lies to be truth. Blinded. Unable to see truth any longer. So sad. So very, very sad.

One more opportunity. One more chance to do the right thing.

Addendum #2: Read about the failed Settlement Conference here.


Next Entry: Micah 3:1 – 5:15

Jonah 3:1 – 4:11

February 09, 2012

Jonah is now ready to listen, and God says the exact same thing He said the first time. "Get up... go." This time Jonah obeyed, and he went. He preached God's message and the people repented, which was the very thing Jonah didn't want to happen. Nineveh was evil. They fought against God and God's people. But when the king heard Jonah's message he repented and ordered the people to repent as well. Jonah 3:8–9 - "Everyone must turn away from evil living and stop doing harm all the time. Who knows? Maybe God will change his mind. Maybe he will stop being angry, and then we will not die." When they repented, God relented, and they were spared.

Jonah was angry and wished he could die. He really hoped Ninevah would be destroyed. God asked him, "Do you think it right to be angry?" As Jonah was sitting outside the city waiting to see what would happen, God caused a vine to grow as a shade for him. The next day God caused the vine to die and again Jonah is angry and God asked him again, "Do you think it right for you to be angry?" You didn't make the plant. Why should you be angry? I made the people of Ninevah. I care about them. That is why I sent you to them.

When your heart is right you will want ALL people to be saved. When you truly believe in heaven and hell, you don't want anyone to miss out on heaven and spend an eternity separated from God in hell. No one! Whatever others have done to you in unimportant. The only thing important is that they are reconciled to Christ. That they repent, change their hearts and lives and live for Christ. Nothing else matters.

The judgment against Ninevah was averted when the people repented. Unfortunately, it was not a heart change for generations.

"Only later, when evil increased in the generations after Jonah, and the people failed to repent, did God's judgment finally fall on Ninevah. God's judgment is often this way. Someday it will come in all its fullness and finality, but in the meantime it may be that God's hand of judgment will pause when we repent." ~ From Storm Warning by Billy Graham. 

At the end of Jonah, Jane (Her Name Was Jane) has the following written in her KJV Bible.

JOY:

• Jeremiah 15:16 - "thy word...joy of my heart"
• John 15:1;16:24 - "your joy...full"
• Psalm 126:5 - "reap in joy"
• Philippians 2:2 - "fulfill my joy"
• James 1:2 - "count it all joy"
• I Thessalonians 2:19,20 - "ye...our joy and crown"
• Psalm 16:11 - "fullness of joy"
• II John 12 - "face to face that our joy...full"

Addendum:  9/25/15 ~The circumstances around us is not what determines our joy. We can have joy at ALL times. It is the presence of Christ in our lives that allows joy to be ours even in the most difficult of times.  


Next Entry: Micah 1:1 – 2:13

Jonah 1:1 – 2:10

February 09, 2012

Jonah and the whale—a story we've all heard since childhood. But there is so much more to the story than just a man being swallowed by a whale. There are lessons for all of us to learn.

God said to Jonah, "Get up... Go." God was telling Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell them of the punishment they would receive if they didn't repent. Jonah didn't want to go. He didn't like the people of Ninevah. Why should they be given a chance for repentance after all they had done to his people? Jonah decided he wasn't going to do it. He would run and hide from God so he wouldn't have to do it. (As if any of us could ever successfully hide from God!) Nothing was going to stop Jonah from being in charge of his own life. So off he ran. Jonah found a ship going to Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went aboard. His plan was working (or so he thought). He was getting away from what God wanted him to do. 

Jonah only thought his plans were working. ("Our" plans never work.) God sent a storm. A storm so severe that the ship was in danger of breaking apart. Everyone was afraid. The sailors were praying to their gods and they were throwing cargo overboard. And where was Jonah? Fast asleep in the bottom of the boat. I read that and I think—really? Fast asleep? How could he be fast asleep? He was running from God. How could he not be scared? How could he be sleeping in the bottom of the boat?

The captain of the ship woke Jonah up and said, "Get up"! (The same thing God had told him.) "Get up... pray." Maybe your God will save us. The men instinctively knew there was a reason why the storm was raging around them. Jonah admitted he was the problem. (He was running away from the LORD.) He said, "I am a Hebrew. I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."

How does that make sense? If he truly "feared" the LORD, how could he decide to run and away and then fall asleep in the bottom of the boat? I believe he had some understanding of the LORD, and some fear of the LORD, but he trusted in himself more than he "feared" the LORD.

The winds grew even stronger. The men asked what they should do and Jonah said to throw him overboard and the winds would stop. Nowhere does it say Jonah was sorry for his actions, that he sought forgiveness from the LORD and that he was ready to accept the punishment for his actions. No, he was ready to jump ship as a means to still run away from God. But he wasn't going to jump himself, he was going to have the sailors throw him overboard. I think in his mind he would have then been a victim of his circumstances and not the one accountable for his actions.

The men tried to avoid throwing him overboard. They tried to row back to shore. They couldn't do it. So they cried out to the LORD, "Please don't think we are guilty of killing an innocent person. LORD, you have caused all this to happen; you wanted it this way." So they picked Jonah up, threw him in the sea, and the sea became calm. They understood that the LORD was THE God and they offered sacrifices and made promises to Him.

I love the next statement: "The LORD caused..." Jonah was running, but the LORD caused a whale to swallow him. We cannot run. We cannot hide. We can make all sorts of plans. We can spend a lifetime scheming, but nothing can circumvent God's power in our lives. Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. God had him exactly where He wanted him. He couldn't run and he couldn't hide. Now Jonah was ready to listen.

"When I was in danger, I called to the LORD, and he answered me. I was about to die, so I cried to you, and you heard my voice. You threw me into the sea, down, down into the deep sea. The water was all around me, and your powerful waves flowed over me... I prayed to you, and you heard my prayer... people who worship useless idols* give up their loyalty to you. But I will praise and thank you while I give sacrifices to you, and I will keep my promises to you. Salvation comes from the LORD."

God heard what he was waiting to hear. "Then the LORD spoke to the fish, and the fish threw up Jonah onto the dry land." Finally! The LORD has his attention and Jonah was ready to stop running and start listening and surrendering.

*The NIV says it this way, "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." Worthless idols verses an All-Knowing, All-Powerful, limitless God who loves us and pursues us for His own. Running away from God cannot be done. Why cling to something that is worthless? Why forfeit the grace that could be yours? Stop running. Stop clinging. Start listening. Start surrendering. Start praising. Start receiving the grace God has for you. Start living, truly living in the only way worth living—in total submission to God's will.

Jane (Her Name Was Jane) makes the point in her Bible that God called Jonah to "arise" (get up). Instead he went "down." Down to Tarshish; down in the boat; down in the water. "Down," the direction we always go when we refuse to obey God.  From Jane's KJV: Jonah clung to self deception; self will; and disobedience.


Next Entry: Jonah 3:1 – 4:11

Obadiah 1

February 08, 2012

Obadiah 1:3 - "Your pride has fooled you." You think you are safe. You think you are in control. You think "no one can bring me down..." But God says, "I will bring you down from there... you will be ruined." (Obadiah 1:4–5) You did violence to your relatives so you will be covered in shame. You stood aside and watched while my people were being attacked and did nothing to stop it. Not only did you do nothing, you saw their misfortune as a way to profit yourself. You brag about what is being done to them. You laugh at them. You took their things. You violated them. You turned them over to their enemies. You tried to block their escape. And God says:

"The same evil things you did to other people will happen to you; they will come back on your own head." Obadiah 1:15 

Psalm 140:9 - Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused.  (Her Name Was Jane)

Obadiah 1:17 - "The people of Jacob will take back their land from those who took it from them."

God always protects and takes care of His children. With God on their side, His children are never underdogs. ~ From Life Lesson

Key Themes from Obadiah:

• God will stand up for His people against their enemies 
• There will be judgment for those who take a stand against God's work and people
• God's word is true and will come about.

Next Entry: Jonah 1:1 – 2:10

Amos 7:1 – 9:15

February 07, 2012

Amos saw a vision of locusts and another vision of fire. What he saw would completely destroy Israel. He begged God not to go through with His plans—and God changed His mind. Then God showed him the vision of a plumb line. The LORD stood by a straight wall with a plumb line in His hand. The LORD said, "See, I will put a plumb line among my people... to show how crooked they are. I will not look the other way any longer." I won't destroy everyone like you saw in the first two visions, but I will hold the people accountable for their individual actions. Amos 7:8 - "I will not look the other way any longer."

The people of Israel didn't want to hear this message. They didn't want to hear "truth." Amos was from Judah. The people said—go back to your own people and prophecy there. Leave us alone. It was God who sent Amos to warn Israel. Amos was "just a" shepherd. He had no aspirations to be a prophet. He was just following God's directions. But the people didn't want to hear it.

Whether you want to "hear" it or not, the truth is the TRUTH. It can either set you free, or you can refuse the message and remain in bondage. Refusal to listen doesn't change it. The truth is still the truth.

Amos sees another vision, the vision of ripe fruit. God said, "An end has come for my people... I will not overlook their sins anymore." Listen! Listen to me! You who walk over helpless people, you who go through the motions on Sunday but can't wait to get back to "the business at hand" of over charging people, giving them less, using dishonest scales to cheat people, raising prices, willing to do anything to increase your own wealth. I (God) say, "I will never forget everything that these people did... so they will fall and never get up again." (Amos 8:7 and Amos 8:14)

Between Amos 8:7 (I will never forget) and Amos 8:14 (they will fall) there are seventeen "will" statements. The I "wills" of God. Written in stone and the same as past tense. "I will never forget... so they will fall" with seventeen other "wills" between. God goes on in Amos 9 to say "not one person will get away; no one will escape." There is no escape. There is no place to hide.

     "If they dig down as deep as the place of the dead,
          I will pull them up from there.
     If they climb up into heaven,
          I will bring them down from there.
     If they hide at the top of Mount Carmel,
          I will find them and take them away.
     If they try to hide from me at the bottom of the sea,
          I will command a snake to bite them.
     If they are captured and taken away by their enemies,
          I will command the sword to kill them.
     I will keep watch over them,
          but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good."

Wow! Strong words. No place to run to. No place to hide. What a contrast between those verses and Romans 8:38–39 - "Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD." No fear! Total peace! Nothing, outside of ourselves, can ever separate us from God's love. Nothing has that power, except ourselves.

We have eternal security in Christ. He will never leave us or forsake us. Unfortunately, "we" sometimes leave and forsake Him. The people of Israel left God. They chose to follow their own selfish ways instead of choosing to follow God's ways. After repeated attempts to get them to return to Him, He finally says, "I will not look the other way any longer." There is nowhere you can go to hide from me. "Not one person will get away; no one will escape... I will keep watch over them, but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good." They have thought, "nothing bad will happen to us." (Amos 9:10) But it is the LORD who is in control. He tears down those who refuse Him; and He builds up his people. 

"I will plant my people on their land, and they will not be pulled out again from the land which I have given them," says the LORD your God. Amos 9:15

The LORD is His name.

Addendum:  9/24/15 ~ "I will keep watch over them, but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good." Oh, what sobering words that ought to bring all of us to our knees. May I live my life in such a way that my heavenly Father will NEVER speak those words about me.  


Next Entry: Obadiah 1 

Amos 3:1 – 6:14

February 06, 2012

Amos 3:7 - "Before the LORD God does anything he tells his plans to his servants the prophets.

Amos 3:10 - "The people don't know how to do what is right. Their strong buildings are filled with treasures they took by force from others."

And God says—what you have done to others is what I will do to you. Our Pastor's sermon was about this very thing yesterday. What you give out ↔ you get back. Give grace ↔ get grace. Give forgiveness ↔ get forgiveness. Our actions create the pipeline through which God gives His blessings. (Picture a pipeline with our actions flowing one way → and God's blessings ← returning the other way.) That biblical principle applies to the blessings we receive as well as the punishment God gives for our disobedience. God gives opportunity for change—days of grace—but there comes a times when the window of opportunity closes and accountability happens. 

Amos 4:2 - "The LORD God has promised this: 'Just as surely as I am a holy God, the time will come!' "

     I took away you food...
          but you did not come back to me
     I held back the rain...
          still you did not come back to me
     I made your crops fail...
          but still you did not come back to me
     I sent disasters against you...
          but still you did not come back to me
     I destroyed you...
          but still you did not come back to me

(Oh LORD God, may this never be said of me. Help me to always be ready and willing to listen to you!)

God says: You have not returned to me, but get ready, I will show you who I am. Amos 4:12 -  "Get ready to meet your God...."

"He is the ONE... This is what the LORD says: 'Come to me and live... Come to the LORD and live'... God is the ONE... The LORD is his name." Amos 4:13 – 5:8

Return to the LORD. Get rid of your old unfaithful ways:

• You turn justice upside down
• You throw on the ground what is right
• You hate those who speak in court against evil
• You can't stand (are against) those who speak truth
• You walk on poor people
• You force them to give you what little they have
• You have built yourself things while taking advantage of others
• You hurt people who do right
• You take money to do wrong
• You keep the poor from getting justice in court

Amos 5:12 - "I know your many crimes, your terrible sins." Amos 5:14–15 - "Try to do good, not evil so that you may live, and the LORD God All-Powerful will be with you just as you say he is. Hate evil and love good; be fair in the courts."  Amos 5:24 - "But let justice flow like a river, and let goodness flow like a stream that never stops."

God knows. God is fair. God is just. His "justness" demands discipline—his Holy discipline. He will not ignore the sins of His people. Amos 6:12 - "You have changed fairness into poison; you have changed what is right into a bitter taste." He also will not ignore the faithfulness of His people.

Hebrews 12:10 - "God disciplines us to help us, so we can become holy as he is. We do not enjoy being disciplined. It is painful, but later, after we have learned from it, we have peace, because we start living in the right way."

In Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) Bible she wrote that discipline is "educating." We are learning what God wants us to learn.

Addendum:  9/24/15 ~ "Get ready... I will show you who I am." When I read what God tells "unfaithful" people to get rid of, it just really grabs my heart. Do they not know? Don't they understand that their actions are putting themselves in the path of God's holy wrath? Do they care? They just don't seem to get it. It's like the frog in the kettle analogy. Put a frog in a kettle of boiling water, and it will jump out. But put the frog in a kettle of tepid water while slowly turning up the heat, and the frog will not jump out. It will stay in the water until it is too late.

The "unfaithful" are either blinded to what the Trust is, or they know the Truth but refuse to surrender to it. The only way to live a life pleasing to God (which gives you peace, joy and contentment) is total surrender and submission to His will.

If I really dwelt on this, it would cause me much sadness and be a very heavy burden to carry. I have had to learn what it means to let go... and let God. This is His battle. I can trust Him. He loves those who are "unfaithful" even more than I do, so I can trust Him to do whatever it takes to give them every opportunity for repentance.

God does not ask us to carry these burdens.

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11

Take your burdens, take your cares, and surrender them to God. Learn what it means to let go... and let God.


Next Entry: Amos 7:1 – 9:15 

Amos 1:1 – 2:16

February 06, 2012

"This is what the LORD says: For the many crimes of __________, I will punish them." He says this eight different times in the first two chapters of Amos, and each time the LORD goes on to say why He is going to punish the different groups.

Amos was just a shepherd, but God spoke to him about what was going to happen. He was an improbable man, and his message was improbable. Yet, within 50 years, the improbable happened and God's words came true. It is heartening to KNOW that God keeps His word. It is also comforting to know that God will try to draw His people back to Him before He judges them. Accountability will happen. The wrath of God is real. Not an outburst that is uncontrolled but instead "holiness reacting to evil in a way that is morally right and glorious." ~ From Alone in Majesty by William McDonald.

Max Lucado in his book The Great House of God says this, "As drastic as it may appear, God will actually allow a person to experience hell on earth, in hopes of awakening his faith. A holy love makes the tough choice to release the child to the consequences of his rebellion."

God laid out the problems:

• Anger
• Greed
• Revenge
• Arrogance
• Pride
• Aggression towards family
• The hunt for wealth

God reminds them, "It was I" who made you what you are. I AM THE ONE who gave you the promised land. "Isn't this true?" I, the LORD, am the one who gave, and I will be the one to take away. You will be stuck, like a wagon in the mud. No one will escape, not even the fastest. You will not be strong enough to save yourself. Nothing. Not power. Not strength. Not strategies. Nothing will be able to thwart what God has promised to do.

Addendum:  9/22/15 ~  God's word is so encouraging. Over and over it seems that God has used the words I wrote years ago as an encouragement to me today. NOTHING will be able to thwart what God has promised to do. NOTHING!  No matter how long or difficult this path is, we will walk it with joy and praise on our lips for the surpassing greatness of our Father.  


Next Entry: Amos 3:1 – 6:14  

Joel 1:1 – 3:21

February 03, 2012

Hey! I'm talking to you! Listen up!!

The people of Judah had become prosperous and complacent. They were self-centered and self-reliant. It was good to have God around if they needed Him. But for the most part, they didn't think they needed Him. So God sent Joel to give them a "wake-up" call.

"God always gives us a chance to repent before he inflicts discipline. Like a loving parent, God's purpose is not to punish but to correct and nurture." ~ From Life Lesson

God will use (and do) whatever is necessary to bring His people back to Him.

Joel 2:12 - "The LORD says, 'Even now, come back to me with all your heart.'" Just feeling sad about what you have done is not enough. "Let your heart be broken. Come back to the LORD your God, because he is kind and shows mercy... He can change his mind about doing harm. Who knows? Maybe he will turn back to you and leave behind a blessing for you." (Joel 2:12–14)

"Warnings. Red lights in life that signal us of impending danger. They exist in all parts of life. Sirens scream as a marriage starts to sour; alarms blaze when a faith weakens; flares go up to alert us of morals being compromised. 

They manifest themselves in a variety of ways: guilt, depression, rationalizations. A friend might confront. A scripture might sting. A burden might prove too heavy. Regardless of how they may arrive, warnings come with the same purpose: To alert. To wake up. 

Unfortunately, they are not always heeded... warnings can be as blunt as a sledgehammer and we still turn our head and whistle them away... (we) believe we are the proverbial exception to the rule...

Divine warnings. All inspired by God and tested by time. They're yours to do with as you wish. They are red lights on your dashboard. Heed them and safety is yours to enjoy. Ignore them and I'll be looking for you on the side of the road." ~ From God Came Near by Max Lucado

I will force your enemies away. I will have mercy on you. Be joyful in the LORD your God because He does what is right. He blesses and he provides. Joel 2:26 - "You will praise the name of the LORD your God." You will never again be ashamed. I will do miracles for you. "Then you will know... that I am the LORD your God and there is no other God." I will pour out my Spirit on you. Anyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. I will punish those who have tried to hurt you. I will judge the nations. Joel 3:16–17 - "But the LORD will be a safe place for his people, a strong place of safety for the people of Israel. Then you will know that I, the LORD your God lives on my holy Mount Zion."

Then you will know! One way or the other ALL will know that he is THE LORD.

Hey! I'm talking to you!! Listen up!

Addendum:  9/21/15 ~ I'm weary and I'm sad. From a human perspective, "the storm" seems insurmountable and hopeless—and there is no end in sight.

We just received the Settlement instructions from the judge. It laid out the rules and procedures for the upcoming Settlement Conference. In reading through the letter, it was clear that unless God intervenes, this whole process is hopeless. Both sides are supposed to be negotiating back and forth to try and settle this lawsuit before the scheduled Settlement Conference. The problem is there is NO negotiating with my sister or brother-in-law or their attorney.

We have tried so many times. We had a buyer for 1.1 million; we've offered to buy them out; we've offered to be bought out; we've offered them all the money left in the escrow account; and they have flat out refused every single offer without any discussion of any kind. They will not listen to reason. We will not try to protect ourselves and "buy" our freedom from them when we are not guilty of any of their accusations. If we had done some wrong, we would own up to it, but we haven't done anything wrong. They are like the stereotypical playground "bully." There seriously is no reasoning with them. They will do whatever they want to get what they want–period. And what they want is control, total dominance, and our destruction.

Without God intervening, a settlement is hopeless. So, if a settlement is hopeless, then that means "the storm" will have to go to trial. Oh, how I don't want that. First and foremost, I do not want to sit across from my sister in a courtroom. That is just SO wrong on so many levels. The thought of having to prepare for a trial and having to immerse myself in the mire of the black boxes that are stored away in the garage is nauseating. The cost to defend ourselves at trial will probably be well over an additional $100,000. We have already paid close to $250,000 to defend ourselves against their trickery and false accusations. We don't have an additional $100,000 and the thought of having to come up with that money is discouraging. The time and energy required? Exhausting. 

The weight of my sadness was heavy so I decided to go out for a walk. It was late at night and dark, but I headed outside anyways. I knew I needed to shed some tears, and pray. On one hand I am grateful for the years of grace God has so graciously given my sister and brother-in-law and I want for them to still have an opportunity to change their hearts and lives and get a new way of thinking. On the other hand, it has been over eight years, which is a long, long time.

Please, LORD—have MERCY!! I cried out to the LORD over and over again for mercy. At one point I stopped walking and just stood there, sobbing and begging for God's mercy. Our dog who usually runs ahead and is in full exploration mode, came back and stood beside me pressing his head and body against mine. "I" don't like "the storm" we are in. "I" don't want a trial. But this isn't about me. I pulled myself together and spent the next several laps singing the song, "All to Jesus I Surrender".

When I came back in the house, I picked up my laptop. Before I went out I had just completed entering the quote from Max Lucado. As I began to type again from where I left off, tears came to my eyes. Here is what I began to type:

 "I will force your enemies away. I will have mercy on you. Be joyful in the LORD your God because he does what is right. He blesses and he provides."You will praise the name of the LORD your God." You will never again be ashamed. I will do miracles for you. "Then you will know... that I am the LORD your God and there is no other God." I will pour out my Spirit on you. Anyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. I will punish those who have tried to hurt you. I will judge the nations. "But the LORD will be a safe place for his people, a strong place of safety for the people of Israel. Then you will know that I, the LORD your God lives on my holy Mount Zion."

Thank you, LORD, for the reminder. We believe YOUR words. We will trust you. We will wait on you. We will do whatever you ask of us. We surrender all.

Addendum #2: 2/24/17 ~ Silly me.  When am I ever going to learn?

On 9/21/15 I wrote, "So, if a Settlement is hopeless, then that means "the storm" will have to go to trail." The Settlement Conference judge tried his best, but all efforts for a settlement failed. I almost fell back into the trap of thinking our situation is hopeless and the only option left is a trial when we have believed for a very long time that this lawsuit is not going to trial.

In our country's court system there is no option left but a trial. BUT GOD!!  Our faith is NOT in our court system or anything else. Our faith is in the LORD.  HE is our protector. If HE uses the court system—so be it. But, HE is not limited to the perimeters of a court system. HE will save us however HE chooses. Our faith is in HIM alone.

We continue to believe it is not God's will for this lawsuit to go to trial. So, how else could it possibly end? I have no idea. Our prayer is that my sister and brother-in-law will change their hearts and lives. Will they? I don't know. It doesn't look hopeful, but while there is breath there is hope. So, we will hope. All we know is this: no matter what—our faith and hope is in the LORD. It is HIS prerogative to choose the method on how it ends and when it ends. We will trust HIM. We will wait on HIM.  


Next Entry: Amos 1:1 – 2:16 

Hosea 11:1 – 14:9 (Continued)

February 03, 2012

"Come back to the LORD!" Say to him, "Take away all our sin and kindly receive us, and we will keep the promises we made to you." We will praise you! We will no longer trust in others or ourselves to save us. We will trust only in you. And God says, "I will forgive them for leaving me and I will love them freely." (Hosea 14:4)

"I, the LORD, am the one who answers your prayers and watches over you. I am like a green pine tree; your blessings come from me. A wise person will take them to heart. The LORD's ways are right. Good people live by following them, but those who turn against God die because of them." (Hosea 14:8–9)

Choices—consequences.
Choose God—chose life.
Choose God's ways—chose peace, contentment, joy (even in the midst of life storms).

What God asks you to give up (self-effort, self-reliance) is nothing compared to what God gives! Hosea 12:6 - "You must return to your God love him, DO what is just, and always trust in him as your God." Return. Love. Do. Trust. It has to be done in that order.

1) Return to the LORD—you can not do it on your own;
2) Love him—obedience comes from love, not a legalistic following of rules;
3) Do what is just—true love results in action, love (faith) without action is dead;
4) Always trust—no matter what, God is God, we are not.

The choice to surrender for yourself, AND the choice to continue to hope that your loved ones will choose to surrender as well.

Addendum:  9/21/15 ~ "I, the LORD, am the one who answers your prayers and watches over you.  I am like a green pine tree; your blessings come from me." Thank you LORD for the reminder.

The last words of Hosea just really struck a cord with me today. There is one common denominator but two drastically different results. 

"The LORD's ways are right. Good people live by following them, but those who turn against God die because of them."

Following God's ways brings life. Turning against God's ways brings spiritual death.  


 Next Entry: Joel 1:1 – 3:21

Hosea 11:1 – 14:9

February 03, 2012

Hosea 11:2 (NIV) - "The more I called the further they went from me." Hosea 11:7 - "My people have made up their minds to turn away from me. The prophets call them to turn to me, but none of them honors me at all." Even though they repeatedly turned their backs on him, God still loved them with an unending love. Hosea 11:8 - "My heart beats for you, and my love for you stirs up my pity." But, they continued on. Hosea 12:1 - "What Israel does is as useless as chasing the wind; he chases the east wind all day. They tell more and more lies and do more and more violence."

And God says, "You must return to your God; love him, do what is just, and always trust in him as your God." (Hosea 12:6) But instead of trusting in God, they trusted in their own power and wealth. Hosea 12:7–8 - "(They) use dishonest scales; they like to cheat people. (They say) I am rich! I am someone with power! All their money will do them no good because of the sins they have done." They think they have wealth, power, and might. They think they are indestructible and exempt from the consequences. But God says, "So those people will be like the morning mist; they will disappear like the morning dew. They will be like the chaff blown from the threshing floor, like smoke going out a window." (Hosea 13:3)

What an incredibly sad picture. What a sad reality for those who feel they are their own god. God is God—period. He is the creator—we are the created. He is the One who brought them out of Egypt. He is the One who saves. He is the One who cared for them. He is the One who provided everything they needed. He is the One! But, they became proud and felt they were the ones who were in control and they forgot about God. (Hosea 13:4–8)


Next Entry: Hosea 11:1 – 14:9 (Continued)   

Hosea 6:1 – 10:15 (Continued)

February 1, 2012

Sadly, instead of planting goodness, they chose instead to plow evil. "But you have plowed evil and harvested trouble; you have eaten the fruit of your lies. Because you have trusted in your own power and your many soldiers." (Hosea 10:13)

God gave the Israelites many years of grace. But there came a time when God took it a step farther. When they refused to change their hearts, he removed from them the things they relied upon. He gave them opportunity after opportunity to repent and change. He could have given up on them and left them. But he didn't. He pursued them even further. He took from them what was keeping them from him. "Their heart was false, and now they must pay for their guilt. The LORD will break down (NIV - demolish) their altars; he will destroy (KJV - spoil) their holy stone pillars." (Hosea 10:2)

It was for their own good that God destroyed the very things they relied upon. His purpose was not to hurt them. It was to restore them.

Whatever it takes LORD... whatever it takes! We open our hands to you, LORD.

Psalm 81 - Choose the Lord's blessings!

Addendum:  9/20/15 ~ How appropriate to be reading and writing about Hosea 6:1 – 10:15 today. This afternoon I finally sat down and read the 40+ page ruling from the judge. I just hate reading these papers; papers filled with their lies and false accusations. Before I started, I got down on my knees and asked God for wisdom, discernment, and the Holy Spirit's protection over my thoughts and emotions—and then I began. When I got to page 22, I remember thinking—okay, I am halfway through, I can do this. I just find their lies, insinuations, and false charges so toxic. I took notes and emailed my thoughts to our lawyer. Then I got up and went outside.

My husband and I went for a brisk walk. It was good to get outside and clear our minds. We once again surrendered our ALL to the Kings of kings and Lord of lords. We praised the LORD for His protection and guidance these last eight years of dealing with "the storm" and asked Him once again for His blessings on our lives. He is faithful... and we trust Him.

On one hand, God has graciously given my sister and brother-n-law eight years of Grace, but yet it does not appear they are going to accept that Grace. The anger, revenge, and pursuit of ill-gotten gains still continues and rules their lives.

Addendum #2: 12/11/19 ~ Four more years have passed... and still they are pursuing the enforcement of their underhanded schemes. Fourteen years ago their deceptive plan was put in place. Fourteen years!! How does someone doggedly continue to pursue what the LORD calls evil for fourteen years?! My mind just cannot comprehend it. The answer can only be that not only does anger, revenge, and the pursuit of ill-gotten gain rule their lives, it is also the fuel that keeps them going. It is so sad. So very, very, sad.


Next Entry: Hosea 11:1 – 14:9

Hosea 6:1 – 10:15 (Continued)

January 31, 2012

I've written many teachings for you but you think they are strange and don't apply to you. I've sent you prophets, but you think them a fool. I've sent you spiritual people, but you think them crazy. You think I don't know or don't remember.

Hosea 9:7 - "You have sinned very much, and your hatred is great."
Hosea 8:13 - "He remembers the evil they have done, and he will punish them for their sins.
Hosea 9:9 -  "The LORD will remember the evil things they have done, and he will punish their sins."
Hosea 9:15 - "Because of the sinful things they have done, I will force them to leave my land."

"Israel is like a large vine that produced plenty of fruit. As the people became richer, they built more altars for idols. As their land became better, they put up better stone pillars to honor gods. Their heart was false, and now they must pay for their guilt. The LORD will breakdown their altars; he will destroy their holy stone pillars... They make many false promises and agreements which they don't keep. So people sue each other in court; they are like poisonous weeds growing in a plowed field." Hosea 10:1-4 

Hosea 10:10 - "When I am ready, I will come to punish them." Oh, how God wanted them to change. He sent prophets. He sought them. He pursued them. He told them, "Plant goodness, harvest the fruit of loyalty, plow the new ground of knowledge. Look for the LORD until he comes and pours goodness on you like water." (Hosea 10:12) God so wanted them to do their part so He could do His part—shower them with blessings and "pour goodness on you like water."

Addendum:  9/20/15 ~ Oh, the contrast between the blessings you receive when you are obedient to the LORD ("Pour goodness on you like water") and the consequences you receive when you refuse to surrender to the LORD ("So my punishment will pour over you like a flood of water... I will be like a lion. I will attack them. I will drag them off."). I know which side of the equation I want to be on!! I want the LORD's blessings in my life.  I choose total submission to HIS will.  


Next Entry: Hosea 6:1 – 10:15 (Continued) 

Hosea 6:1 – 10:15

January 30, 2012

"Come, let's go back to the LORD..." and God says, "I want faithful love" more than I want your sacrifices. "I want people to know me" (NIV - acknowledgment of God) more than your offerings. I want you to change your hearts and minds and get a new way of thinking. 

Instead, "It never enters their minds that I remember all their evil deeds." I know. I see. But they somehow don't think it matters. Your "hearts burn inside of (you). All night long their anger is low, but when morning comes, it becomes a roaring fire." Greed and revenge consumes them. Their strength is already eaten up but they don't know it. "(Their) pride will cause their defeat; they will not turn back to the LORD their God or look to him for help in all of this." I will bring them down. I will punish them, how terrible it will be. Hosea 7:13 - "I want to save them, but they have spoken lies against me." They have trusted in the wrong things. Their foolish plans are like planting the wind— they will reap a whirlwind.   

Truth and lies cannot be mixed. That is "like a pancake cooked only on one side." (Gotta love the way the Bible is written in such a visually descriptive manner.) You've tried everything but coming to me. You've chosen your own leaders. You've chosen your own path. You've created your own idols. You've come up with your own plans. You've went outside of me to seek help. You've hired others to protect you. You built altars to remove sin but they have become altars for sinning. You keep trying to do everything yourself.

You have forgotten that I am your Maker. 


Next Entry: Hosea 6:1 – 10:15 (Continued)

Hosea 4:1 – 5:15

January 30, 2012

The LORD's word against Israel—You are not faithful to me. You are not loyal or true. You break all bounds. All the things I hate: cursing, lying, killing, stealing, and adultery are everywhere. You don't even know me. You do not acknowledge me as God. Because of this there are consequences. The land is drying up. The beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that I put under your control (See Psalm 8) are dying. Because of this the people are wasting away.

God's case against the priests—Don't blame other people. You have brought this on yourself. You will be ruined. You have refused to learn... so I will refuse. You have forgotten... so I will forget. "I will take away their honor and give them shame." Instead of being an example and leading people to me, you've instead encouraged people to turn away from me so you could profit from it. I will punish. I will repay. You will not be satisfied with what you have. You have mixed truth with lies. Because of this your ability to understand has been taken away.

God's case against the people—You have prostituted yourselves. You have left me and chased after other gods. You are stubborn. You have chosen to leave me, so leave them alone. You love the wrong that you do. Because of this you will be swept away like a whirlwind. What you bring as an offering to me will only bring your shame.

God's word against the leaders—Pay attention! You will be judged. You have done many evil things, so I will punish you. What you have done is not hidden from me. You will not give up what you have done and return to me. In fact, what you have done prevents you from returning to me. You are determined to be unfaithful to me. You don't know me. You do not acknowledge me as LORD. Your pride has caused this. Because of this you will fall. You will come to look for me but you will not find me. You have been intent on following idols so my punishment will pour over you like a flood of water. I will be like a lion. I will attack. I will drag you off. "Then I will go back to my place until they suffer for their guilt and turn back to me. In their trouble they will look for me." The KJV says it this way, "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early." The NIV says, "Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me."

O Father, that is our prayer. That is our prayer. Remove the scales from their eyes, Lord. May YOU get the honor and glory. May all know that you are the God.  Amen.

*Yesterday our oldest granddaughter asked Jesus to live in her heart. WooHoo!!


Next Entry: Hosea 6:1 – 10:15

Hosea 1:1 – 3:5

January 27, 2015

Hosea 1:9 - "You are not my people, and I am not your God."
Hosea 2:23 - "You are my people... you are our God."

What a contrast between Hosea 1:9 and Hosea 2:23. Hosea's message came during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, which was prior to the fall of Jerusalem. God was still trying to get the message to Israel. You are like an adulteress woman. You have prostituted yourself and have been unfaithful to me.

They had turned away from God and God was pursuing them. Judah, for the most part, was faithful during this time period and God said, "I will save them, but not by using bows and sword, horses or horsemen, or weapons of war. I, the LORD their God, will save them." (Hosea 1:7)

Israel was not faithful, and God is telling them what He will do and the consequences they will face in order for there to be any hope for restoration. His words are strong:

• I will strip...
• I will not take pity...
• I will block...
• I will hem her in...
• I will take away...
• I will take back what I have given...
• I will stop...
• I will destroy...
• I will punish...

But, I will pursue her and I will make the "Valley of Trouble a door of hope."

Hope. There is always hope. Hope that "in the last days they will turn in fear to the LORD, and he will bless them." (Hosea 3:5) Hope that Hosea 1:9 - "You are not my people, and I am not your God," will turn into Hosea 2:23 - "You are my people... you are our God." Hope. Always hope.

God pursues, but it is man's choice. We either turn to God or we turn away from Him.  

Hope. Always hope.


Next Entry: Hosea 4:1 – 5:15

Daniel 10:1 – 12:13

January 26, 2012

The conclusion of Daniel.

Daniel has another vision. It is written in great detail. I don't understand all the details, but one thing is clear—God is in control. Nothing is left to chance, not here on earth, and not in the heavens. There are powers at work that we cannot see or even imagine. Our finite minds cannot understand the infinite Power, Majesty, Holiness, Authority, and Glory of the God of the universe. There just are not enough human words to adequately express who or what God is! The idea we can presume upon Him, or by our actions abuse His Grace, is just such an arrogant thought. Psalm 8:4 - "What is man that you are mindful of him?"  've written this before. When you even begin to understand a glimpse of His Awesomeness, falling to your face before him and crying Holy, Holy, Holy, just isn't enough. No wonder we have eternity to worship and praise HIM. No less time would ever be enough.

The man said to Daniel, "Do not be afraid. Some time ago you decided to get understanding and to humble yourself before your God. Since that time God has listened to you, and I have come because of your prayers... don't be afraid. God loves you very much. Peace be with you. Be strong now; be courageous." (Daniel 10:12) Hard times will come, but it is for your good. It will make you stronger, purer, and without fault. When the time for the end comes, it will come. "What God has planned to happen will happen." It will happen exactly when and how God intends it to happen. Nothing is left to happenstance. Romans 8:39 - "No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand."

Daniel 12 - The Time of the End

"Everyone whose name is written in God's book will be saved. Many people who have already died will live again. Some of them will wake up to have life forever, but some will wake up to find shame and disgrace forever. The wise person will shine like the brightness of the sky. Those who teach others to live right will shine like stars forever and ever... Many people will be made clean, pure, and spotless, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. Those wicked people will not understand these things, but the wise will understand them... as for you... go your way until the end. You will get your rest, and at the end you will receive your reward."

Revelation 22:17 -

"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Let the one who hears this say, "Come!" Let whoever is thirsty come; whoever wishes may have the water of life as a free gift." 

Revelation 22:20–21 -

"Jesus, the One who says these things are true, says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen.  Come, LORD Jesus! The grace of the LORD Jesus be with all.  Amen." 

Next Entry: Hosea 1:1 – 3:5

Daniel 9:1–27

January 25, 2012

Darius was king when Daniel was thrown into the lion's den through the scheming and trickery of others. Webster definition of trickery is deception by tricks and stratagems.

Stratagem: 1) a trick to deceive or outwit the enemy; a deceptive scheme; 2) skill in deception.
Outwit: 1) to get the better of by superior cleverness.

It's 5:30 AM. I was awake so I decided to get up and start writing. I was surprised to find myself writing about "trickery" this morning. Daniel 9 has nothing to do with "trickery." I was only wanting to clarify the sequence of events. Belshazzar was king in Chapter 5, 7, and 8. Darius was king in Chapters 6 and 9. That was my only point of starting today's writings with the background information of who was king during the time period of Chapter 9. Daniel's discovery of what God's word said happened during the first year of Darius' reign. It doesn't say in Chapter 6 which year of reign it was when Daniel through trickery was thrown into the lion's den.

When I wrote the word "trickery" earlier, I decided to pick up my Webster Dictionary to read the definition. And that led me to looking up "stratagem" and then "outwit." It's always interesting to see where my writings take me. I have no plan. I read the section in the NCV,  KJV, and NIV on one day, and I write about it the next day. While this chapter is not about trickery and it is about Daniel's discovery of God's Words and his prayers for his people, I want to first finish writing about the weird direction my writings took this morning before I move on to Chapter 9. 

Trickery • stratagem • outwit • skill in deception • deceptive schemes. Compare those words to the Webster definition of ignorant: lacking knowledge • unaware • uninformed. There is a vast difference between being ignorant of a situation and unaware of what is going on behind the scenes and understanding the truth once you become aware. What I understand now (mid-storm) verses what I knew then (pre-storm) is light years apart.

I'm especially intrigued by the word stratagem and its definition. I don't know if or when I've heard that exact word before. Strategy • strategize • strategic. Those are words we hear all the time. I was just not personally familiar with the word stratagem.

Stratagem: 1) a trick to deceive or outwit the enemy; a deceptive scheme; 2) a skill in deception.

The only way you become skilled in deception is from years of practice. People can use stratagem and strategize all the want but it doesn't change this fact: God is in control and His will WILL be done.

There is a lot I would like to say here, but the details of "the storm" aren't important. I will just say that unbeknownst to us, secret stratagems were put in place for years! Even though we were ignorant (unaware) of what was going on, God knew! And in His Sovereignty, HIS plan of protection was put in place. The "secret" plans of man hold no power over us because NO scheme of man can ever take us from HIS hands. And, for that I am grateful. "The storm" will end. We WILL hear the words, "You Are Free to Go!"

Now, back to Daniel 9.

In Chapter 9 Daniel was reading scripture and saw that the LORD told Jeremiah they would be captive for 70 years. Even though he had lived his life faithfully he didn't separate himself from the sins of God's people when he prayed. He used such words as "we" and "our." Daniel fasted and he cried out to God for his help. Daniel 9:4 - "LORD, you are a great God who causes fear and wonder. You keep your agreement of love with all who love you and obey your commands." But LORD, we have sinned and done wrong, we did not listen, we have been wicked, we have turned against you, we are ashamed, we have sinned against you. Daniel 9:7 - "LORD, you are good and right..." Show mercy. Daniel 9:11 - "You brought on us the curses and promises of punishment" because of our sins. You said these things would happen, and you made them happen. Daniel 9:17 - "Now, our God, hear the prayers of your servant. Listen to my prayer for help." Have mercy, LORD. Forgive, LORD. Save us, LORD.

While Daniel was confessing his sins, and the sins of the people, God sent Gabriel to him to explain to him what was going to happen. Daniel 9:22-23 - "Daniel, I have come to give you wisdom and to help you understand. When you first started praying, an answer was given and I came to tell you, because God loves you very much."

Daniel understood an important truth: we are all sinners. There is great danger in separating "they" as sinners and "us" as saved. We are all sinners. We are all in need of God's mercy, salvation, and grace. If we don't put safeguards in place, we are all in danger of falling away. Daniel understood this. That is why he did not compromise and instead followed God's commands. (Daniel 1:8) It is why he continued to worship and pray even though it could cost him everything. (Daniel 6:10) It is why he was reading the scriptures. (Daniel 9:2) The same is true for us today. Safeguards must be in place. Our understanding of the

God

↓

  Man 

relationship must remain in the forefront of our minds. Our understanding that we are sinners by nature and it is only by God's grace we are saved must be engraved on our hearts. Our compassion for the lost must not be forgotten. Our faith and reliance must be in God alone.  

Our life's purpose is to bring HIM honor and glory.


Next Entry: Daniel 10:1 – 12:13

Daniel 7:1 – 8:27

January 24, 2012

I've combined chapters 7 and 8. They are both about dreams (prophecy) Daniel had during the reign of Belshazzar. This was before King Darius and the lions den. Daniel was seeing visions of the end times. Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) KJV Scofield version gives in depth descriptions and explanations of these meanings. Many of the verses in these chapters are identical to verses found in Revelations. I like what Max Lucado says in his book When Christ Comes.

"For the Christian, the return of Christ is not a riddle to be solved or a code to be broken, but rather a day to be anticipated."

A simple overview of these chapters:

• There is a God
• He is in control
• Jesus has been given authority, strength, and glory
• Every tribe, nation, and language will someday serve Him
• His kingdom will last forever and never end
• He is the judge  

Daniel 7:10 - "Court was ready to begin and the books were open." Daniel 7:26 - "The court will decide what should happen."

When there is a turning away from God:

• There is no truth (Daniel 8:12)
• There are lies (Daniel 8:25)
• There is the use of force (Daniel 8:25)
• There is arrogance and worship of self (Daniel 8:25)

BUT! Evil will not triumph. Victory will not come by human power. Victory comes from the LORD.


Next Entry: Daniel 9:1–27

Daniel 6:1–28 (Continued)

January 24, 2012

Last night, as I was drifting in and out of sleep, a song kept running through my mind, the same song that I've found myself "singing" throughout the day and night for weeks now.

You Never Let Go  By Matt Redman

Even though I walk through they valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear.
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back
I know you are near.

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh, You never let go
LORD, You never let go of me.

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know you here on this earth.
 
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh, You never let go
LORD, You never let go of me.

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles.
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You!
Still I will praise You!


Next Entry: Daniel 7:1 – 8:27