Prepare the Way!!

October 14 - 30, 2015

I am still processing a new thought—Prepare the Way!!  

Here is how it started.

Last Sunday (October 11, 2015), our Pastor spoke about intercessory prayer in the morning and then that evening we went to see the movie "The War Room." Our church rented out the small local theater so the leaders of the church could all go together. I've been processing what we heard both Sunday morning and Sunday evening ever since.

There has been a lot to process.

After the Sunday morning service our Pastor opened up a time of prayer for the eight key outreach ministries of our church. There were large groups gathering in the front of the church for each area. We would have chosen the Honduras group since we were part of a mission group there in 2013. But instead, my husband leaned over to me and said, "I think we need to stay here and pray for ______ (my sister and brother-in-law)," and that is what we did. We once again "stood in the gap" and cried out to God for them to change their hearts and lives.

Sunday evening we went to see "The War Room"; a movie all about the need for intercessory prayer. The movie makes the analogy between the preparations that go on behind the scenes during the time of war and the preparations that should be going on behind the scenes as we Prepare the Way!! for the battles in our lives. There is no way around it. We will ALL face battles in our lives. To be prepared and to Prepare the Way!! we must be in prayer and we must have our own "war room."  John the Baptist came to "prepare the way" for the LORD. We also need to Prepare the Way!! for the LORD in our life situations through prayer. The goal both then (John the Baptist) and now (our prayers) is for people to change their hearts and lives.

I've been convicted that it is time for a change in how I have been praying, specifically for how I have been praying for my sister and brother-in-law. I absolutely believe that the "battle belongs to the LORD" and I have absolute faith in the promises of protection that God has given us. While I certainly pray often about "the storm" and for my sister and brother-in-law, I have for the most part left it (our situation) entirely in His hands which is a good thing to a point. But, in leaving it all in God's hands, I have failed to do all I should be doing to Prepare the Way!! for changed hearts and lives. The battle DOES belong to the LORD. But we are to participate in the preparations. We need to do our part. We are to "prepare the way for the Lord, make the way straight for Him" through prayer.  

Years ago, when this breakdown in our relationship with my sister and brother-in-law and "the storm" began, we strongly felt God gave us a specific prayer to pray for them. I have written it in my journal many, many times. Here is the prayer:

LORD, may _____ (my sister and brother-in-law) understand that without you they are nothing. LORD, may they desire nothing but you.

I still absolutely believe in the value of that prayer. It says it all. But after spending time processing Prepare the Way!! I now realize that for such a time as this I am to be praying more specifically for their changed hearts and lives. Specific actions which would bring about the understanding that without God they are nothing; specific actions which would give them the desire for nothing but God; specific actions for a specific purpose, for them to have an opportunity to change their hearts and lives; which would in turn fulfill the prayer God gave us to pray for them many years ago. 

To Prepare the Way!! does not mean we go to the LORD and tell Him our agendas and what we want Him to do for us. It does mean that we should be praying what I call biblical "whats." II Chronicles 7:14 - "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." To pray biblical "whats" mean you boldly go before the Lord, asking HIM to do what HIS words say and what HE has taught you.  You are asking HIM to do HIS work in your own life and in the lives of those around you. You are not telling Him what you want done to fix your problem and you are not telling Him how HE should do what you are praying. You are instead praying what you have learned from HIS words. To Prepare the Way!! means you are praying for HIS words to be fulfilled. You are praying for HIS will to be done.  

We KNOW that Jesus does not want anyone to be lost, so we KNOW we can pray with confidence for HIM to do a work in our loved ones lives. We can purposely and passionately Prepare the Way!! for the battle of salvation for our loved ones, but we cannot control whether they will choose to "humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways." Even though we have no control over their responses, we can KNOW we have done all we can do to Prepare the Way!! for such a time as this, and we can KNOW that God is faithful and will battle for them. It brings peace and comfort to KNOW that the battle results belong in God's hands.

How to Prepare the Way!!

First and foremost—Praise.

O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is YOUR name in all the earth. YOU have set YOUR glory above the heavens. From the lips of infants and children YOU have ordained praise, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I think about YOUR heavens, the sun and moon YOU have set in place. What is man that YOU are mindful of him? The son of man that YOU care for him. YOU made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. YOU made him ruler over the works of YOUR hands and put everything under his feet. All flocks and herds, all beasts of the air, all birds of the air, all fish of the sea, all that swims the path of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is YOUR name in all the earth. (Psalm 8) PRAISE—is the act of acknowledging who God is; HIS attributes; HIS power; HIS Sovereignty; HIS greatness. It's ALL about HIM!

Pray confession.

Thank you, LORD, for providing YOUR Son for our salvation. I acknowledge that YOU are God—I am not. I invite YOUR Holy Spirit to examine my life. Show me if there is anything in my life that is not pleasing to YOU and I will confess my sins, seek YOUR forgiveness, and surrender my will to YOURS. Speak to me Father and show me YOUR ways that I may walk in them. I want my life to be pleasing to YOU. I surrender my all to YOU. I will trust YOU and follow YOUR path—no matter what. Forgive me for where I have failed. As YOU have forgiven me, help me to also forgive others.

Pray the situation.

LORD, here is the issue. Here is the problem I am facing. Here is what is concerning to me. LORD, without your intervention the situation is hopeless. But with YOU, LORD, ALL things are possible. We put our faith and trust in YOU. We declare YOU as God of our lives. YOU are Sovereign. YOU are our deliverer. YOU are the One who shields our heads in the days of battle. Do not grant the wicked their desires. Do not let their evil plans succeed or they will become even more prideful. (Psalm 140)

Pray people humble themselves.

LORD, I pray for _____. I pray that YOU remove from them anything that is blocking them and keeping them from humbling themselves and surrendering to YOU. Anything, LORD. I pray that if they won't let go of the things they are clinging on to because of their pride, that YOU would force open their clenched fists and pry whatever it is they are holding on to away from them. Break down their self-made strongholds. LORD, it is their only hope. LORD, if they won't let go, then I pray YOU take it from them. "May the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused. May they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pit never to rise. May the slanderers not be established in the land, and may disaster hunt down men of violence." (Psalm 140) LORD, I pray YOU hold them accountable for their actions so they will understand their need to humble themselves before YOU. IF—they humble themselves and let go of their pride, THEN—YOU will be their stronghold, the One they can rely on. 

Pray they seek His face.

LORD, show them their need for YOU and only YOU. May nothing else work for them. No strategies, no schemes, none of "man's" plans. Nothing, LORD. May they search for YOUR truth. May they seek YOUR word. May they come to YOU for their salvation. May they pray and confess their sins and seek forgiveness. LORD, bring people into their lives that would guide them to YOU. IF—they confess their sins, THEN—YOU will forgive them of ALL their trespasses. 

Pray they turn from their wicked ways.

LORD, expose their deceit. For too long they have hid in the dark shadows of lies. May the light of YOUR Truth expose every dark lie that has been hidden in every corner. LORD, they cannot move forward into YOUR salvation while they are still pursuing what YOU call evil. So LORD, I pray YOU expose the ugly truth—all of it—and LORD, I pray they will turn from it. It's their only hope. It's their only hope. IF they humble themselves, and IF—they seek YOUR face, THEN—they can turn from their wicked ways with YOUR help. They can go back to the fork in the road and choose the right path. LORD, I pray for them to change their hearts and lives.

Pray for God to hear your cries for mercy.

LORD, hear our cries for mercy. YOU know we are innocent of all their false accusations. Save us by YOUR great power and YOUR surpassing greatness. May everyone know that it was YOUR power that saved us. You are a God of justice, may YOUR justice prevail. Have mercy LORD, have mercy. Sustain us. Strengthen us. Free us from those who surround us. 

Pray thanksgiving. 

LORD, thank you for YOUR promises. Thank you, for hearing our prayers and our cries for mercy. Thank you, for YOUR forgiveness and YOUR faithfulness. We surrender all to YOU. We are so grateful for YOUR guiding hand in our lives. We are grateful that YOU are a God of Justice and for YOUR surpassing greatness. We trust YOU. We worship YOU.  

Prepare the Way!! God was already teaching us this concept, and to some extent we were already living its principles, but we had not yet grasped the whole picture nor understood the importance of fulfilling our part in specific, daily, earnest, and purposeful prayer. We now have a better understanding of the role we have to pray in order to Prepare the Way!! (I meant to write "play" but I typed "pray" instead—rather appropriate!) Our level of participation needs to increase. It is time for our prayers for my sister and brother-in-law to include passionate specifics.

Psalm 140 is a perfect example of how to pray and Prepare the Way!! It models how to pray with passionate specifics. It is astounding to realize that even though it has been over eight years since Jane (Her Name Was Jane) first told us to read Psalm 140, this special chapter is STILL teaching us today. It clearly gives a step-by-step guide on how to handle anything life may throw at you, how to pray specifics, and how to claim the promises of God.

But! Before we/you pray the example of Psalm 140 we/you MUST remember what MUST come first. Psalm 150—PRAISE. 

PRAISE.

Praise first and foremost, and ALWAYS. It puts everything into proper perspective. Once we have acknowledged WHO God is then we can begin to pray the example of Psalm 140.

Submission to God.   

"Rescue us O LORD... protect us. Keep us O LORD... protect us." The rescuing, protection, and keeping ALL belong to God. We must first recognize that God is God and we are not. It is not our responsibility to try and figure out ways to rescue or protect ourselves. What God wants from us is our obedience and our submission. He wants us to trust Him and to wait on Him. 

Here is the problem.

"Rescue us O LORD from evil men. Protect us from men of violence who devise evil plans in their heart and stir up war every day. They make their tongues as sharp as serpents, the poison of vipers is on their lips. Keep us, O LORD, from the hand of the wicked. Protect us from men of violence. Proud men have hidden a snare for us, they have spread out the cords of their nets along our path." We have to face the truth of our situation and call it what it is. Avoiding the truth or sugar coating it doesn't make it go away or lessen the effects of it. For a while I questioned whether the statement "men of violence" applied to our situation because it seemed like such a strong term. We typically associate violence with something physical. But then I finally understood. Sin and evil behavior is violent and "men of violence" is NOT too descriptive or too strong of a statement. Sin creates upheaval, stress, angst, turbulence, emotional pain, etc. and yes, it creates violence, even if it isn't necessarily physical. The truth is the truth! Call it what it is. Sin is ugly. It produces evil, and it is violent.

Salvation comes from God. 

 "But we say, You are our God. Hear O LORD, our cry for mercy. O Sovereign Lord, our strong Deliverer, who shields our heads in the days of battle." CLAIM IT!! YOU are our God!! It is all about HIM. HE is the One who saves. HE is the One who deliverers. HE is the One who shields. HE is the One who will protect us and free us. Cry out to HIM. Go to HIM for mercy. Claim HIM as your God. If He isn't your God yet, then humble yourself and pray; acknowledge that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ provided the way and opportunity for your salvation; ask HIM to forgive you of your sins; surrender your life to HIS will; turn from your old ways; and claim HIM as your God. 

Hold them accountable.

"Do not grant the wicked their desires, O Lord. Do not let their plans succeed or they will become proud. Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused. Let burning coals fall on them. May they be thrown into the fire, in to the miry pit never to rise. Let the slanderers not be established in the land. May disaster hunt down men of violence." Expose the deceit and lies. Reveal their motives. Hold them accountable for their own actions. Put them into a position where they cannot save themselves by their own power. It's the only way they will ever realize they need a Savior. It's their only hope.Notice that NONE of the vengeance is our responsibility. There should be NO anger or revenge coming from our hearts. That doesn't mean we want them to get a free pass for their behavior. It does mean that we want them to be held accountable because that is their only hope for salvation. But it also means that we understand that accountability has to come from GOD. Vengeance is HIS, not ours.  

The LORD—HE is the One.

"I know the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise HIS name and the upright will live before you." I KNOW!! What peace; what strength; what joy; what contentment; what assurance comes with just those two words. I KNOW!! God is in control. HE secures. HE upholds. The LORD—HE is the One. It is ALL about HIM! Our faith is in HIM. There is life in HIM. We praise HIM. There will never be enough human words to adequately praise HIS name. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is YOUR name in all the earth. 

When you Prepare the Way!! you will find it changes YOU first. Prayer is often for the pray-er of the prayer. If we are going to Prepare the Way!! through prayer, then we have to first make sure we are living our own life in obedience to His Word and are living our own life surrendered to the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is only then that we can begin to Prepare the Way!! for changed hearts and lives in our loved ones and others.  

To Prepare the Way!! for changed hearts and lives we MUST be practicing purposeful prayer. When we Prepare the Way!! through prayer, we also Prepare the Way!! to receive HIS blessings in our lives. It is a two way street. We get to watch and witness the Hand of God working in our own lives and in the lives of others. What a gift. What a blessing. What a responsibility.   

PREPARE THE WAY!!

Addendum: 8/3/2017 ~ We have added a new Prepare the Way!! to our prayers. We are asking the Lord to Prepare the Way!! for this journal/blog—Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead) and the blog chronicling the story of Jane—Walking By Faith: A True Story of God's Faithfulness to be made public. As far as I know, I have almost finished everything I believe God has asked me to do. My journals and our story has been written and Jane's story is almost finished. It is HIS story. While the lawsuit is still in the court system HIS story cannot be released. So, we are praying that God "Prepare the Way" for HIS story to be shared.

LORD, we are not the victims of a lawsuit, we are the recipients of a Blessed Event. Thank you for taking what was meant for our harm and giving us a story to tell of YOUR faithfulness. LORD, we ask that you Prepare the Way!! for YOUR story to go out. May the story of YOUR great love and faithfulness encourage others and bring many people to YOUR Kingdom. Thank you, LORD.

Prepare the way, LORD. Prepare the Way!! 


Next Entry: Matthew 4:1–25   

Matthew 3:1–17 (Continued)

February 27, 2012

John the Baptist goes on to say: Don't even think about relying on your ancestral heritage. Your ancestral heritage means nothing to God. You think it important that "Abraham is our father," but past history and your "name" means nothing. It has to be personal. It has to be your life that has changed. It has to be your life that is surrendered. You will be known by what you do or do not do. 

God doesn't need you, you need God. Accountability is about to happen. Matthew 3:10 - "The ax is now ready to cut down the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." God is ready to punish those who do not obey Him.

John the Baptist came to prepare the way, to baptize with water to symbolize a changed heart and surrendered life, and to tell about the One who would come after him. Just as John the Baptist was preaching repentance as a way to prepare for Jesus' physical coming, personal and true repentance prepares the way for our acceptance of the sacrifice Jesus made for our salvation.

John baptized with water. Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire  Matthew 3:12 - "He will come ready to clean the grain, separating the good grain from the chaff. He will put the good part of the grain into his barn, but he will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out." (Read about the references to chaff in Psalm 1 and Psalm 140.)

Jesus will be the judge. He will decide who is good. He will decide who has become like chaff, who has lost their value, and who is no longer producing good fruits. The good are saved and the bad are punished. Those words are hard to hear, but they are God's words and they are true. Jesus will be the judge.

Jesus asks John the Baptist to baptize him.  He, who knew no sin and had no need of confession, humbled himself to be baptized. In the Old Testament the priests were first washed and then anointed. Jesus was making himself one of them. Immediately upon coming up out of the water, the heavens opened and God's Spirit came down on him a like a dove. At the same time a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with him." (Matthew 3:17)

From Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) KJV Bible:

"For the first time the Trinity, foreshadowed in many ways in the Old Testament, is fully manifested. The Spirit descends upon the Son, and at the same moment the Father's voice is heard from heaven."

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—Three in One.

I explain the Trinity and the Holy Spirit to my 7th graders using an egg and balloon. Just like an egg has three parts (egg shell, egg white, and egg yolk—but yet are all part of the same egg) so it is with God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three parts but one GOD. I draw them this picture:

The only way we get to God is through Jesus and the cross. Then Jesus asks God to send the Holy Spirit to us. While we can't "see" the Holy Spirit, He is there. I use a balloon to demonstrate this. When I blow into a balloon you cannot see the air I blow in, but you can see the result—the balloon expands and becomes larger. We cannot see the Holy Spirit, but we can witness the effect He has on our lives. The more air I blow into the balloon the more it expands and the larger it becomes. The more we surrender our lives to God through Jesus, the more God fills us with His Holy Spirit, and the more our lives are changed to become more Christ-like. Just as Jesus chose to be baptized as a symbol of a surrendered life, we should also be baptized as a symbol of our surrendered life. But even more important than a one-time act of baptism, we need to daily surrender our lives to Him.

Addendum:  10/8/15 ~ Because there was a lull in the lawsuit we had not incurred any dreaded lawyer fees for quite some time. But now it is starting back up. Today we got the statement for this months charges from our lawyer. Almost $1,500... and that's just the beginning. I'm guessing we will have at least $15,000 – $20,000 more in charges for just the upcoming Settlement Conference. We've been told that it takes about $100,000 to cover a trial. Oh my goodness. The thought of what we will have to additionally spend to defend ourselves against my sister and brother-in-law's trickery and their totally false accusations is nauseating. Literally. It just seems so ridiculously wrong, wasteful, foolish, and unacceptable that their anger, greed and revenge is causing us to keep going farther in the hole when that same money which could either be spent wisely or saved wisely, is being squandered away.

But then I had a new thought! A paradigm shift in thinking. I am no longer going to view the money we have to spend to defend ourselves as a wasted expense. Instead, I am going to view it as an investment. Let me explain.

Up until now it has always felt like a wasted expense. But then last year around this time, we realized God had something planned for my journals. I wrote about it here:

LORD – What Am I to Do?
The LORD Answers!
I Didn't Know—BUT GOD DID!!

So, now we know that someday my journals and the story of Jane E. Wolfe will be made public.  In my journal entry today I explained the steps to salvation—and that's when it hit me. The cost of defending ourselves in this lawsuit is NOT an expense—it is an investment! . An investment in God's Kingdom. An investment in changed hearts and lives. An investment in lives that are eternally saved! THAT is an "expense" I am very willing to pay!! Without the betrayal of loved ones, the scheming to set traps along our path, and false accusation there is no story of God's faithfulness to tell. The money we are spending is not wasted—IT IS AN INVESTMENT! 

What a paradigm shift in thinking. From now on, when I have to write the check to our lawyer, it will no longer be with dread and angst. It will instead be with joy for being allowed to be the recipients of a Blessed Event, and it will be with thanksgiving for being given a small role to play in furthering the Kingdom of God.

Maybe. Maybe someday we will learn the story of someone whose life was changed because of reading either:

Walking By Faith: A True Story of God's Faithfulness

or

Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead)

Every exhausted night; every heartache; every disappointment; every dollar that was spent will be worth it ALL!! Thank you, LORD, for showing me (once again) this is not about us, it is ALL about You.  


Next Entry: Prepare the Way!! 

Matthew 3:1–17 (Continued)

February 25, 2012

The Sadducees were a group of people among the Jews who did not believe in the supernatural. They denied the existence of angels or miracles, and they did not believe in the resurrection. They were logical thinkers, things had to make logical sense. They were strong believers in the Sanhedrin (kind of like the Supreme Court—a group of members who met and decided who/what was right or wrong). They liked rules and procedures. You do this... this... and this. Everything fits in a nice little box. Everything was already in place, very logical, and all very self controlled. You first go to the Priests; and the final authority is the Sanhedrin. 

Who needs some guy named Jesus showing up to tell them they need to change their ways? They had their systems in place, there was no need to rock the boat. There is no such thing as angels, miracles, or resurrection, or so they thought. And John calls them "vipers." He says to them, you "act" religious, but that isn't what God wants. He wants you to "do the things that show you really have changed your heart and lives."   

Be genuine! Knowing scripture is not enough. Being "religious" is not enough. Formality is not enough. You must change your hearts and lives. And you must do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives. 

You must do! There is no such thing as a secret follower. Your actions and words must match. You can't just "talk the talk" you must also "walk the walk."


Next Entry: Matthew 3:1–17 (Continued)

Matthew 3:1–17

February 24, 2012

The work of John the Baptist: Prepare the way for the LORD.

Isaiah 40:3 - "This is a voice of one who calls out in the desert: 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make the road straight for him.' " His message? The same as the prophets. "Change your hearts and lives" the kingdom of heaven is near.

Many people came, confessed their sins, changed their hearts and lives, and were baptized by John. The Pharisees and Sadducees came as well. But they didn't come to change their lives. John the Baptist had a word for them—vipers. (Psalm 140:3 - "...the poison of vipers is on their lips..")

The Pharisees were a sect, a group of people who pledged to be true to their ideals. They believed in themselves. They followed the letter of the law but not the meaning. Scofield says, "They were correct, moral, zealous, and self-denying, but self-righteous, and destitute of the sense of sin and need." They were religious, but it was all about legalism and not about God. It was about who they were not whose they were. They didn't "need" God, they were the Pharisees. They didn't need a Savior, they were already better than everyone else.

The Pharisees were the biggest persecutors of Jesus. Knowing scripture as they did they should have recognized Him as Savior, but instead they saw Him as a threat and did everything they could to harass Him and bring Him down. Who needed a king? They were the leading Jews; they knew the law; they were religious; they were the smartest; and they were competent. Who needed this guy named Jesus to come along and tell them to change their hearts and lives?

Who needed this guy? They did. But they didn't want to hear it. Jesus had very strong words to say about the Pharisees. He exposed their evil actions; He denounced their ways; He opposed them; He accused them; and John the Baptist called them "vipers."


Next Entry: Matthew 3:1–17 (Continued)

Matthew 2:1–23

February 22, 2012

The story of the wise men coming to find the Christ child. We all know the story by heart. I heard a sermon about it though that pointed out several things I had missed. The wise men traveled for years to find the Christ child by following the star which guided them. They sought God. They obeyed His direction. They followed His leading. They believed God. They believed a baby was to be born. They believed He would become the king of the Jews. They believed God would guide their way to Him. They believed—and they wanted to worship Him.

On the other hand, the leading priests and teachers of the law knew what scripture said and lived in a town just a few miles away, yet made no effort to seek out the Christ child; made no effort to follow God or His teachings; made no effort—period. Even after the wise men came and asked where the child was, the leading priests and teachers of the law didn't join in the search so they could worship the Christ child. The people who should have been the most knowledgeable and the most prepared were the least interested. They knew about Him. They knew what scripture said about a ruler coming, yet they did nothing. When Herod questioned the leading priests and teachers they quoted Micah 5:2 which foretold His coming. They obviously knew truth, but they didn't follow truth.

The wise men continue on. They follow the star and they find the Christ-child. They bow down and worship Him and give Him their gifts. King Herod, under the guise of wanting to worship the child himself, asked the wise men to come back and tell him where they found the child. But God warned them it was a trap and they went back to their country a different way. An angel warned Joseph about Herod's plans and told him to go to Egypt. This fulfilled the prophesy Hosea gave in Hosea 1:1 - "I called my son out of Egypt." When Herod figured out that his evil plan to trick the wise men failed he was very angry and ordered all the boys two years and under to be killed. This fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15.

Herod was so threatened by the possible loss of power that he was willing to kill hundreds of little boys in an attempt to preserve his power and prestige. Man may try to be in control, but God's will cannot be thwarted. After Herod died an angel of the LORD spoke to Joseph and told him it was safe for him to return because "the people who were trying to kill the child are now dead." So they went to Israel where an angel again warned him of danger and they went to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, fulfilling what God said through the prophets. Isaiah 11:1 - "He will be called a Nazarene."  

When you stop and consider the intricate, down-to-the-smallest-detail plans of God, I just stand amazed. Every detail carefully planned. What an amazing God we serve. He is trustworthy, and I trust Him with the details of my life. 


Next Entry: Matthew 3:1–17

When God Calls – God Provides (The Rest of the Story)

February 21, 2012

My heart is full of gratitude and praise today. On January 15, 2012, I wrote about When God Calls – God Provides As I re-read that this morning, I realized I'd left a lot of the story out. I'm going to include "The Rest of the Story" here.

We had a great Christmas (2011). The personalized wool Christmas stockings I was going to make in 2006 (but were put on the back burner because of the lawsuit) were completed in just a few weeks time.I was so excited to share them with everyone. After Christmas, I (of course) began to think about next Christmas which will also be when we celebrate our 40th anniversary. I began to think, "Wouldn't it be great to take the entire family on a Florida Disney/Lego Land/Beach vacation?"

I started researching things online. We could put Disney gift cards in their stockings as a surprise, etc. While it all sounded great, how in the world would we be able to afford it? (If you've been reading this journal, you know the financial situation we are in because of the lawsuit filed against us by my sister and brother-in-law.) It seemed impossible, but we decided to try. So, we began our Disney fund. We drastically cut down how many times we ate out. I began to plan my menus for the week, only buying what was needed for those menus, etc. We were going to try to make it happen.

And then comes what I wrote about on January 15, 2012. Are you kidding me? Seriously God? We were going way out on a limb to even consider Disney, and now you are asking us to go on a mission trip? Seriously?

There was no hesitation. The answer was—Yes. We will do it. We will plan for a mission trip. The dream we'd put aside was now something we would plan for even though humanly speaking it seemed impossible. And we would plan to go on the mission trip BEFORE taking the family to Disney. We (my husband and I) both felt we were to plan forward as if it was going to be possible even though it made no sense; even though the lawsuit is still ongoing; and even though it seemed totally out of reach. We would start preparing for the mission trip FIRST and we would also plan on taking our family to Florida. Thinking we would be able to have the money for one was absurd, but for both? Crazy! But, When God Calls – God Provides and we would take the leap of faith and believe.

As I reflect back, I don't think it was merely happenstance that our plans to take a family trip to Disney came before we were challenged to take a mission trip. God wanted to know our response. Would we be willing to give up our dream of what we wanted? Would we be willing to do what He was asking of us FIRST? He knew what our answer would be, but he was giving us an opportunity to continue to grow our faith, and he was also giving us more opportunities to give HIM the Honor, Praise, and Glory for what HE would do.

Our answer was—Yes. We will plan forward. We will believe the impossible. We will do our part. We came to believe that God was NOT asking us to be willing to go on a mission trip instead of taking the family to Disney, but in addition to  taking the family on a Florida vacation in celebration of our 40th anniversary. So, we began to plan and prepare as if the impossible would become possible. When God Calls – God Provides.

And HE did, and does!! This morning I received a phone call from our accountant. A unexpected check for $10,000 is coming our way. What ?!?! Impossible!! Guess who is going on a mission trip?!! The rest will be used to pay lawsuit expenses. I fully believe that around March of 2013, I will be writing about our family trip to Florida celebrating our 40 years of marriage and God's faithfulness.

When God Calls – God Provides.

Addendum: God Called...and God Provided. Read about our mission trip here.


Next Entry: Matthew 2:1–23   

Matthew 1:1–25

February 20, 2012

The family history of Jesus—quite the colorful group of people. As you read through the list you see some who faithfully followed God; some who had some major mess ups; and some who deliberately did not follow God's ways. The ancestry of Christ fulfills Old Testament prophecy and the birth of Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah 7:14 - "The LORD himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be pregnant. She will have a son, and she will name him Immanuel." Matthew 1:22–23 - "All this happened to bring about what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be pregnant. She will have a son, and they will name him Immanuel,' which means, "God with us."

"God is with us." No more temple. No more priests. No more separation. God with us!! What an amazing gift. God in flesh. Fully man and and fully God. What love, what amazing love! Oh, how I am looking forward to reading and hearing the words of Jesus/God himself. Jesus—THE Christ of God.

A little about Matthew. Matthew was a Jew who was a tax-collector for the Romans who were oppressing the Jews. Obviously not a well-liked guy. He was taking money from his own people to give to Rome. He took advantage of people for his own gain, and this was who Jesus chose to call. Matthew chose to follow, and he spent the rest of his life telling other people about the King—Jesus, THE Christ.

Jesus spent his life living and dying for people like Matthew. Matthew chose to follow. We each have a choice to make. Follow and obey—or—turn away. 


Next Entry: When God Call – God Provides (The Rest of the Story) 

Introduction to New Testament

February 20, 2012

The Old Testament is an introduction to the New Testament. I now read with interest the genealogy of Jesus that I used to skip over. The names are familiar. They are like old friends, people I know. Their life stories play across the screen in my mind. Quotations from the Old Testament are woven throughout the New Testament. Prophecies from the Old Testament are fulfilled and recorded in the New Testament. 

In the Old Testament God spoke through His prophets but now He speaks through His Son. The Old Testament prophets were the voice from God. Now the voice is God; the voice of Jesus, the LAMB of God and second member of the Trinity; the voice of GOD Himself. When we accept Jesus THE Christ as our Savior, we are given the Holy Spirit, the third member of the trinity and we are given God Himself. 

I want to pay close attention to the words of Jesus as I begin this journey through the New Testament. I've read them many times before, but I want to read them with new eyes, and more importantly—open ears.

The introduction is over. Speak to me, LORD. I am ready and willing to listen. Show me YOUR Truth. Teach me YOUR ways. I will obey.


Next Entry: Matthew 1:1–25

From Malachi to Matthew

February 19, 2012

Between the end of the Old Testament (Malachi) and the beginning of the New Testament, there is a space of about 400 years not included in the Bible. While the Bible is silent for that time period, much is known through historical records. The following is quoted from Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) KJV Scofield Bible:

From Malachi to Matthew

The close of the Old Testament canon left Israel in two great divisions. The mass of the nation were dispersed throughout the Persian Empire, more as colonists than captives. A remnant, chiefly of the tribe of Judah, with Zerubbabel, a prince of the Davidic family, and the survivors of the priests and Levites, had returned to the land under the permissive decrees of Cyrus and his successors, and had established again the temple worship. Upon this remnant the interest of the student of Scripture centers; and this interest concerns both their political and religious history.

     I. Politically, the fortunes of the Palestinian Jews followed, with one exception—the Maccabean revolt—the history of the Gentile world-empires foretold by Daniel.

 (1) The Persian rule continued about one hundred years at the close of the Old Testament canon, and seems to have been mild and tolerant, allowing to the high priest, along with his religious functions, a measure of civil power, but under the overlordship of the governors of Syria. The sources of history of the Jewish remnant during the Persian period were purely legendary when Josephus wrote. During this period the rival worship of Samaria was established.  (John 4:19,20)

Palestine suffered much from the constant wars between Persia and Egypt, lying as it did "between the anvil and the hammer."

(2) In 333 B.C. Syria fell under the power of the world-empires, the Graeco—Macedonian of Alexander. That conqueror, as Josephus relates, was induced to treat the Jews with much favour; but upon the breaking up of his empire, Judaea again fell between the hammer and the anvil of Syria and Egypt, falling first under the power of Syria, but later under Egypt as ruled by the Ptolemaic kings. During this period (B.C.320-198) great numbers of Jews were established in Egypt, and the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament was made (B.C. 285).

(3) In B.C. 198 Judaea was conquered by Antiochus the Great, and annexed to Syria. At this time the divisions of the land into the five provinces familiar to readers of the Gospels: Galilee, Samaria, Judaea (often collectively called Judaea), Trachonitis, and Peraea, was made. The Jews at first were permitted to live under their own laws under the high priest and a council. About B.C. 180 the land became the dowry of Cleopatra, a Syrian princess married to Ptolemy Philometor, king of Egypt, but on the death of Cleopatra was reclaimed by Antiochus Epiphanes (the "little horn" of Daniel 8), after a bloody battle. In 170 B.C., Antiochus after repeated interferences with the temple and priesthood, plundered Jerusalem, profaned the temple, and enslaved great numbers of the inhabitants. December 25, B.C. 168, Antiochus offered a sow upon the great altar, and erected an altar to Jupiter. This is the "desolation" of Daniel 8:13, type of the final "abomination of desolation" of Matthew 24:15. The temple worship was forbidden, and the people compelled to eat swine flesh.

(4) The excesses of Antiochus provoked the revolt of the Maccabees, one of the most heroic pages of history. Mattathias, the first of the Maccabees, a priest of great sanctity and energy of character, began the revolt. He did little more than to gather a band of godly and determined Jews pledged to free the nation and restore ancient worship, and was succeeded by his son Judas, known in history as Maccabaeus, from the Hebrew word for hammer. He was assisted by four brothers of whom Simon is best known.

 In B.C 165 Judas regained possession of Jerusalem, purified and rededicated the temple, an event celebrated in the Jewish Feast of the Dedication. The struggle with Antiochus and his successor continued. Judas was slain in battle, his brother Jonathan succeeding. In him the civil and priestly authority were united (B.C.143). Under Jonathon, his brother Simon, and his nephew John Hyrcanus, the Hasmonean line of priest-rulers was established, under sufferance of other powers. They possessed none of the Maccabean virtues.

(5) A civil war followed, which was terminated by the Roman conquest of Judaea and Jerusalem by Pompey (B.C.63) who left Hyrcanus, the last of the Hasmoneans, a nominal sovereignty, Antipater, and Idumean, wielding the actual power. B.C. 47 Antipater was made procurator of Judaea by Julius Caesar, and appointed his son, Herod, governor of Galilee. After the murder of Caesar disorder ensued in Judaea, and Herod fled to Rome. There he was appointed (B.C. 40) king of the Jews, and returning, he conciliated the people by his marriage (B.C. 38) with Mariamne, the beautiful grand-daughter of Hyrcanus, and appointed her brother, the Maccabean Aristobulus III, high priest. Herod was king when Jesus Christ was born. 

      II. The religious history of the Jews during the long period from Malachi (B.C. 397) to Christ followed as to outer ceremonial, the high priestly office, and the temple worship, the course of the troublous political history, and is of scant interest.

      Of greater moment are the efforts and means by which the real faith of Israel was kept alive and nurtured.

(1) The tendency to idolatry seems to have been destroyed by the Jews experience and observation of it during the captivity. Deprived of temple and priest, and of the possibility of continuing a ceremonial worship, the Jewish people were thrown back upon that which was fundamental in their faith, the revelation of God as One, the Creator, to be conceived of as having made man in His own image, and therefore as having such analogies to the nature and life of man as to be comprehensible by man, while remaining the Eternal Spirit, God. The conception of God, enforced by the mighty ministries of the pre-exilic and exilic prophets, finally prevailed over all idolatrous conceptions, and this ministry was continued amongst the returned remnant by Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The high ethics of the older prophets, their stern rebuke of mere formalism, and their glowing prophecies of the ultimate restoration of Israel in national and religious supremacy under Messiah, were all repeated by the three prophets of the restoration.

The problem was to keep alive this exalted ideal in the midst of outward persecutions and sordid and disgraceful divisions within.

(2) The organic means to this end was the synagogue, an institution which formed no part of the biblical order of the national life. It's origins is obscure. Probably, during the captivity, the Jews, deprived of the temple and its rites, met on the Sabbath day for prayer. This would give opportunity for the reading of the Scriptures. Such meetings would require some order of procedure, and some authority for the restraint of disorder. The synagogue doubtless grew out of the necessities of the situation in which the Jews were placed, but it served the purpose of maintaining the familiarity with the inspired writings, and upon these the spiritual life of the true Israel was nourished.

(3) But during this period, also, was created that mass of tradition, comment and interpretation, known as Mishna, Gemara, (forming the Talmud), Halachoth, Midrashim, and Kabbala, so superposed upon the Law that obedience was transferred from the Law itself to the traditional interpretation.

(4) During this period also rose the two great sects known to the Gospel narratives as Pharisees and Sadducees. The Herodians were a party rather than a sect.

Amongst such a people, governed, under the suzerainty of Rome, by an Idumean usurper, rent by bitter and unspiritual religious controversies, and maintaining an elaborate religious ritual, appeared Jesus, the Son and Christ of God.

Next Entry: Introduction to New Testament

Old Testament Epilogue

October 05, 2015

The recording of my journey through the Old Testament from my journals written from 11/16/09 through 02/18/12 is over. And once again, I have mixed emotions. It will be exciting to enter the New Testament, but I LOVE the Old Testament and I hate to see it over. I've learned so much during my original journey and then again now as I've recorded the journey.

Every one of the promises God gave us through the lips of Jane (Her Name Was Jane) came from the Old Testament.

• Psalm 150
• Psalm 140
• Isaiah 30
• Psalm 1
• Jeremiah 33

To me the Old Testament is not an irrelevant, boring, or a difficult-to-read compilation of old books. It is instead an interesting account of history; its books explaining the "what, when, where, and the why" of the actions, choices, consequences, curses—verses—blessings, and circumstances behind the issues and situations that are no different than what we face today; and with just as much relevancy as when they were first recorded. After reading the Old Testament, you come away convinced that HE is the ONE; HE is in control; and HE is Sovereign.

There is none like Him; there is none beside Him; there is none above Him; there is NO other god—the LORD, HE is the ONE.

Understanding the Old Testament also brings clarity to the New Testament. The meaning behind Jesus being the LAMB of God; why the curtain separating the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom; why the Jews were expecting and looking for an earthly king; why they rejected Jesus as their king; etc. Understanding the Old Testament lays the foundation for Jesus' teachings.

Jesus often quoted from the Old Testament in His teachings. If it was important for Jesus to quote the scripture from the Old Testament, then it is important for us to read it and know it as well. To never read or study the Old Testament is like starting a novel in the middle of the book and never knowing for sure how the story began. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend that a new believer begin reading the Bible with Genesis, I most definitely would recommend knowing the story behind the coming of the Christ once they have grown in understanding.  

The Old Testament has become like my trusted old friend, someone you are comfortable with and someone you look forward to spending time with. So, dear old friend, the goodbye is only temporary. When I finish recording my journey through the New Testament, I will be back to start over through your familiar passages again. Until then, I'm looking forward to beginning the New Testament and reading the words of God himself—Jesus! THE Christ; THE Lamb of God; and our Living Savior.  


Next Entry: From Malachi to Matthew   

Zephaniah 1:1 – 3:20 (Continued)

February 18, 2012

Zephaniah ends with this amazing promise:

"I will take away the sadness planned for you, which would have made you very ashamed. At that time I will punish all those who harmed you. I will save my people who cannot walk and gather my people who have been thrown out. I will give them praise and honor in every place where they were shamed. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you back home. I will give you honor and praise from people everywhere when I make things go well for you, as you will see with your own eyes," says the LORD."

Following those verses in the margin of my Bible I wrote the following:

Praise the Lord!

5-19-08 ~ When fear attacks we will claim these verses. We will NOT be afraid and we will NOT give up. We WILL wait on the Lord. Oh, that our lives would be such that He rejoices over us and sings because of us. Hear our cries for mercy, Lord. Restore the land. Save us from those who planned evil against. us. May all honor and glory be yours. Praise the Lord.

What a way to end the Old Testament. When I wrote those words on 5-19-08, I had no way of knowing that on November 16, 2009, I would begin keeping a journal(s) of my journey reading through the Bible and that on February 18, 2012, I would finish the Old Testament with the words that I wrote in the margin of my Bible three years and eight months earlier. 

I read those words from 2008 and I can feel the pain and hurt that person was feeling. What a change there has been. The pain and hurt has been replaced with peace and joy. My faith and confidence in the LORD has grown immeasurably. Even the way I wrote/write Lord has changed. LORD to me now is all caps: I AM; Yahweh; the God who is. We have been on quite a journey these last five years. It has been a path of unknowns, but we have been led the entire way by the great I AM. How well I remember those first unsure steps as we began our faith journey. God is faithful and I believe He has found us faithful. 

"The LORD your God is with you; the mighty One will save you... you will see with your own eyes."

Praise the LORD.

Addendum:  10/4/15 ~ And now, three and one half years later, I am transcribing my writings, the lawsuit has been going on for over eight years and the judge has ordered a Settlement Conference. Unless God intervenes, the Settlement Conference will be an act of futility. BUT—like I first wrote in my margins over seven years ago:

When fear attacks we will claim these verses. We will NOT be afraid and we will NOT give up. We WILL wait on the Lord. Oh, that our lives would be such that He rejoices over us and sings because of us. Hear our cries for mercy, Lord. Restore the land. Save us from those who planned evil against us. May all honor and glory be yours. Praise the Lord."

A "new day" is coming. "At that time" God's promises will be fulfilled. "As you will see with your own eyes." We believe—WE BELIEVE! 

Life Lesson: "Hear God's Word through his faithful prophet—surely he will judge sin. But there is hope, deliverance, and salvation for those who trust in Him.  The storm is over; take a walk in the sun!"


Next Entry: Old Testament Epilogue

Zephaniah 1:1 – 3:20 (Continued)

February 17, 2012

Gather together! Gather together!

"Do it before it's too late, before you are blown away like chaff, before the LORD's terrible anger reaches you, before the day of the LORD's anger comes to you. Come to the LORD, all you who are not proud, who obey his laws. DO what is right. Learn to be humble. Maybe you will escape on the day the LORD shows his anger." Zephaniah 2:1–3

The LORD pleads with the people. He begs them! Do it before it's too late! Please! Do it! Now! Don't wait!! There will be a day when it's too late! Do it now! Before! Before you are blown away like chaff. Come to me! Do you hear me? Come to me!! It will mean you have to put yourself aside, you will have to lay your pride down. Lay your pride down! Come to me! Put your own dreams, wishes, and demands aside. Obey my laws! Come to me! Don't try to help yourself! Don't go to others for help! Come to me! Do what is right! Get a new way of thinking! Learn to be humble! You are going to have to change their hearts and get a new way of thinking. You are going to have to learn to be humble and to put me above anything and everything! Come to me! Do it before it is too late!!

God so wants His people to repent and return to Him. He pursues them and gives them every opportunity. But there comes a time when the day of grace is over and punishment happens. 

"How terrible it will be..." There will be a distinguishable difference between those who have chosen to follow me (God) and those who have chosen to follow their own ways. Ruin and destruction will come to those who think they are in control of their own lives; who think they have safely protected themselves; who think their deeds (actions and actual) are hidden; who thinks there is no one else as strong or as smart as they are; who say to themselves, "I am, and there is none besides me. (Zephaniah 2:15)

What a revealing quote. They think they are the "I am." They think "there is none besides me." God is the only I AM. God is the one who said, "I AM, and there is none besides me."(Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 43:11; Isaiah 44:6–8; Isaiah 45:5,21; Hosea 13:4) Their thoughts reveal the root of the problem. It was pride and self—the problem of "I." The

God

↓

Man

relationship was not acknowledged. There was no surrendering of the heart. They had elevated themselves to the position of god. They trusted in their own wisdom, own power, own strength, own business savvy, own devices, own schemes... it was all about them. The first two commandments were broken, and the breaking of all the rest soon followed.

We look at the quote of their thoughts and we think—what arrogance. Yet sadly, that is the way the vast majority of people "live" even if they don't have the brashness to "say" their thoughts out loud. Our actions reveal the truth. We may try to fool ourselves and we may be successful in fooling others, but we are not fooling God. He knows the truth. We may try to honor God with our lips but our actions belie the truth.

God says, "How terrible..." for the people who are wicked, stubborn, who hurt their own people, will not obey, refuse to be taught to do right, won't trust the LORD, won't worship the LORD, who attack people, who are proud, who can't be trusted, who break God's teachings, who are not ashamed of their actions. I (God) have already held them accountable in many ways. I said, "Surely now (they) will respect me and will accept my teaching." Then I would not have to punish them. "But they were still eager to do evil in everything they did." And the LORD, the LORD who is good, the LORD who can do no wrong, the LORD who judges fairly, the LORD who can be trusted (Zephaniah 3:5) says:

"Just wait, someday I will stand up as a witness."

The wicked will be punished and my people will be protected. A new day is coming. The proud will be removed, but I will leave my people who are humble and they will trust in me. They will not do wrong. They won't tell lies. They won't trick people with their words. They will eat and lie down. They will go about their day-to-day lives and no one will make them afraid.

Sing! Shout for joy! Be happy! Rejoice! The days of trial and punishments are over! Your enemies have been sent away! The LORD is with you! Never again will you fear any harm. Zephaniah 3:16–17 - "On that day (you) will be told,

Don't be afraid... don't give up. The LORD God is with you; the mighty one will save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in his love; he will sign and be joyful about you."

Wow! Wow! A thousand times—Wow! Such emotion. God—the God all of creation, the God who is worthy of ALL praise, ALL honor, ALL glory both now and forevermore—not only is with us and will save us, but He will rejoice over us! He will sing and be joyful about us! We will rest in HIS love! Not because of who we are—NO! Because of WHOSE we are! We are children of THE King. We sing and lift our praises to HIM—the LORD of ALL. And when we "get it," when we understand the

God

↓

Man

relationship, when we surrender ALL, when we finally say, "I'm all in GOD" no matter what, YOUR will be done—THEN! God rejoices over us and sings and is joyful about us! Oh, what a picture. Our God and Savior rejoices over us. What could ever be better than that? Fame? Wealth? Power? Esteem? No. Nothing. NOTHING can compare or even come close to the joy in knowing that your surrendered life brings joy to the God of ALL creation. Nothing.

"I will take away the sadness planned for you, which would have made you very ashamed. At that time I will punish all those who harmed you. I will save my people who cannot walk and gather my people who have been thrown out. I will give them praise and honor in every place where they were shamed. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you back home. I will give you honor and praise from people everywhere when I make things go well again for you, as you will see with your own eyes," says the LORD." Zephaniah 3:18-20

I'm speechless. There are no words.

To God be the Honor and Glory!  Praise the LORD!

Addendum: 10/3/15 ~ Oh the contrast between "I think" of the people who insist on being in charge of their own lives; the "I know" of the people whose faith and trust is in God alone; and the "I will" promises of God. I don't want to "think." I want to "know." God passionately pleaded for His people to return to Him. What a contrast between God pleading for His people to return to Him and His reaction to those who are surrendered to Him. Pleading—verses—Singing and joyful rejoicing over us. I want my life to be such that it brings joy to my Savior. 


Next Entry: Zephaniah 1:1 – 3:20 (Continued)

Zephaniah 1:1 – 3:20

February 16, 2012

It's hard to believe. When I finish writing about Zephaniah I will have finished the entire Old Testament. Because I followed the sequence timeline Jane (Her Name Was Jane) had written beside Ezra in her KJV, I read and wrote about Haggai 1:1 – 2:23 on November 29, 2010; Zechariah 1:1 – 6:8 on November 30, 2010; Zechariah 6:9 – 8:23 on December 01, 2010; Zechariah 9:1 – 14:21 on December 02, 2010; and Malachi 1:1 – 4:6 on December 29, 2010.

What a journey this has been. On November 16, 2009, when I started this journey I had no agenda planned. I just knew I was supposed to start.I had no preconceived ideas about what I would write about or how much I would write. Now, two years and three months, and seven and a half full sized notebook journals later, the Old Testament is coming to an end. On one hand, I hate to see it be over. On the other hand, it is exciting to be entering the New Testament.

I have learned so much. God is faithful! His mercies are new every morning. It was amazing to watch what God would show me in His Word. I stand amazed and am in awe of the great I AM. The prevailing message of the Old Testament is precisely that: I am the I AM. I AM the LORD. There is NO other God. Come to ME! Have no other Gods before ME. Come to me FIRST and ONLY! Have no other gods in addition to me. I AM. Trust me! Trust only me! Come to me!  I AM the LORD!

The other thing that stood out to me in the Old Testament is this: There really are no "new" sins. The sins of today are exactly the same as in the Old Testament times. Pride. Greed. Revenge. Self-reliance. Refusal to trust and surrender to God's authority. It all goes back to the first two commandments: No other gods and no idols. The root of all sin comes from Pride and Self. Change your hearts and lives! Get a new way of thinking. I AM—the I AM.

God demands our respect. He wants us to give it to Him willingly, however, He will have it one way or another. In the margins of my Bible I have written: As for me and my house, we choose to serve God.

Throughout the Old Testament there are two choices: Respect me—and receive blessings; Refuse me and serve yourself—receive judgment. God was not happy with the path of sin many people had chosen and he clearly warned them of the consequences.

• I will sweep away
• I will ruin
• I will punish
• I will remove
• I will destroy

That was His promise for those who worshiped things other than Himself; those who worship other gods in addition to Him (Exodus 20:23); "and those who turned away from the LORD, and those who quit following the LORD and praying to him for direction." Zephaniah 1:7 - "Be silent before the LORD God, because the LORD's day for judging people is coming soon."

• On that day...
• On that day...
• On that day..
• At that time...

God has the day planned. There are no accidents, coincidences, or lucky happenstances with God. THE day is planned. And on that day:

"I will punish those who are satisfied with themselves (NIV - complacent) who think, 'the LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.' Their wealth will be plundered and their houses destroyed. They may build houses, but they will not live in them. They may plant vineyards, but they will not drink any wine from them. The LORD's day of judging is coming soon; it is near and coming fast." Zephaniah 1:12-14

"That day will be a day of anger, a day of terror and trouble, a day of destruction and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of alarms and battle cries... on that day God will show his anger, neither silver nor gold will save them." (Zephaniah 1:15-18)  

A day of accountability and consequence is planned and will happen.  

Addendum: 10/3/15 ~ The people were just so sure that nothing would happen and they could get by with their actions and there would be no accountability. They truly thought they were invincible. Yet in Chapter 2, in very descriptive terms, Zephaniah paints a picture of the destruction that will happen. What was once thriving is now abandoned. I picture a ghost town with a tumbleweed blowing down a now empty dirt street; a shutter, hanging by one remaining screw, creaking as it sways in the wind; the piercing sound of a crow's call at twilight; and the haunting sound of a hoot owl in the still night air. 

Zephaniah 2:14–15 says, "The owls and crows will sit on the stone pillars. The owl will hoot through the windows, trash will be in the doorways, and the wooden boards of the buildings will be gone. This is the happy and safe city that thinks there is no one else as strong as it is. But what a ruin it will be..."

They were so sure. They were just so sure they were safe and nothing would happen. But a day is planned. And on THAT day accountability WILL happen.


Next Entry: Zephaniah 1:1 – 3:20 (Continued)