God spoke all these words: I am God your God. Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a life of slavery. No other gods, only Him.
No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don't bow down to them and don't serve them because I am your God and a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents passed on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate God. But I'm unswervingly loyal to to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments. No using the name of God, your God in curses or silly bantor; God won't put up with the irreverent use of his name.
Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don't do any work - not you, nor your sons nor your daughter, nor your servant nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your own town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and Sea, and everything in them; He rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; He set it apart as a holy day. Honor your father and mother so that you'll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.
The Israelites had just come to Egypt, a land of many. Since each god represented a different aspect of life, it presented a different aspect of life, it was common to worship many gods in order to get the maximum number of blessings. When God told His people to worship and believe in Him, that wasn't so hard for them - He was just one more god to add to the list. But when He said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," that was hard for the people to accept. However, if they didn't learn that the God who led them out of Egypt was the only true God, they could not be His people - no matter how faithfully they kept the other nine commandments. Thus God made this His first commandment and emphasized it more than the others. Today we can allow certain values to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for meaning and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshiping these things. But with the amount of time they occupy in our lives, they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thought and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps these things from turning into gods.
God's name is special, for it carries His personal identity. Using it frivolously or in a curse is so common today that we may fail to realize how serious it is. The way we use God's name conveys how we really feel about Him. We should respect His name and use it with great respect, speaking it in Praise or Worship rather than in curse. We will be found guilty if we dishonor His name.
The Sabbath was a day set aside for rest and worship. God commanded a Sabbath because we need to spend unhurried time in worship and rest each week. A God who is concerned enough to provide a day each week for us to rest is indeed wonderful. To observe a regular time of rest and worship in our hurried world demonstrates the importance of God in our lives while having the extra benefit of refreshing our Spirits.
This is the first commandment with a promise attached, to live in peace for generations in the Promised Land, the Israelites would need to respect authority and build strong families. But what does it mean to "honor" Parents? Partly it means speaking well of them and politely to them. It also means acting in a way that shows them courtesy and respect (but not to obey them if this means disobedience to God). Parents have a special place in God's sight. Even those who find it difficult to get along with their parents are still commanded to honor them.
Reference Scripture used from The Life Application Bible and The Message Bible
Showing posts with label Israelites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israelites. Show all posts
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Pile of Masks: Exposing Christian Hypocrisy ... Book Review
Dustin Renz (the author), was recently introduced at a speaking engagement as - a graduate of Teen Challenge, Southeastern University and Pure Life Ministries. Both Teen Challenge and Pure Life Ministries are residential Christian programs that assist in setting people free from addictions and bondage. The seasons the author spent in those two programs serve as book - ends for nearly ten years of running from God, much like the biblical prophet, Jonah. But like Jonah, the author too realized the desperate situation he was in and cried out to God for mercy.
The author grew up in a middle - class home. He had parents who loved him and they lived a comfortable life. The greatest attacks came not from inside his home, but outside. They moved to Florida from New York when he was in the second grade. It was that year - at age seven - he was first exposed to pornography. All throughout his childhood, pornography continued to be readily available to him, which became a deeply - rooted stronghold in his life.
He became friends with another young boy and frequently spent time at his house. It was there where he was first exposed to satanic music, Ouija boards, horror movies, violent games, hypnotism and even sexual experimentation.
He went to church as a child. He claimed to be a Christian, but he had not been born again.
When he was eleven years old, his parents announced to his siblings and him that they had decided to get a divorce.
He had always been a deeply emotional person and most of his friends were female. He still attended church, but he despised Christians and hated God.
He discovered that he had the talent to rap and began rapping at parties and writing songs.
He spent all weekend partying and all week getting high or drunk before and after school.
He graduated high school, left home and began living with friends so that he could do as he pleased. It became necessary to live in his car to live in his car after having burned all bridges with family and friends.
His father allowed him to stay with him for a couple of weeks to try to help him get straightened out. After a near overdose, he realized he was out of control, and agreed to go to a program called Teen Challenge.
In July of 2002, he found himself in the intake office of Teen Challenge in Tarpon Springs, Florida. He had told his dad on the way to the program that he was not going to let them "brainwash him with all of that Jesus stuff." It soon became evident that God had a different plan!
He experienced what Scripture promises to those who surrender their lives to the Lord: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" He fell in love with Jesus. For the next year, he could not get enough of the Bible. He spent hours in prayer and worship. There was no doubt he had a real encounter was with Jesus Christ!
After graduating from Teen Challenge, he once again enjoyed freedom to do as he pleased - something he soon discovered he was not prepared for. Before he knew it, an addiction to pornography head once again taken control of his life. It was then that he met a girl named Brittany at the Christian college he was attending, and they fell in love. When he confessed to her about the pornography, she made it clear that unless he got victory over that area, there was no future for them.
They got married in May 2005. He justified his secret life. He cried out to God over and over again: repenting, apologizing and promising to do better. Clearly, he was only giving the Lord lip service and empty promises.
Over the coming months, he fell further from God. Soon, he was drinking liquor and abusing prescription pills whenever he had the chance.
He began to visualize becoming famous in the music industry and he was confident that his career would take off soon.
Brittany and he got involved in youth ministry, and he became the Assistant Pastor of their church. Lust grew in his heart, and whenever he was depressed, he would still go back to satanic music in his head for comfort.
When him and his wife was accepted to go overseas to assist missionaries for two years, everything escalated. They began the process of raising the necessary funds to go. He had definite fears about relocating to a foreign country, but instead of taking those concerns to God, he returned with great fervor to the old empty cisterns of this world.
He persuaded himself that when he got overseas, the struggle would end.
Their first daughter, Abigail, was born in May of 2010. This drastic change in their lives caused him to panic. He knew he was not ready to be a father, and the weight of that responsibility was more than he could take.
His wife began sensing that something was not right in his life. He told her that he had been lying and carrying on a secret life during the entire seven years of their relationship. She was devastated and immediately told their superiors. They were flown back to the U.S. and asked to resign.
You would think this would have been enough to bring him to repentance, but instead he grew bitter. His wife took control of their finances and watched his every moment.
When he arrived at Pure Life Ministries in April of 2011, one of the counselors said he looked like a dead man. He only agreed to enter the program in the hopes of saving his marriage, which at that point was almost certainly going to end in divorce.
There was no network television in any of their homes. They were not consumed with the latest technologies like smart phones and video games.
This was the turning point and the Lord began to restore him.
Dustin now have an abundant life in Christ and he has truly become an overcomer.
But the Lord has opened his eyes to the reality that there is freedom for the addict, purity for the lustful, and righteousness for the wicked.
Adam and Eve's oldest son provides for us the earliest example of hypocrisy.
A lifestyle of hypocrisy was at the root of Jehovah's chosen nation, Israel. This can be seen throughout the Old Testament, from the time Moses led Israel out of Egypt, to the time of the Babylonian and Assyrian captivities. It was the people's unwillingness to be fully devoted to the Lord that resulted in countless trial and judgments.
Hypocrisy is the reason that the Israelites were called to make a decision throughout the Old Testament. Perhaps the most popular Scripture where a line is drawn in the sand occurs in the book of Joshua. At this point in history, the Israelites were just setting foot into the Promised Land, but they had already shown their divided hearts on several occasions.
They had absolutely no faith to believe that the God who rescued them from Egypt could provide for their needs.
Jehovah had been good to them and provided for them the whole way.
The Israelites have the choice to either serve the Lord or to worship other gods. There is no middle ground.
Scripture says in 1 John 4:8 that God is love. Our relationship with Him is born out of a response to His love for us. Continually in Scripture, the relationship of God and man is compared to a marital relationship.
Song of Solomon paints a beautiful picture of the intimacy enjoyed between a husband and wife (and, allegorically, of God and man). We are called the Bride of Christ and Jesus the Bridegroom in several places in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit could have used any metaphor to describe our relationship with Him, but He chose to relate it to a marriage.
Listen to the sound of a heartbroken God calling out to His people through the prophet Micah:
My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
Jeremiah 2:19 sums up a truth he had found to be absolutely certain: "Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me ...
When it came to fighting against idolatry and syncretism in the Old Testament, there was one King who stood out above the rest. His name was King Josiah, and he took the throne of Judah when he was eight years old. He lived in a time when the land of Israel was divided into a northern and southern kingdom. The country was in a mess. Jehovah repeatedly sent prophets to the nation to try to get their attention and cause them to repent and turn back to Him. As we have discovered, Israel remained entrenched in idolatry and the worship of false gods.
Josiah became king a few years after Manasseh, who was one of the most wicked kings to ever rule in Israel.
During his reign, many people made idols for a living. There were full-time priests who served at the altars and temples of the false gods. Many in the land were enjoying the 'benefits' afforded to them by sacred prostitution. But Josiah did not fear men, he only feared the Lord and his actions proved it.
Josiah launches an all - out attack on idolatry.
Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
Pharisaic:
1. adjective. emphasizing or observing the letter but not the spirit of religious law; self-righteous; sanctimonious
2. pretending to be highly moral or virtuous without actually being so; hypocritical
By The Close Of The Lord The Old Testament period, the nation of Israel had returned to their homeland after being held in captivity. Jehovah had allowed northern Israel to be exiled by Assyria in 721 B.C. Eventually, Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians for 70 years. The period between the Old and New Testaments is a duration of four hundred years of prophetic silence. There was no Word from God to His people during this time.
Then John the Baptist appears on the scene and breaks the silence. Israel was ruled by the Roman Empire at this time and Rome stayed in power throughout the life of Jesus.
The Jewish community that Jesus was born into was not the same Israel He would have encountered had He been born one thousand years earlier. A person could cease visiting temple prostitutes and still be completely driven by lust inside. Remember, hypocrisy is always a heart issue.
The Pharisees were a very influential Jew party during Jesus' time on the Earth.
Historically, the people of Israel had broken even the most basic commandments by serving idols and foreign gods. It is important to understand that the sect of the Pharisees had good intentions. It is not fair to assume that every Pharisee was wicked, despite the descriptions given in the New Testament.
We also need to realize that there were some Pharisees who were on the right track. Some did love the Lord and honored Jesus, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.
Hypocrite:
1. noun. a person who pretends to be what he or she is not; one who pretends to be what he or she is not; one who pretends to be better than they really are so; or to be pious, virtuous, etc. without really being so.
We Have Looked In-Depth At Hypocrisy in the lives of the Israelites in the Old Testament, and we have also encountered the double-minded Pharisees of Jesus' time. Neither the Israelites nor the Pharisees were born again believers, or even had a full knowledge of the New Covenant.
John Calvin was a follower of Christ with a great understanding of Scripture. He understood what the Bible teaches about looking for spiritual fruit. What he actually taught was that if you are genuinely converted, there has to be evidence of it in your life. He taught that true conversion was an irreversible decision on the Lord's part. He taught that the moment you are converted, your salvation is eternally secure. There would be no way for a true Christian to ever go back into habitual sin and fall away. That is not an option in Calvin's teaching.
Joseph Arminius was also a godly man who studied the Word of God. He agreed with Calvin that if you were truly saved, your life would have spiritual fruit as evidence. The major point they differed on - in regards to the permanence of salvation - is that Arminius believed that a person could fall so far away from God that they could 'lose' or 'reject' their salvation. He believed that humans had more free will in cooperating with God in salvation than Calvin did.
According to Calvin's interpretation of Scripture, the lack of fruit is in itself proof that the person was never truly converted. The Arminians would say to the same person that the lack of fruit is evidence that they either were never saved in the first place, or they are backslidden and in danger of losing (or rejecting) their salvation. Either that person needs to repent (and either return to Christ or be saved) or they are in danger of Hell.
The kind of fruit that we should be looking for is in our character and walk with the Lord.
Hypocrites need to examine whether or not their beliefs actually line up with the whole teaching of the Bible.
In the Kingdom, we humble ourselves and the Lord gives promotion to us. When Jesus gave the parable of the feast in Luke 14, He said:
But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, "Friend, move up to a better place." Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Dustin Renz is a minister with a passion to see the Body of Christ become all that God has created it to be. He is the founder of Make Way Ministries, which exists to see the Body of Christ awaken, mature and arise to its responsibility in these last days.
The author grew up in a middle - class home. He had parents who loved him and they lived a comfortable life. The greatest attacks came not from inside his home, but outside. They moved to Florida from New York when he was in the second grade. It was that year - at age seven - he was first exposed to pornography. All throughout his childhood, pornography continued to be readily available to him, which became a deeply - rooted stronghold in his life.
He became friends with another young boy and frequently spent time at his house. It was there where he was first exposed to satanic music, Ouija boards, horror movies, violent games, hypnotism and even sexual experimentation.
He went to church as a child. He claimed to be a Christian, but he had not been born again.
When he was eleven years old, his parents announced to his siblings and him that they had decided to get a divorce.
He had always been a deeply emotional person and most of his friends were female. He still attended church, but he despised Christians and hated God.
He discovered that he had the talent to rap and began rapping at parties and writing songs.
He spent all weekend partying and all week getting high or drunk before and after school.
He graduated high school, left home and began living with friends so that he could do as he pleased. It became necessary to live in his car to live in his car after having burned all bridges with family and friends.
His father allowed him to stay with him for a couple of weeks to try to help him get straightened out. After a near overdose, he realized he was out of control, and agreed to go to a program called Teen Challenge.
In July of 2002, he found himself in the intake office of Teen Challenge in Tarpon Springs, Florida. He had told his dad on the way to the program that he was not going to let them "brainwash him with all of that Jesus stuff." It soon became evident that God had a different plan!
He experienced what Scripture promises to those who surrender their lives to the Lord: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" He fell in love with Jesus. For the next year, he could not get enough of the Bible. He spent hours in prayer and worship. There was no doubt he had a real encounter was with Jesus Christ!
After graduating from Teen Challenge, he once again enjoyed freedom to do as he pleased - something he soon discovered he was not prepared for. Before he knew it, an addiction to pornography head once again taken control of his life. It was then that he met a girl named Brittany at the Christian college he was attending, and they fell in love. When he confessed to her about the pornography, she made it clear that unless he got victory over that area, there was no future for them.
They got married in May 2005. He justified his secret life. He cried out to God over and over again: repenting, apologizing and promising to do better. Clearly, he was only giving the Lord lip service and empty promises.
Over the coming months, he fell further from God. Soon, he was drinking liquor and abusing prescription pills whenever he had the chance.
He began to visualize becoming famous in the music industry and he was confident that his career would take off soon.
Brittany and he got involved in youth ministry, and he became the Assistant Pastor of their church. Lust grew in his heart, and whenever he was depressed, he would still go back to satanic music in his head for comfort.
When him and his wife was accepted to go overseas to assist missionaries for two years, everything escalated. They began the process of raising the necessary funds to go. He had definite fears about relocating to a foreign country, but instead of taking those concerns to God, he returned with great fervor to the old empty cisterns of this world.
He persuaded himself that when he got overseas, the struggle would end.
Their first daughter, Abigail, was born in May of 2010. This drastic change in their lives caused him to panic. He knew he was not ready to be a father, and the weight of that responsibility was more than he could take.
His wife began sensing that something was not right in his life. He told her that he had been lying and carrying on a secret life during the entire seven years of their relationship. She was devastated and immediately told their superiors. They were flown back to the U.S. and asked to resign.
You would think this would have been enough to bring him to repentance, but instead he grew bitter. His wife took control of their finances and watched his every moment.
When he arrived at Pure Life Ministries in April of 2011, one of the counselors said he looked like a dead man. He only agreed to enter the program in the hopes of saving his marriage, which at that point was almost certainly going to end in divorce.
There was no network television in any of their homes. They were not consumed with the latest technologies like smart phones and video games.
This was the turning point and the Lord began to restore him.
Dustin now have an abundant life in Christ and he has truly become an overcomer.
But the Lord has opened his eyes to the reality that there is freedom for the addict, purity for the lustful, and righteousness for the wicked.
Adam and Eve's oldest son provides for us the earliest example of hypocrisy.
A lifestyle of hypocrisy was at the root of Jehovah's chosen nation, Israel. This can be seen throughout the Old Testament, from the time Moses led Israel out of Egypt, to the time of the Babylonian and Assyrian captivities. It was the people's unwillingness to be fully devoted to the Lord that resulted in countless trial and judgments.
Hypocrisy is the reason that the Israelites were called to make a decision throughout the Old Testament. Perhaps the most popular Scripture where a line is drawn in the sand occurs in the book of Joshua. At this point in history, the Israelites were just setting foot into the Promised Land, but they had already shown their divided hearts on several occasions.
They had absolutely no faith to believe that the God who rescued them from Egypt could provide for their needs.
Jehovah had been good to them and provided for them the whole way.
The Israelites have the choice to either serve the Lord or to worship other gods. There is no middle ground.
Scripture says in 1 John 4:8 that God is love. Our relationship with Him is born out of a response to His love for us. Continually in Scripture, the relationship of God and man is compared to a marital relationship.
Song of Solomon paints a beautiful picture of the intimacy enjoyed between a husband and wife (and, allegorically, of God and man). We are called the Bride of Christ and Jesus the Bridegroom in several places in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit could have used any metaphor to describe our relationship with Him, but He chose to relate it to a marriage.
Listen to the sound of a heartbroken God calling out to His people through the prophet Micah:
My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.
Jeremiah 2:19 sums up a truth he had found to be absolutely certain: "Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me ...
When it came to fighting against idolatry and syncretism in the Old Testament, there was one King who stood out above the rest. His name was King Josiah, and he took the throne of Judah when he was eight years old. He lived in a time when the land of Israel was divided into a northern and southern kingdom. The country was in a mess. Jehovah repeatedly sent prophets to the nation to try to get their attention and cause them to repent and turn back to Him. As we have discovered, Israel remained entrenched in idolatry and the worship of false gods.
Josiah became king a few years after Manasseh, who was one of the most wicked kings to ever rule in Israel.
During his reign, many people made idols for a living. There were full-time priests who served at the altars and temples of the false gods. Many in the land were enjoying the 'benefits' afforded to them by sacred prostitution. But Josiah did not fear men, he only feared the Lord and his actions proved it.
Josiah launches an all - out attack on idolatry.
Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
Pharisaic:
1. adjective. emphasizing or observing the letter but not the spirit of religious law; self-righteous; sanctimonious
2. pretending to be highly moral or virtuous without actually being so; hypocritical
By The Close Of The Lord The Old Testament period, the nation of Israel had returned to their homeland after being held in captivity. Jehovah had allowed northern Israel to be exiled by Assyria in 721 B.C. Eventually, Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians for 70 years. The period between the Old and New Testaments is a duration of four hundred years of prophetic silence. There was no Word from God to His people during this time.
Then John the Baptist appears on the scene and breaks the silence. Israel was ruled by the Roman Empire at this time and Rome stayed in power throughout the life of Jesus.
The Jewish community that Jesus was born into was not the same Israel He would have encountered had He been born one thousand years earlier. A person could cease visiting temple prostitutes and still be completely driven by lust inside. Remember, hypocrisy is always a heart issue.
The Pharisees were a very influential Jew party during Jesus' time on the Earth.
Historically, the people of Israel had broken even the most basic commandments by serving idols and foreign gods. It is important to understand that the sect of the Pharisees had good intentions. It is not fair to assume that every Pharisee was wicked, despite the descriptions given in the New Testament.
We also need to realize that there were some Pharisees who were on the right track. Some did love the Lord and honored Jesus, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.
Hypocrite:
1. noun. a person who pretends to be what he or she is not; one who pretends to be what he or she is not; one who pretends to be better than they really are so; or to be pious, virtuous, etc. without really being so.
We Have Looked In-Depth At Hypocrisy in the lives of the Israelites in the Old Testament, and we have also encountered the double-minded Pharisees of Jesus' time. Neither the Israelites nor the Pharisees were born again believers, or even had a full knowledge of the New Covenant.
John Calvin was a follower of Christ with a great understanding of Scripture. He understood what the Bible teaches about looking for spiritual fruit. What he actually taught was that if you are genuinely converted, there has to be evidence of it in your life. He taught that true conversion was an irreversible decision on the Lord's part. He taught that the moment you are converted, your salvation is eternally secure. There would be no way for a true Christian to ever go back into habitual sin and fall away. That is not an option in Calvin's teaching.
Joseph Arminius was also a godly man who studied the Word of God. He agreed with Calvin that if you were truly saved, your life would have spiritual fruit as evidence. The major point they differed on - in regards to the permanence of salvation - is that Arminius believed that a person could fall so far away from God that they could 'lose' or 'reject' their salvation. He believed that humans had more free will in cooperating with God in salvation than Calvin did.
According to Calvin's interpretation of Scripture, the lack of fruit is in itself proof that the person was never truly converted. The Arminians would say to the same person that the lack of fruit is evidence that they either were never saved in the first place, or they are backslidden and in danger of losing (or rejecting) their salvation. Either that person needs to repent (and either return to Christ or be saved) or they are in danger of Hell.
The kind of fruit that we should be looking for is in our character and walk with the Lord.
Hypocrites need to examine whether or not their beliefs actually line up with the whole teaching of the Bible.
In the Kingdom, we humble ourselves and the Lord gives promotion to us. When Jesus gave the parable of the feast in Luke 14, He said:
But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, "Friend, move up to a better place." Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Dustin Renz is a minister with a passion to see the Body of Christ become all that God has created it to be. He is the founder of Make Way Ministries, which exists to see the Body of Christ awaken, mature and arise to its responsibility in these last days.
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Sunday - Amos Call - Amos 7:10-17 -7/30/17
Amos was an herdman/shepherd and farmer before the Lord called him to be a prophet.
Amaziah was a chief priest that led the children of Israel into idolatry.
Amos was called by the Lord to do something that he was not trained to do. Once God calls you he qualifies you. Training is helpful, but the calling on your life from God is what keeps you going when others and everything is against you.
God protects his servants who will obey and work faithfully. The servant of God, must trust and obey, expecting God's next direction.
Amos' response to Amaziah was full of doom.
Amaziah thought Amos was a prophet for the money. Amaziah told Amos that he could earn a comfortable income in Judah. Amaziah told Amos to flee to Judah for his own safety.
Amaziah was not concerned about hearing God's message; he was only worried about his own position. Don't let anything come between you and obeying God.
Are you obeying God's word? Without any special preparation, education, or upbringing, Amos obeyed God's call to "go prophesy unto his people Israel."
Amaziah was the official priest of the royal sanctuary at Bethel.
Not only would the Israelities be taken into exile, but Amaziah's own wife would be a harlot and his sons and daughters would be destroyed.
Reference summary used from The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha Expanded Edition RSV and The Life Application Bible KJV, Tyndale Publishers INC., Wheaton, IL
Amaziah was a chief priest that led the children of Israel into idolatry.
Amos was called by the Lord to do something that he was not trained to do. Once God calls you he qualifies you. Training is helpful, but the calling on your life from God is what keeps you going when others and everything is against you.
God protects his servants who will obey and work faithfully. The servant of God, must trust and obey, expecting God's next direction.
Amos' response to Amaziah was full of doom.
Amaziah thought Amos was a prophet for the money. Amaziah told Amos that he could earn a comfortable income in Judah. Amaziah told Amos to flee to Judah for his own safety.
Amaziah was not concerned about hearing God's message; he was only worried about his own position. Don't let anything come between you and obeying God.
Are you obeying God's word? Without any special preparation, education, or upbringing, Amos obeyed God's call to "go prophesy unto his people Israel."
Amaziah was the official priest of the royal sanctuary at Bethel.
Not only would the Israelities be taken into exile, but Amaziah's own wife would be a harlot and his sons and daughters would be destroyed.
Reference summary used from The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha Expanded Edition RSV and The Life Application Bible KJV, Tyndale Publishers INC., Wheaton, IL
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Sunday - Samson's Call - Judges 13:1-7, 24-25 - 6/25/17
The Philistines lived on the west side of Canaan, along the Mediterranean seacoast. From Samson's day until the time of David they were the major enemy force in the land & a constant threat to Israel. The Philistines were fierce warriors; they had the advantage over Israel in numbers, tactical expertise, & technology. They knew the secret of making weapons out of iron. But none of that mattered when God was fighting for Israel.
Once again the cycle of sin, judgment, & repentance began. The Israelites would not turn to God unless they had been stunned by suffering, oppression, & death. This suffered was not caused by God, but resulted from the fact that the people ignored God, their Judge & Ruler. The warnings in God's Word are clear; if we continue to harden our hearts against God, we can expect the same fate as Israel.
The angel of the Lord could have been a special divine messenger sent from God or a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus Christ. The reason for the angel's visit was to give Samson's parents the vital news that Samson would begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.
Samson was to be a Nazarite - a person who took a vow to be set apart for God's service. Samson's parents made the vow for him. A Nazarite vow was sometimes for him. A Nazarite vow was sometimes temporary, but in Samson's case, it was for life. As a Nazarite, Samson could not cut his hair, touch a dead body, or drink anything containing alcohol.
Although Samson often used poor judgment & sinned terribly, he accomplished much when he determined to be set apart for God. In this way he was like the nation Israel. As long as the Israelites remained set apart for God, the nation thrived. But they into terrible sin when they ignored God.
Manoah's wife was told that her son would begin to rescue the Israelites from Philistine oppression. It wasn't until David's day that the Philistine opposition was completely crushed. Samson's part in subduing the Philistines was just the beginning, but it was important nonetheless. It was the task God had given Samson to do. Be faithful in following God even if you don't see instant results, because you might be beginning an important job that others will finish.
Samson's tribe, Dan, continued to wander in their inherited land, which was yet unconquered. Samson must have grown up with his warlike tribe's yearnings for a permanent & settled territory. Thus his visits to the tribal army camp stirred his heart, & God's Spirit began preparing him for his role as judge & leader against the Philistines.
God uses a variety of means to develop & prepare us: hereditary traits, environmental influences, & personal experiences. As with Samson, this preparation often begins long before adulthood. Work at being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading & the tasks God has prepared for you. Your past may be more useful to you than you imagine.
Samson's Ventures: He grew up in Zorah & wanted to marry a Philistine girl from Timnah (Timnath). Tricked at his own wedding feast, he went to Ashkelon & killed some Philistine men & stole their coats to pay off a bet. Samson then let himself be captured & brought to Lehi where he snapped his ropes & killed 1,000 people.
Reference summary used from Life Application Bible, KJV, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL
Once again the cycle of sin, judgment, & repentance began. The Israelites would not turn to God unless they had been stunned by suffering, oppression, & death. This suffered was not caused by God, but resulted from the fact that the people ignored God, their Judge & Ruler. The warnings in God's Word are clear; if we continue to harden our hearts against God, we can expect the same fate as Israel.
The angel of the Lord could have been a special divine messenger sent from God or a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus Christ. The reason for the angel's visit was to give Samson's parents the vital news that Samson would begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.
Samson was to be a Nazarite - a person who took a vow to be set apart for God's service. Samson's parents made the vow for him. A Nazarite vow was sometimes for him. A Nazarite vow was sometimes temporary, but in Samson's case, it was for life. As a Nazarite, Samson could not cut his hair, touch a dead body, or drink anything containing alcohol.
Although Samson often used poor judgment & sinned terribly, he accomplished much when he determined to be set apart for God. In this way he was like the nation Israel. As long as the Israelites remained set apart for God, the nation thrived. But they into terrible sin when they ignored God.
Manoah's wife was told that her son would begin to rescue the Israelites from Philistine oppression. It wasn't until David's day that the Philistine opposition was completely crushed. Samson's part in subduing the Philistines was just the beginning, but it was important nonetheless. It was the task God had given Samson to do. Be faithful in following God even if you don't see instant results, because you might be beginning an important job that others will finish.
Samson's tribe, Dan, continued to wander in their inherited land, which was yet unconquered. Samson must have grown up with his warlike tribe's yearnings for a permanent & settled territory. Thus his visits to the tribal army camp stirred his heart, & God's Spirit began preparing him for his role as judge & leader against the Philistines.
God uses a variety of means to develop & prepare us: hereditary traits, environmental influences, & personal experiences. As with Samson, this preparation often begins long before adulthood. Work at being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading & the tasks God has prepared for you. Your past may be more useful to you than you imagine.
Samson's Ventures: He grew up in Zorah & wanted to marry a Philistine girl from Timnah (Timnath). Tricked at his own wedding feast, he went to Ashkelon & killed some Philistine men & stole their coats to pay off a bet. Samson then let himself be captured & brought to Lehi where he snapped his ropes & killed 1,000 people.
Reference summary used from Life Application Bible, KJV, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Hot Chocolate For The Spirit: Book Review
I reviewed this book, I think before 2005.
There's nothing better than setting down with a hot cup of chocolate, especially on a cold, dreary night. It's soothing & warms the insides through & through.
May you also begin to experience the victorious life Jesus came to give you.
Remember the Israelites? It was a short journey from the Red Sea to Canaan, the Promised Land. God had delivered the Israelites from Slavery in Egypt, & in Canaan the Israelites would be free to serve & worship HIM.
Then they wandered for forty years.
Someone shared this Biblical Truth with the author, & she realized she was "wandering in the wilderness." Her book is a product of her decision to become unstuck.
Are you wandering in the wilderness?
Whatever you desire, it will take faith in God for changes in your life to happen.
Make a list of your goals & vision if you haven't already. Make a list of the tasks you do daily, weekly, monthly & yearly to reach your mission.
Keep this list handy & pray over it each day. Find a scripture that aligns with each of your goals & pray those verses daily.
John 8 reveals two sides of God's LOVE.
The chapter begins with a woman caught in the act of adultery. The Scribes & Pharisees bring her to Jesus & tell him about her sin. According to the law of Moses, she deserves death by stoning.
Jesus said ... He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her (John 8:7). One by one they walked away.
Jesus asked the woman, where are thine accusers? Jesus said unto her, go, & sin no more (John 8:10-11).
Love is tender & it is sometimes tough. Love forgives & it also confronts.
Moving higher means growing up, & in order to grow up there must be a separation.
Abraham, Issac, & Jacob all went through a separation process & reaped great rewards.
Abraham left his family & caught the vision of a Promised Land & descendants who became innumerable as the stars.
Issac, Abraham's son, left familiar surroundings & traveled to Egypt. There God prospered him in the middle of a famine.
Jacob's greed & selfishness drove him to deceive. To help him escape the wrath of his brother, Jacob's parents sent him away.
The transformation in Jacob was so great that God changed his name from Jacob(trickster) to Israel(Prince of God).
Separation is challenging & painful, but let God have HIS way.
There is a parable in Luke 18 that reveals a key to getting our prayers answered. In verse one Jesus told this parable to encourage men to keep praying & never faint.
Jesus asks if - a man who had no reverence for God & no consideration for people - will help someone because of their persistence, how much more will God respond to you, HIS very own child whom HE loves dearly?
We should never beat ourselves up. God forgives when we ask, once we repent. We should learn from our mistakes.
Jesus said in John 15:5 that without HIM we can do nothing.
Pray Psalm 150 -- Praise ye the LORD, Praise God in HIS sanctuary ... Praise him for HIS mighty acts ... Praise HIM with the sound of the trumpet ... Let every thing that hath breath praise th LORD.
The author shared she's had several opportunities to move past her comfort zone.
II Kings 7: The city of Samaria had been surrounded by the army of Syria. The prophet Elisha foretold that the city would have relief within one day.
Four lepers sat on the outskirts of the city talking among themselves.
So, they decided upon a bold plan. They would visit the Syrian camp.
When the lepers arrived at the camp no one was there! II Kings 7:6-7 tells us the LORD caused a great noise that sounded like a mighty army approaching. The Syrians had panicked & fled into the night, leaving behind their belongings.
Leaps of faith aren't easy.
Taking a leap of faith will mean different things to different people.
God has appointed you to reach out & touch the life of at least one person.
One night the author dreamed she was in prison along with several friends. Her friends decided to break out.
Terrified of the bulldogs that guarded the place, she wasn't in agreement with their plan. Her companions were not afraid.
But as they walked towards the gate that would take them beyond the prison walls, the bulldogs cleared the path for them. They walked through & were not harmed in any way.
The author feels God spoke to her through her dream -- if she responded to HIS guidance with faith & boldness, the "bulldogs" in her life would move aside.
Has a bad experience made you fearful?
Our good works should flow out from our communion with God.
Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to love others as you love yourself.
Take time to renew & refresh.
The Bible is our blueprint.
Living a Godly life is a fight, & we need every piece of information we can get our hands on.
We should strive to do a first-rate job in whatever we are involved with. Someone may be watching.
God is certainly watching. The Bible tells us to do everything as unto the LORD.
The author shares she's been through the ups & downs. And, boy have she shed a lot of tears. Through it all, she shares there has been one thing that sustained her: hope.
Karin Peavy is the author of Hot Chocolate For The Spirit. A rich, meaningful book. Shares on dealing with difficult transitions. Comfort for your heart throughout every season of your life.
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