Who Can Be Trusted?

Saturday, March 31, 2012, 7:00 a.m. – The Lord woke me with the song, “Not By Might,” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Micah 7 (NIV): http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Micah%207&version=NIV1984

7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me…

18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
20 You will be true to Jacob,
and show mercy to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our fathers
in days long ago.

My Understanding: Micah described, in verses 1-6, a scenario of total depravity. The godly were no more. The people were murderers. Those who were supposed to stand for the law abused the law. The powerful were dictators. The day of judgment the prophets had predicted had come. Neighbors could not be trusted. Confidence was not to be placed in friends. People even had to be careful of their words with their own spouses. A son would bring dishonor to his father. A daughter or a daughter-in-law would rise up against her mother or mother-in-law. A man’s enemies were the members of his own household.

Jesus Christ quoted verse 6 concerning a man’s enemies being the members of his own household when he gave instructions to his disciples, when he sent them out to be witnesses for him (see Matthew 10). They were to preach, “The kingdom of heaven is near.” He told them he was sending them out like sheep among wolves. They were to be on their guard against men, because men would persecute, physically abuse, arrest, bring to trial under false accusations, and even put them to death for their testimony for Jesus Christ.

Brother would betray brother to death. Children would have their parents put to death. They would be hated because of Christ, “but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” If they accused Jesus of being of Satan, they would accuse his disciples of the same. Yet, they were not to be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. [I have quoted that one many times myself.] “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Then Jesus said this in vv. 32-39 of Matthew 10:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it…”

Persecuted for Christ

Some of us in this world of ours truly may be experiencing this kind of persecution for our faith in Jesus Christ right now. Some of us know very little of this kind of maltreatment for our testimony for Jesus Christ, yet a time is coming when this will be a reality in our lives (see Revelation 13), should we live that long. Yet, whether or not we are in the midst of this kind of extreme persecution right now, or we live in relative freedom of such oppression, there are some truths here that cannot be ignored, and that we need to understand, whether in the midst of persecution, or as preparation for such a time.

Man is sinful by nature. The Bible teaches that no one is righteous, no not one. So, we should never put our hope and faith in man, especially evermore so as the days get more and more evil. We have to know and expect, to some degree, that man will fail us and will disappoint us. Mankind may turn their backs on us, betray us, reject us, mock us, kick us to the curb, abuse us, and take advantage of us. Not all people will do this obviously, but if we are so naïve to think this won’t happen, we are just setting ourselves up for a fall.

Yet, this goes beyond just basic human nature and the sinfulness of man. This has to do with spiritual warfare. Satan does not like Christ and he hates his followers with a passion. And, he will do all he can to try to get us to forsake our faith in Jesus Christ, even turning members of our families against us, or even turning our fellow believers in Christ on us, too. Yet, we are to love Jesus Christ more than we love anything or anyone else, and we are to be willing to be hated and persecuted by those we love in order to follow Jesus Christ in complete surrender and total obedience. We must be willing to lose our lives, reputations, acceptance of man, friendships, family relationships, etc. in order to follow Jesus Christ.

Who can we Trust?

We can trust God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit. Micah said, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD…” Even though he could not trust man, because man is basically evil, he knew he could trust God, who was his Savior. “Who is a God like you, who pardons and forgives” sin? He knew he served a loving, patient, gracious, kind, merciful, compassionate and forgiving God. Even God’s judgments on his children are done out of love and mercy. He cares about us so much that he does not want us to continue in willful sin and rebellion. Jesus Christ died to set us free from sin! God knows how much sin hurts us and hurts those we love, and how much sin hinders our fellowship with our Lord. He is very patient with us, and he will gently instruct us for a while, but even the New Testament teaches us that the Lord disciplines those he loves, so we are to be earnest and repent.

God/Jesus loves to show us mercy and forgiveness. It brings him much delight. That is why God the Father sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins so that we could go free of the daily control of sin over our lives and so we could be free of the ultimate penalty of sin, eternal punishment in hell. Jesus Christ did tread our sins underfoot, and he did hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea when he died for our sins and when he rose from the dead, triumphant over hell, Satan, death and sin. We appropriate to our lives what he did for us through his death and resurrection when we come to faith in Jesus Christ. We come to Christ in faith through repentance and obedience (see Eph. 4:17-24), which are both the working of the Holy Spirit of God within us, as we cooperate with that work.

We can trust God, not only with our salvation, but we can also trust him with our daily lives, relationships, circumstances, responsibilities, ministries, trials and tribulations. Micah described a period of time where evil was prevalent and where the godly were few to non-existent. Jesus Christ quoted part of this passage from Micah 7 when he was sending out his disciples into the world. Jesus was very honest with his followers in telling them what they could expect, so that they were prepared. We will face the same types of situations and relationships with people. Some will be positive. Some will be very, very bad (evil). Satan will fight hard against us. He will hurl insults, lies, doubts, etc. at us. Yet, we must persevere, but not in our own strength, but in the strength of the Lord within us. He will give us all we need to live godly and holy lives committed to Christ. Greater is Christ who is in us than Satan, who is in the world. We can be overcomers through Christ, our Lord.

Not By Might / An Original Work / March 29, 2012

Based off Zechariah 4

“Not by might, and not by power,
But by My Spirit,” says our Lord, God.
“Mighty mountain, O what are you?
Before Christ you will become level ground.”
The hands of our Lord, Savior God,
Formed the foundation of His church.
He alone will complete the work
He began in His servants’ hearts and minds.

Who despises small beginnings?
Much can be done in Christ’s strength within.
Be of courage, and trust your Lord.
All sufficient He is for all your needs.
Opposition and apathy:
Holy Spirit will set us free!
We can be overcomers in our faith
In our Lord, and our Savior, King.

Don’t be troubled by God’s timing.
He has ev’rything in His command.
Hasten to obey His commands fully,
Trusting Him to work all for good.
Not by might nor by human strength,
But by God’s power; strength within;
My dependency now on His working
His will in me in righteousness.

http://youtu.be/bX2houWB_HE

To Walk Humbly

Friday, March 30, 2012, 6:16 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with two songs playing in my mind: “Not By Might,” and “To My Beloved.”

Not By Might / An Original Work / March 29, 2012

Based off Zechariah 4

“Not by might, and not by power,
But by My Spirit,” says our Lord, God.
“Mighty mountain, O what are you?
Before Christ you will become level ground.”
The hands of our Lord, Savior God,
Formed the foundation of His church.
He alone will complete the work
He began in His servants’ hearts and minds.

Who despises small beginnings?
Much can be done in Christ’s strength within.
Be of courage, and trust your Lord.
All sufficient He is for all your needs.
Opposition and apathy:
Holy Spirit will set us free!
We can be overcomers in our faith
In our Lord, and our Savior, King.

Don’t be troubled by God’s timing.
He has ev’rything in His command.
Hasten to obey His commands fully,
Trusting Him to work all for good.
Not by might nor by human strength,
But by God’s power; strength within;
My dependency now on His working
His will in me in righteousness.

http://youtu.be/bX2houWB_HE

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Micah 5:1-5; 6:1-8 (NIV 1984):

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

Marshal your troops, O city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”

Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor gives birth
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
And he will be their peace.

My Understanding: Israel, at that time in history, was both the physical nation of Israel and was spiritual Israel, i.e. God’s chosen people. Today we still have the physical nation of Israel, yet they are no longer God’s chosen people. They are no longer spiritual Israel, as well. God cut them off of his vine due to their unbelief. Though there are Jews who believe in Jesus Christ today, the nation of Israel is no longer specifically connected with spiritual Israel. They are no longer one people. Jesus Christ made Jews and Gentiles one in Christ. True (or spiritual) Israel is now the church, the body of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem. So, there is now a physical separation between the land and nation of Israel and spiritual Israel, God’s people, the church, i.e. true followers of Jesus Christ.

At that time in history, God, through Micah, told his people, the Jewish nation, that they were to marshal their troops, for a siege was laid against them. God was punishing them because of their sins. Israel’s enemies would be victorious in battle against her. Yet, there was hope. Micah prophesied of the coming Messiah and Savior of the people, Jesus Christ. He would come from Bethlehem. Bethlehem was small among the tribes of Judah, yet out of something small God would do something great! What encouragement that should bring to our hearts. “Who despises the day of small things?” No matter how small or insignificant we might think we are, or we might think our work for the Lord is, God is able to do great things through us by his might and his power working through us. We just need to put our trust in the Lord and rest in him to accomplish through our lives and ministry what he intends as we allow his Spirit to work through us for his purposes and his glory.

This king (ruler) that was to come out of Bethlehem had his origins from ancient times. The NASB translates “ancient times” and “from old” this way: “His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” Jesus Christ is God. He is eternal. He was in the beginning with God, and the world was created by him (see John 1). He is also to be ruler over Israel. This takes me back to what I said in the first paragraph. Jesus Christ never ruled over the physical nation of Israel. He does rule over the church (spiritual Israel), and he will one day return to the earth and will rule and reign over all people, and his saints will rule and reign with him. So, the Israel that Jesus Christ was to rule over is spiritual Israel, i.e. true believers in Jesus Christ, his church, the body of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem. And, one day he will rule over all nations on the earth when he sets up his millennial kingdom reign.

Jesus Christ, the ruler out of Bethlehem, would stand and shepherd his flock. To stand means to be in an upright position. Upright is another word for righteous; pure; and holy. Jesus Christ is all three. To stand also means to fight resolutely; to take a firm position on something; to bear witness to something. Jesus Christ stands on the truth, on the word of God, on righteousness and on holiness. He is truth. He is holy. He is righteous. To shepherd means to assemble (marshal), organize, urge, push, appeal, compel, lead, guide, direct, care for, to look after, nurture, and counsel those under his care. A ruler is also a leader. He, as ruler, is sovereign, having complete power and supreme authority over all things.

This ruler would stand and shepherd his flock (followers of Christ) in the strength of the Lord (God the Father). Jesus Christ is the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They have separate personalities and functions, but together they form one God. So, although Jesus Christ is God, he also submits himself to the Father, his God. John 5:19-20a: “Jesus gave them this answer: ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does…’”

The shepherd’s flock (followers of Jesus Christ) would live securely, and he will be their peace. The security and peace we now have with Christ Jesus are spiritual in nature, not necessarily physical, as the Bible tells us we will have many troubles and trials in this life. It also tells us we will be hated, rejected, falsely accused, persecuted and even killed for our testimony for Jesus Christ, so that is not physical security nor is it physical peace. Jesus Christ does not give peace as the world gives. The peace he gives is peace with God through his shed blood for us on the cross when he died for our sins so that we could go free of the power and penalty of sin over our lives. We will no longer face eternal damnation because of our sin, but that does not mean we will not face his loving discipline when we stray or for the purpose of maturing us in our walk with Christ and in making us holy. And, the security he gives is the security of knowing that, through faith in Jesus Christ, we have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven forever and ever as a sure thing. Yet, when he returns and sets up his earthly kingdom, there will also be physical peace and security.

The LORD’s Case Against Israel

Listen to what the LORD says:
…For the LORD has a case against his people;
he is lodging a charge against Israel.

“My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened you? Answer me…

With what shall I come before the LORD
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings…

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

My Understanding: The Lord had a bone to pick with his people. Although he knows all things, and he doesn’t need us to tell him what he already knows, he wanted his people to explain to him what he had done to them; how he had so burdened them that they had wandered away from their pure devotion to him and had fallen into sin’s deceitfulness again. There appears here to be a tone of irony or sarcasm in the Lord’s remarks, because truly he was not at fault. Yet, he knew his people’s hearts, and he knows our hearts. When we wander away from the truth and we follow again the evil desires of our hearts, after all he did for us in dying on the cross for our sins so we could go free, we are in essence saying to God that he didn’t do something right, because obviously we can’t trust him with our lives, and so we feel we must take back control. We obviously don’t believe that his death paid the penalty for our sin so that we no longer have to be under the control of sin.

God told his people then, and he is still telling us today, as is evidenced by the teachings in the New Testament, that he is not interested in our token sacrifices and offerings to him if they do not come from hearts committed to him in surrender to his will and with willing hearts to obey him in all things. He doesn’t need what we think we can do for him or what we are willing to give up for him, thinking he will certainly be pleased with our sacrifices and offerings. He doesn’t care if we go to a church service on Sunday mornings or on Saturdays or whether or not we sing songs of praise and worship, and we listen to good (or not so good) sermons, or if we serve in the nursery or on some committee, or we teach a Sunday school class or lead a small group, or we play or sing in the praise band, or if we give 10% of our earnings, if he doesn’t first of all have our hearts.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17 NIV 1984).

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom. 12:1-2 NIV 1984).

What does the Lord require of us? – “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” To act justly means to act toward people in a manner that is fair and impartial and to do so in a manner that is in accordance with what is morally right (ethical, honest, decent). Mercy, I have heard many say, is not getting what you deserve, whereas grace is getting what you don’t deserve. To show mercy thus involves forgiveness and does not repay evil for evil, but repays evil with good. And, to walk humbly with our God means first of all to follow Jesus Christ in full surrender and obedience, which begins with forsaking our old lives of sin, allowing the Holy Spirit of God to transform our hearts and minds and to make us new creatures in Christ Jesus, and then to put on our new selves in all of Christ’s purity and righteousness. This is the working of the Holy Spirit within us, and is not of ourselves, but is accomplished as we cooperate with that work and we appropriate what Christ Jesus did for us on the cross to our own lives. And, this is to be lived out daily in our lives as we take up our cross and we follow Jesus Christ wherever he leads us.

Our shepherd, Jesus Christ, is marshaling (gathering) his troops for battle. The troops are his army, the people of God, the saints of the Almighty. The battle is spiritual, and it is won on a spiritual plane with spiritual weapons of warfare. He is calling out to each and every one of us to walk humbly with our God by choosing today to leave behind us all sin in our lives, and to choose today to obey him in all things and to surrender to his will for our lives.

To My Beloved / An Original Work / November 14, 2011

Based off I Pet. 5:6-9; Eph. 6:10-20; Jms. 4:4-10

Be strong in the grace of Christ, and
Put on His full armor in your fight
Against the enemy of your souls,
And resist him with all your might.
Take up the shield of your faith within you.
Salvation’s helmet – you put it on.
Put on the belt of truth,
And walk in the Spirit,
And you’ll not be ashamed.
Love your Lord Jesus; call His Name.

Call on your Lord and Savior, Jesus, and
Make Him Lord and King of your hearts.
Obey all of His teachings He has given
To you to follow in all His ways.
Repent of your sins. Return to your God.
Follow Him where’er He leads you now.
Humble yourselves in full
Surrender to His will
For your lives today.
Bow before Him, and humbly pray.

Be strong in the grace of Christ, and
Obey your Lord in ev’rything, always
Keeping His teachings in your hearts near you.
Walk with Christ in ev’ry way.
Resist the devil. He will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and He’ll be near you.
Wash your hands you sinners
And double minded.
Weep and wail o’er sin.
With Christ, your new lives begin.

http://youtu.be/PLMZdBxhE3I

Not By Might

On Tuesday morning of this week I joined a ladies’ Bible study group at a local church in our area. The teacher gave us the assignment of writing out, on index cards, verses God speaks to us through during the week. We are to bring them with us to the next study, and we are to share how God spoke to us through them.

So, yesterday, during my time of prayer with the Lord, as I was praying about specific situations going on in my life, the Lord gave me the verses in Zechariah 4:6b-10a: “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘What are you, O mighty mountain? … You will become level ground… Who despises the day of small things?’”

The passage is ultimately a prophecy about Jesus Christ, our priest and King, who is the capstone of God’s building, Christ’s church, the body of Christ. Christ Jesus laid the foundation of the temple of God, his body, the church, and he is the one to complete it. Yet, the Lord was using this text to encourage me in the ministry to which he has called me. He was encouraging me to complete the assignment, not in my own power and strength, but in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit of God within me. He ensured me that he was able to complete the work through me despite any obstacles Satan might throw my way.


Not By Might / An Original Work / March 29, 2012

“Not by might, and not by power,
But by My Spirit,” says our Lord, God.
“Mighty mountain, O what are you?
Before Christ you will become level ground.”
The hands of our Lord, Savior God,
Formed the foundation of His church.
He alone will complete the work
He began in His servants’ hearts and minds.

Who despises small beginnings?
Much can be done in Christ’s strength within.
Be of courage, and trust your Lord.
All sufficient He is for all your needs.
Opposition and apathy:
Holy Spirit will set us free!
We can be overcomers in our faith
In our Lord, and our Savior, King.

Don’t be troubled by God’s timing.
He has ev’rything in His command.
Hasten to obey His commands fully,
Trusting Him to work all for good.
Not by might nor by human strength,
But by God’s power; strength within;
My dependency now on His working
His will in me in righteousness.

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The Mountain of the Lord

Thursday, March 29, 2012, 6:09 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song, “Praise the ‘I AM’” going through my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Micah 4 (NIV 1984):

The Mountain of the LORD

In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.

Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Every man will sit under his own vine
and under his own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the LORD Almighty has spoken.
All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods;
we will walk in the name of the LORD
our God for ever and ever… continued at

My Understanding: “In the last days…” commonly refers to the time of Jesus Christ’s earthly life and ministry until the time when he returns for his bride, to judge the earth and its inhabitants, and to set up his earthly kingdom reign, at which time his saints will reign and rule with him for a period of a thousand years (don’t know if this is a literal 1,000). This prophecy in Micah 4 is concerning this period of time from Jesus’ first coming to, and to include his millennial reign on the earth.

Although this was written during the times of the Old Testament and of the Old Covenant of God with his people, the Jews and the nation of physical Israel, it must be understood in light of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry, and of the life and future of the church, i.e. the true saints of God, i.e. a spiritual entity, not a physical one we often call “church.” Micah was writing about the future of the people of God, who are now the saints of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The “mountain of the Lord’s temple” is Zion, and Zion is the kingdom of God, the church, the body of Christ, spiritual Israel (true Israel), the heavenly Jerusalem.

The Mountain of the Lord

The temple of God in the last days is in the hearts of true followers of Jesus Christ, who collectively comprise the church, the body of Christ, which is a spiritual entity. So, the people of the world will stream, not to physical Israel and to physical Jerusalem, but they will stream to Jesus Christ, to his gospel, to salvation, and to entry into his eternal kingdom (Zion, the mountain of the Lord’s house, his church). This is not talking about people streaming to incorporations and businesses of men under the control of the federal government, but is speaking about them streaming to the house of God, i.e. the true church of Jesus Christ, his people, his kingdom, and to salvation and eternal life with God in glory.

So, when the people say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob,” this is speaking of people entering into relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, our Rock of eternal salvation. God no longer dwells in buildings built by human hands. A “church” building is no more sacred than my home, my car, the shopping mall, etc. The “sanctuary” in a physical building called a “church” is not the sanctuary of God. We do not enter into the presence of God or into his house when we enter a physical building. Scripture is real clear on this subject. God is not going to make his temple a physical building once again, so even if the Jews rebuild the temple, it will not be the temple of God, because God now dwells in our hearts. Our hearts are his sanctuary, and the Holy of Holies dwells there and makes his home there. The only rebuilding of the temple God is concerned about is the spiritual revival of his church, the body of Christ.

Galatians 4 makes this subject of the temple, Jerusalem and Israel clear when it tells us that Hagar represents those who are still in slavery (to sin), whereas Sarah represents those who are free in Christ Jesus. Hagar represents physical Jerusalem, whereas Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem, which is free (from bondage to sin). Those in Christ Jesus are the children of promise, whereas those outside of Christ are children of the slave woman. This is saying that even Jews, who have not put their faith and hope in Jesus Christ, are no different from anyone else who has not believed in Jesus. They are all children of the slave woman (Hagar), whereas those who have believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are children of the free woman (Sarah), and are children of the promise. The physical city of Jerusalem and the physical temple have been replaced with the heavenly Jerusalem and the temple of the Holy Spirit, the body of Christ, Jesus Christ.

He Will Teach Us

When the people say, “He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths,” when in reference to the mountain of the Lord and the house of the God of Jacob, this is speaking of Jesus Christ who is our Rock, our fortress, our deliverer, and our source of eternal salvation. He is the embodiment of God’s eternal kingdom. We, as the church, are the body of Christ, so the body of Christ is the temple of God, so Jesus Christ is the mountain of the Lord’s temple that will be established in the last days as chief among the mountains, and people will stream to Jesus Christ in the last days. We enter into the true church, God’s holy temple, through faith in Jesus Christ, and that is the only “church membership” that God requires of his people. As well, when God makes everything new, and there is a new heaven and a new earth (see Rev. 21), the temple of God will be the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who was slain for the sins of the world.

So, people from many nations will stream to Jesus Christ in the last days. There will be many who will enter into faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior. They will come to him and will ask him to teach them his ways, so they may walk in his paths. This is what it means to come to faith in Jesus Christ. It means we turn from our old lives of sin and our old ways of living for self, and we now desire to hear from the Lord Jesus, and to walk in his ways in humble obedience. It means to die to our old lives, and to live new lives in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit of God within us. It means that we repent of sin; that we love Jesus/God; and we demonstrate our love for him through obedience to his commands. We rely upon him, his strength, and his Holy Spirit power for all things, instead of trusting in man or in our own resources. And, we do this moment-by-moment.

The Law

The “law” that will go out from Zion (the body of Christ) is Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of the law, and it is the law of love – love God with your whole heart, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. If we truly God, we will obey him and we will do what is right. If we truly love our fellow man, we will not commit adultery, murder, steal, lie, cheat, gossip, slander, hate, and/or take advantage of others in any way, shape or form. The law is also God’s words to us found in the Bible, as applied in the context of our new covenant relationship with God, which comprises the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us we will be his witnesses in all the earth. He told his disciples that they were to go and to make disciples (of Christ) of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded us. This is the way in which the “law” will go out from Zion (the church). We are to be lights for the gospel of Jesus Christ in this world in telling others about Christ, and in living out the Christian life in all holiness, as examples of what it means to be in Christ. None of us are perfect, and we won’t reach perfection until we get to heaven, but we should never use this as an excuse to continue in willful sin and rebellion once we have come to faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord. We should always make it our goal, and we should strive, in the power and strength of the working of the Holy Spirit of God within us, to walk in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ.

Tribulation and Restoration

One day, Jesus is going to come back to earth for his bride. He will judge the nations, and he will set up his millennial kingdom reign on the earth. This will be a time of peace. True peace can only be found in Jesus Christ. Those followers of Christ that the Lord allowed to go through this time of tribulation on the earth, as is prophesied concerning in scripture, particularly in the book of Revelation, will be gathered together with Christ as their shepherd. And, he will restore them physically, and they will reign and rule with him.

Yet, prior to his return will be a time of great tribulation on the earth (see Revelation, particularly chapter 13). At this time, nations will lose their national sovereignty to “the beast” and to the “false prophet.” They will lose physical property and human rights. “Babylon,” perhaps representing world powers, will exercise much authority over the earth and its inhabitants, including over the people of God. Many will be persecuted for their faith in Christ, many imprisoned, and still many will be killed for their testimony for Jesus Christ. Many nations (New World Order/Global Kingdom) will be gathered against the saints of God. The many nations will think they are the ones ultimately in power, because they do not know the thoughts and the plans of God. He will merely use them as his instruments of divine judgment, but when he is finished with them, he will come in judgment against them, as well. Yet, the Lord, in his coming, will redeem his people out of the hands of these many nations. So, there is hope for our future, even if things look bleak in this present time.

The Lord has been showing me much about the fulfillment of prophecy of scripture with regard to these last days in our present time. I don’t know the timing of the tribulation or of the millennial kingdom, in all reality, but what I do know is that what is prophesied about in scripture will come true, and is coming true in our day and time. The “beast” is forming, and the government of the USA and its allies (many nations) are part of this global kingdom that is coming against and will continue to come against the people of the world and against God’s saints. Many changes are going on within our own government right now that have the effect of what this passage in Micah predicted would happen in the future. I don’t have the time or the space right now to go into massive detail, only to say we need to have our eyes, minds and hearts open to what the Spirit of God wants to reveal to us concerning the truth of what is happening in our world, our nation and in his church today, especially as it relates to the fulfillment of scripture.

May we give our all to Christ, this mountain of the Lord, today, and may we hear his voice speaking to us, “Come out from her, my people, so that you do not share in her many sins.” May we know and follow him wherever he leads us, and trust in him fully to accomplish all his plans and purposes for our lives.

Praise the “I AM!” / An Original Work / February 24, 2012

Jesus, my Savior, full of compassion,
Glorious in power, mighty in strength;
Gracious Redeemer, mighty deliv’rer,
My heart adores Him. Praise to His name!
Perfect salvation my Lord provided
When He died for my sins on a tree;
Crucified my sins; conquered in vict’ry,
When He arose, so I could be free!

I am so thankful for His forgiveness;
Grateful that He chose to pardon me,
Giving me new life full in His Spirit,
So I can serve Him; His servant be!
Walking in daily fellowship with Him,
Obeying Him whate’er He commands;
Forsaking my sins, living in freedom,
I will endure with Him to the end!

He gives me peace and calm reassurance
In times of sorrow, or in distress.
His grace is sure, and oh, how sufficient
To meet me in my need for sweet rest.
Oh, how I love You, Jesus, my Savior.
My heart longs for You where’er I am.
Your word is precious; speaks to my spirit;
Brings comfort, healing. Praise the “I AM!”

Song on video

Please check out his blog, because this blogger has a handle on much of what is going on with reference to fulfillment of scripture in our day and time. I don’t agree with everything he says and I don’t necessarily agree with him completely theologically, yet I do believe much of what he says is truth and that we need to be aware of these things so that we are awakened to the fulfillment of prophecy of scripture in our day, so that we are prepared for what is coming, and we are not taken by surprise, and thus question God’s promises.

Agenda 21

Filled with Power

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 5:23 a.m. – The Lord woke me with the song, “Your Servant Witness,” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Micah 3 (NIV 1984):

Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

Then I said,
“Listen, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of the house of Israel.
Should you not know justice,
you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
and the flesh from their bones;
who eat my people’s flesh,
strip off their skin
and break their bones in pieces;
who chop them up like meat for the pan,
like flesh for the pot?”

Then they will cry out to the LORD,
but he will not answer them.
At that time he will hide his face from them
because of the evil they have done.

This is what the LORD says:

“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,
if one feeds them,
they proclaim ‘peace’;
if he does not,
they prepare to wage war against him.
Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
and darkness, without divination.
The sun will set for the prophets,
and the day will go dark for them.
The seers will be ashamed
and the diviners disgraced.
They will all cover their faces
because there is no answer from God.”

But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the LORD,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.
Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob,
you rulers of the house of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;
who build Zion with bloodshed,
and Jerusalem with wickedness.
Her leaders judge for a bribe,
her priests teach for a price,
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they lean upon the LORD and say,
“Is not the LORD among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”
Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.

My Understanding: In chapters 1-2 of the book of Micah, Micah declared the guilt of Israel and the subsequent judgments of God that were to follow. The people of God, in general, were idolatrous, practiced spiritual unfaithfulness, planned iniquity, plotted evil on their beds, defrauded the poor, stole from the less fortunate, betrayed their own people, and mocked and tried to discourage the true prophets of God from prophesying the truth of God’s words. The people of God were liars and deceivers. The kind of prophets they desired were those who prophesied plenty of “wine and beer,” i.e. those who prophesied fun and gaiety, loss of self-control (restraint), and a carefree attitude toward their faith in God.

Their leaders and prophets (false) were just as bad, and probably help explain why the people were as they were. Their leaders hated good and loved evil. They treated the people with cruelty. They despised justice and distorted all that is right. They built Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with wickedness. They judged for a bribe, and the priests taught for a price. They had a corrupt system of government. Yet, they felt confident that God was among them blessing and protecting them, but this was a false confidence. Their religion was primarily external in form, but their hearts were far from God. Their trust in God was not sincere (true) because it was devoid of obedience. Their empty religion would perish.

Their prophets led the people astray. They gave the people a false hope of security, contrary to the words of God. If the people “fed” the prophets, either with money, encouragement or agreement of some kind, the false prophets would proclaim peace to them, yet if the people challenged the teaching of the false prophets based upon the truths of God’s words, then the false prophets were ready to wage war against anyone who opposed them. So, God declared judgment against the people, against the rulers and against their prophets. The leaders and false prophets would cry out to God, but God would hide his face from them, and he would not answer them, because of all the evil they had done.

In contrast to these false prophets, who prophesied lies, was Micah, a true servant of the Lord. He was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and with the power of the Spirit of God. He was empowered with God’s justice and might (strength) to declare to Israel his transgression (sin), and that he did. He told the leaders that, because of them and their wickedness, selfishness and pride, judgment would come upon the people of God, i.e. upon the nation of Israel and upon the temple (their place of religious activity).

2012

True Israel today is comprised of true followers of Jesus Christ. We are the people of God. We are the heavenly Jerusalem, i.e. we are Zion, the city of God, the kingdom of God. And, times have not really changed all that much. The sins that existed at the time of this writing are still prevalent in our society, in the government, and in the church today.

The description of the rulers of the people reminded me so much of the description God has often given me (and has confirmed many times over) of our own government leaders here in the USA. I believe very much that our government, in concert with their UN and NATO allies, are building a global kingdom based upon bloodshed, human cruelty, despising true justice and distorting what is right, trying to make good look like evil, and evil appear as good. Yet, they deceive the minds of the innocent and naïve into thinking this is a Christian nation, built upon godly principles, and that we are a nation blessed by God and protected from harm. They deceive the innocent and naïve into believing that we are the good guys going throughout the world protecting the innocent, yet what if we are the bad guys and we are doing to people all around the globe what Micah accused Israel’s leaders of doing? Wouldn’t you want to know that? We should pray for much wisdom and understanding.

The description of the false prophets reminded me of many of our leaders in the church in America today. They give the people a false hope and a false sense of security when they tell them they do not have to repent of their sins and they don’t have to obey the commands of Christ in order to be saved, and that God is pleased with them no matter what they do. Some do not do this overtly, while others do. Some just leave the true meaning of the cross out of the message of the gospel so that it is only presenting half the truth and thus a lie. Thus, they leave people still in their sins with no hope of salvation.

And, they take it a step further by trying to discourage true servants of the Lord and ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ from confronting people with their sin. They say to true ministers of the gospel, “Don’t speak to us about our sin,” and/or they try to convince the people of God that it is wrong to address sin within the church for fear that we might lose people from the church, or we might offend them, so they come up with unbiblical teaching on how to avoid ever having to confront sin within the body of Christ. And, the people of God continue in their sin because we were afraid to offend them or that they might leave the church.

Yet, the word of God teaches us that if a brother or sister in Christ is caught in a sin, those of us who are spiritual (in a right relationship with God and not giving into willful sin) should restore the person gently (see Gal. 6:1-3). We are to do this in all humility and with much guardedness so that we don’t get caught in sin ourselves. As well, we are to do this with a caring attitude which desires to help the person to victory (spiritual restoration), and never with the purpose of just being critical or judgmental (condemning). Our goal should always be one of love, nurturing and restoration, i.e. helping the person turn from his or her sin and teaching him or her how to follow Christ Jesus in surrender and obedience.

The word of God also teaches that we are to “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:22-24). As well, it teaches us this: “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20). And, this: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present” (1 Co. 5:1-3).

God takes sin seriously. And, he wants us to take sin seriously, too, and to grieve over our own sins, as well as over the sins of our fellow believers in Jesus Christ (2 Co. 12:21; Jms. 4:9; Ezek. 9:3-5; Amos 6:6).

Your Servant Witness / An Original Work / March 13, 2012

Humbly I bow, Lord, before You,
Bringing my requests to You.
May I listen; hear You speaking.
May I follow You in truth.
Gently lead me in Your service.
Guide my steps and strengthen me.
Fill me with Your love and mercy.
May I live for Thee!

Let me be Your servant witness,
Telling others of Your grace.
May I always share the gospel
With those I meet face to face.
May I show the love of Jesus,
Caring for the needs of men;
Be Your servant witness always
For my Lord, Amen!

My desire to be like Jesus,
Living for Him ev’ry day.
May I obey all His teachings
Given me, so I’ll not stray.
Love You, Jesus, Lord, my master.
You are the King of my heart;
Follow You where’er You lead me;
Not from You depart!

http://www.godcares.tv/video/1476/Your-Servant-Witness

Our Job is Our Job

Monday, March 26, 2012, 6:00 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song, “Jesus, Lead Me,” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Jonah 3-4 (quoting chapter 3 in the NIV 1984):

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

A Second Time

The Lord had previously come to Jonah with a message for him to give to Nineveh (a city in what is now modern-day Iraq), but Jonah refused. He, thus, ran away from the Lord, and he headed (sailed) for Spain. The Lord didn’t take “No” for an answer, though. He sent a great wind and a violent storm to come against Jonah and the ship in which he was sailing. The sailors eventually threw Jonah overboard, he was swallowed by a big fish, he called on God in prayer, and he told the Lord he would fulfill his vows to the Lord. God then gave him a second chance to obey. I am so thankful we serve a God of second chances! Grace!

Jonah obeyed the Lord, yet his heart attitude did not change toward Nineveh. He said what God told him to say, though, and as a result Nineveh believed God and repented of her sins. The king even declared a fast, and he called upon the people to call urgently on God and to give up their evil ways. So, he believed God, too. He hoped that, by their obedience, and their taking God seriously, God would show them mercy, and that he would relent. When God saw that the people of Nineveh had humbled themselves, that they had called fervently upon His name, and that they had turned from their evil ways, he had compassion on them, and he did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. I am so glad we serve such a loving, compassionate and merciful God! Mercy!

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” ~ 2 Tim. 2:19

“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” ~ 1 Peter 3:10-12

Questioning God

Jonah, nonetheless, was not overjoyed that God had been merciful to Nineveh. He still wanted God to destroy her. He became so angry, in fact, that he told the Lord that his knowledge of God as a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, is what led him to run away from God, and to run from this assignment. And, he asked God to take his life, because he felt he would be better off dead than alive if Nineveh was to be spared this calamity. Wow! But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
“Who is this that darkens my counsel
with words without knowledge?
Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand. ~ Job 38:1-4

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Let him who accuses God answer him!” ~ Job 40:2

Jonah was not the only servant of the Lord to question God’s justice. Although Job initially responded with strong faith to God’s testing of his faith, his faith began to waiver as the burdens began to increase in severity. He began to question God’s sovereignty over his life, and to question God’s justice, too. And he, too, wanted to die. In fact, he wished he had never been born. Yet, at God’s rebuke, Job repented of his sin of pride, and he humbled himself before Almighty God. And, in turn, God blessed him, even more than he had before. I am thankful I serve a God who is both just and merciful! And, I am glad he tells me the truth about myself, even if it hurts, so that I have the opportunity to change.

Selfish Will

Jonah, after he got angry over God’s mercy toward Nineveh, found a place east of the city, with a view of the city, where he made a shelter for himself, and sat and waited to see what would happen to Nineveh. Evidently, he still hoped God would destroy the city. Then the Lord provided a vine as shade for Jonah’s head, which pleased Jonah. The next day, though, God provided a worm, which chewed on the vine and the vine withered. And, then God sent a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head. Again, Jonah decided it would be better for him to die than to live. And, again God asked Jonah if he had the right to be angry, only this time about the vine, and this time because something bad happened to Jonah, whereas before he was angry because something bad didn’t happen to Nineveh.

But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” ~ Jonah 4:10-11

Making it Practical

Jonah was the Lord’s servant. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are the Lord’s servants. God had a mission (assignment) for Jonah. He was to be God’s messenger. God has a mission and an assignment for each one of his children today, too. He has called all of us to be his witnesses, to share the gospel, to be lights for the gospel in how we live our lives, to make disciples of all nations, to teach them what Jesus Christ has commanded us, and to assist our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus to walk faithfully in obedience to Christ, so that they may grow in their faith and in their relationships with Jesus, as their Lord and Savior.

We have also all been given specific and individual spiritual gifts, too, which we are to use for the spreading of the gospel and for the edification of the body of Christ. As well, God/Jesus may give us very specific assignments that are unique just to us, because he wants to use us in very precise ways, and perhaps even in the lives of very definite individuals or groups of people. And, we must obey, yet not reluctantly, as did Jonah, but with willing hearts and attitudes, and out of love for our Lord.

When we obey, though, we must leave the results to God. All throughout scripture we read about how the Lord’s servants obeyed him and often said things people did not want to hear or had to do something that was not most popular. I recall how the Lord often told the prophets of old that they were to say whatever God told them to say whether the people listened or they failed to listen. Our job is to do our job, and then to trust God with the results, even in those times when we may be hated, persecuted, rejected, abandoned, and mistreated, and/or even falsely accused because of our testimony for Christ.

Our job is to do our job, even if things don’t turn out exactly like we think they should, or we had hoped they would. And, our job is never to question God’s justice, decisions or actions. He is God! And, it is not our place to get upset with him, although we have been obedient, when he does not act, provide, answer or respond in a way we think he should. We have to trust God that he is God and that he knows what is best. He sees things we don’t see. I am so glad that I serve a God that I can trust with my life and who does what is best for me always.

Sometimes, though, we get to see the positive results of our obedience immediately, and that is such a blessing when that happens! Although Jonah did not appreciate what took place in Nineveh, he got to see immediate results. The people repented and God relented. And, those are the results we should always hope for! And, they are such an encouragement when they happen, too, because seeing such positive results does help motivate us and spur us on to keep obeying God. Yet, we must not count on them, and we must continue in faithful obedience to God even when we can’t see the results. This is called faith. We believe God, we do what he says, we trust him with the results, and we keep pressing on. Faith!

Jonah was more concerned about what he wanted, than he was about what God desired. He was more worried about his own comfort, than he was concerned about the salvation of human souls. He was more anxious about “saving trees” than he was about saving lives. He was selfish and he wanted his own way. If he couldn’t get his way, then his answer was to either run away or to die (another form of escape). Jonah demanded his own way instead of humbly and willingly going God’s way.

I’ve been there! I know! I have questioned God, I’ve run away from him, disobeyed him greatly, and even wanted to die before, because life did not go the way I had hoped it would, and because God did not rescue me in the way I thought he should, or because I did not get the response to my obedience to God that I thought should accompany such obedience. Yet, it never pays to run from God! The only path to peace, to a right relationship with God/Jesus, and to true joy and fulfillment in life is to yield oneself to the will of God, to obey him, to do what he says, and then to leave the results to him. I know!

I am so thankful that I serve a God who is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and mercy, and that he never gave up on me, but he still desires to use me, even in spite of my past failures. Praise God! He is such a great God!!

Jesus, Lead Me / An Original Work / July 22, 2011

Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.

http://www.godcares.tv/video/1190/Jesus-Lead-Me

The Assignment

Sunday, March 25, 2012, 5:00 a.m. – The Lord woke me around 4:30 a.m. with the song, “Your Servant Witness,” playing in my mind. I lay in bed praying for about half an hour, and then I got up to hear from the Lord. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Jonah 1-2 (quoting chap. 1 in the NIV 1984):

Jonah Flees From the LORD

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”

Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried to the LORD, “O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

The Prophet

Jonah was a prophet of the Lord. God gave him an assignment. He was supposed to go to the city of Nineveh and preach against it because of its wickedness. Yet, Jonah did not want to take that assignment. He did not want to preach against the city of Nineveh, because Jonah knew that God was a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity (see 4:2). He wanted Nineveh to be destroyed. Evidently, Nineveh was an enemy of Israel’s.

Nineveh’s ruins are located across the Tigris River from Mosul, Iraq, and on the east side of the river, about 500 miles from Samaria. Samaria today is in the area called the West Bank. It would have taken Jonah more than a month to travel to Nineveh. Yet, he turned and traveled by ship in the opposite direction toward Spain.

The Lord, nonetheless, did not take “No” for an answer. He pursued Jonah with a strong wind. The storm was so violent that it threatened to break up the ship. The sailors were afraid. They each called to their own gods. Yet, Jonah was comfortably asleep below deck and didn’t even know there was a storm. I love what the captain said to him: “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”

Our Assignments

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~ Matt. 28:19-20.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ~ Acts 1:8.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. ~ Eph. 4:14-16.

We have been given the assignment (mission) to be the Lord’s witnesses, to share the gospel message, both in word and by example, to make disciples (followers) of Christ of people, and to teach them to obey everything Christ has commanded us. We have also been given the responsibility toward helping our brothers and sisters in Christ to mature in their faith, to not be tossed back and forth by various winds of doctrine, to warn them against wolves in sheep’s clothing who would deceive them and who would turn them away from the truth of the gospel, to speak the truth of the words of God, and to do the assignments God gives to us, his children, for the edification of the body of Christ. Then we can grow in the grace and love of Christ, as each part of the body does its work (assignment).

Personal Example

Back in the early 1980’s I faced a situation in my life that I thought was beyond hope. I had an “enemy” force coming against me that was too powerful for me, or so I thought. And, so I gave up and just ran from the situation. Then, one day I was reading Bible stories to my children, and I read the story of Jonah. Immediately the Holy Spirit of God convicted my heart and said, “You are running away, just like Jonah!” And, get this! I answered back to God, “But God, you don’t understand!” Yet, it was I who did not understand. I did not understand the sovereignty of God over my life or the power of God to work in my situation.

The Lord told me, “Get back in there and fight this through.” I was not sure how I was to do that, but I did, and the Lord graciously showed me the way and worked the situation out for his purposes and for his glory in my life and in the lives of those who were my “enemies,” to whom the Lord wanted to give a message through my life and witness for him. The Lord also used at least one of those “enemies” to help me to be delivered from the fear of man and from the painful scars in my life resulting from past abuse, though that was a long process, and this was just the beginning. To God be the glory! Great things He has done!

Where are You?

God has an assignment for each and every one of us. Our first and foremost assignment is to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives. We do this through repentance (turning from our sin) and through obedience (turning toward God in following Jesus Christ with our lives). We do not do this in our own flesh, though. This is the working of the Holy Spirit within us in transforming our hearts in regeneration (new birth) as we cooperate fully with that work.

Then, our assignment is to be witnesses for Christ in making disciples of all nations and in helping our fellow believers in Christ mature in their faith and walk with the Lord. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, not just so we can go to heaven one day. He came to give us abundant life with him while we are still on this earth. He did not die a cruel death on the cross to free us from our sins only for us to turn right around and continue in willful disobedience to him by going our own way without regard for his plan for our lives. He did not die for our sins so that we could live for ourselves without giving thought to what our purpose is and what our assignment is in truly following Jesus Christ wherever he leads us.

Are you where Jonah was? Or where I was? Are you running from God’s assignment for your life? Your reasons may or may not be similar to Jonah’s or to mine, for we all have our reasons for doing what we do. Maybe yours is apathy, complacency, fear of man, hatred of your enemies, selfishness, ignorance, or whatever keeps you from obeying the Lord fully. Are you in a deep sleep while violent storms of this life are all around you beating against your life, the lives of those you love, or the lives of your enemies? Are you running in the opposite direction from obedience to God? In other words, are you escaping into sin’s deceitfulness because you don’t want to obey God, because you can’t trust him with the circumstances of your life, and/or because you lack knowledge of who God truly is? I did that. But, I stopped running. And, I hope, by God’s grace, I never run from God again.

The Result

The result of Jonah’s disobedience to God was that he did not give the message to the people of Nineveh, warning them of God’s judgments, and thus they could have perished in their sins. The people with whom he was with on the boat nearly lost their lives, as well. And, Jonah missed out on the opportunity to be a blessing and to make a difference in other people’s lives.

When we choose to ignore or to run from our assignments God has given each one of us, we, too, fail to give out the message of hope that could mean the salvation of people’s lives from sin and from eternal damnation. Also, we bring others down with us when we choose to run in the opposite direction toward sinful rebellion. And, we miss out on all the blessings God has for our own lives in using us in other people’s lives, and how he may want to use them in our lives to help us to mature in our walk with Christ.

So, if today you are running from God, or you are asleep (complacent and apathetic) while the world is coming crashing down all around you, and/or if you are going in the opposite direction toward sinful rebellion, and/or are just living for yourself without concern for the lost world or for your brothers and sisters who may be also living for themselves and not living for God, and/or if you are bringing others down with you, I pray you will wake up and call on your God. I pray you will turn from your disobedience, and that you will choose to follow the Lord Jesus Christ today in doing whatever he has called you (and all of us) to do.

God had to bring a strong wind into Jonah’s life to wake him up. He had to throw him into the sea and have him preserved in the belly of a big fish so that he would obey God. Don’t wait until God has to pursue you with his divine discipline and correction before you obey. Obey him today! Say, “Yes, Lord, I will go where you want me to go, and I will do what you want me to do, and say what you want me to say, and I will trust you with the results.”

Your Servant Witness / An Original Work / March 13, 2012

Humbly I bow, Lord, before You,
Bringing my requests to You.
May I listen; hear You speaking.
May I follow You in truth.
Gently lead me in Your service.
Guide my steps and strengthen me.
Fill me with Your love and mercy.
May I live for Thee!

Let me be Your servant witness,
Telling others of Your grace.
May I always share the gospel
With those I meet face to face.
May I show the love of Jesus,
Caring for the needs of men;
Be Your servant witness always
For my Lord, Amen!

My desire to be like Jesus,
Living for Him ev’ry day.
May I obey all His teachings
Given me, so I’ll not stray.
Love You, Jesus, Lord, my master.
You are the King of my heart;
Follow You where’er You lead me;
Not from You depart!

http://www.godcares.tv/video/1476/Your-Servant-Witness

In Times of Sorrow

Friday, March 23, 2012, 6:23 a.m. – The Lord woke me with the song, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken,” playing in my mind.

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken / Henry F. Lyte / Mozart/ Arr. Hubert P. Main

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou, from hence, my all shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I've sought, and hoped, and known;
Yet how rich is my condition, God and Christ are still my own!

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like man, untrue;
And, while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate, and friends disown me; show Thy face, and all is bright.

Man may trouble and distress me – ‘Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ‘tis not in grief to harm me, while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ‘twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Go then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!
In Thy service pain is pleasure; with Thy favor loss is gain.
I have called Thee, Abba, Father, I have stayed my heart on Thee;
Storms may howl and clouds may gather; all must work for good to me.

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith and winged by prayer;
God's eternal day's before thee, God's own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Amos 8-9 (quoting 9:11-15 NIV 1984):

“In that day I will restore
David’s fallen tent.
I will repair its broken places,
restore its ruins,
and build it as it used to be,
so that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations that bear my name,”
declares the LORD, who will do these things.
“The days are coming,” declares the LORD,

“when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman
and the planter by the one treading grapes.
New wine will drip from the mountains
and flow from all the hills.
I will bring back my exiled people Israel;
they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.
They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;
they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
I will plant Israel in their own land,
never again to be uprooted
from the land I have given them,”

says the LORD your God.

Ripe Fruit

Israel was ripe for harvest like ripe fruit ready to be plucked. To pluck something means “to take something away swiftly, often by means of skill or strength;” or “to pull something off or out of something else, e.g. fruit from a tree” (Encarta). Yet, this was not a joyful harvest. This was a judgment of God on his people because of their many sins. They were guilty of trampling on the needy, doing away with the poor, cheating their customers in the market place, and using dishonest measurements. They took advantage of those less fortunate than them or those who were naïve and innocent. They were exploiters of the worst kind, because they were careful to observe the religious traditions of the Jewish faith, including the Sabbath. Yet, even while they were observing these holy days, their minds were thinking ahead to when the holy days were over and how they could cheat the people.

God said he would, thus, turn their religious feasts into mourning and all their singing into weeping. The songs in the temple would turn into wailing. He would send famine throughout the land, but not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People would wander around searching for the word of the Lord, but they would not find it. Those who put confidence in false gods and a false hope of security would fall.

James 5:1-6 says this: “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”

So, these particular sins were not peculiar to Amos’ day, or even to the times in the New Testament. These sins of mankind are still prevalent today, and exist even within the church. Yet, the encouragement here is found in this song, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.”

Not Like Man

Jesus said that if anyone was to come after him, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Christ. To deny oneself means “to refuse to gratify your own needs or desires” (Encarta). To take up your cross daily means to daily die to sin and to self. And, to follow Christ means to walk humbly in obedience to him on a daily basis. This is what it means to come to faith in Jesus Christ, and it is what it means to live daily for Jesus Christ. We must put off our old sinful lives, be transformed by the working of the Holy Spirit within us, and put on the new self, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (see Eph. 4:17-24). This is all the working of the Spirit as we cooperate with that work.

Then, if we are mistreated, despised, forsaken, cheated, taken advantage of, trampled upon, hated, and/or shunned, we will not despair, but we will rejoice in that we are rich in Jesus Christ! We will consider our lives as nothing compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ, for whose sake we have lost all things (see Phil. 3:8). We will gladly give up our own ambitions for the sake of Christ. We will see that such suffering is sharing in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, because he was mistreated, too. Human hearts and looks may be deceptive, but God is not like man. He is truth! Mistreatment and misfortune should always drive us into the arms of our loving Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And, we should place our hope, strength, security and trust in none other than our Lord, knowing that he will work through these trials in our lives for our good, to make us more like Jesus.

In That Day

Judgment of God is also not something just peculiar to the Old Testament, though we definitely saw more of it in Old Testament times than what we read about in the New Testament. In the context of taking communion and the need for self-examination before we partake of the fruit of the vine and the bread, we are told that we should judge ourselves so we would not come under judgment. In that same context (see 1 Co. 11) we also learn that when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

So, we should never make light of the Lord’s discipline, and we should not lose heart when he rebukes us, “because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” So we are to endure hardship as discipline, for God is treating us like his children, which we are if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ. God disciplines us “for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” [See Hebrews 12] Jesus told the church in Laodicea: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” Yet, God’s judgment on his people is always for the purpose of restoring them to a right relationship with him so that he can heal them and renew their fellowship with him.

He told Israel that he would restore David’s fallen tent. Jesus Christ came from the line of David, and we, as followers of Christ, are of Christ, so today this “tent” would be symbolic of the church (the body of Christ). Although through faith in Jesus Christ we are made right with God, we are forgiven of our sins, and we have the hope of eternity with God in heaven, still it is possible for followers of Christ to fall away from their pure devotion to Christ, and for them to need to be brought back into a right relationship with their Lord God. [See Revelation 2-3 for examples of this.] And, God will use divine discipline, if necessary, to bring his church back into fellowship with him. At that time, or “in that day” he will restore his church, he will repair the broken places of our hearts, and he will restore what was ruined by sin and by sin’s deceitfulness. Then, he will rebuild our lives the way they used to be when we first came to faith in Jesus Christ (as described in Ephesians 4:17-24). This is often called “revival.”

At that time, the people of God will experience enormous blessings from the Lord. Some people believe this type of blessing and restoration will not take place until Jesus sets up his millennial kingdom reign on the earth, yet I have seen God perform such miracles of revival in people’s hearts, including my own, and I have seen, too, him pour out his spiritual blessings into the lives of those who have been renewed and restored, including into my own life, so, to some degree, I believe this is possible right now.

We don’t have to continue in sin. Jesus came to set us free! And, there is nothing so glorious than the freedom we have in Jesus Christ, our Lord, so that we are no longer bound by sin’s deceitfulness, but we are free to walk in humble obedience and daily fellowship with our Lord.

Praise the “I AM!” / An Original Work / February 24, 2012

Jesus, my Savior, full of compassion,
Glorious in power, mighty in strength;
Gracious Redeemer, mighty deliv’rer,
My heart adores Him. Praise to His name!
Perfect salvation my Lord provided
When He died for my sins on a tree;
Crucified my sins; conquered in vict’ry,
When He arose, so I could be free!

I am so thankful for His forgiveness;
Grateful that He chose to pardon me,
Giving me new life full in His Spirit,
So I can serve Him; His servant be!
Walking in daily fellowship with Him,
Obeying Him whate’er He commands;
Forsaking my sins, living in freedom,
I will endure with Him to the end!

He gives me peace and calm reassurance
In times of sorrow, or in distress.
His grace is sure, and oh, how sufficient
To meet me in my need for sweet rest.
Oh, how I love You, Jesus, my Savior.
My heart longs for You where’er I am.
Your word is precious; speaks to my spirit;
Brings comfort, healing. Praise the “I AM!”

http://www.godcares.tv/video/1474/Praise-the-I-AM

True to Plumb

Thursday, March 22, 2012, 6:30 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song, “In Truth,” playing through my mind. And, while I was reading the passage for today, he put the song, “Your Servant Witness,” in my mind, because that is who Amos was for sure.

Your Servant Witness / An Original Work / March 13, 2012

Humbly I bow, Lord, before You,
Bringing my requests to You.
May I listen; hear You speaking.
May I follow You in truth.
Gently lead me in Your service.
Guide my steps and strengthen me.
Fill me with Your love and mercy.
May I live for Thee!

Let me be Your servant witness,
Telling others of Your grace.
May I always share the gospel
With those I meet face to face.
May I show the love of Jesus,
Caring for the needs of men;
Be Your servant witness always
For my Lord, Amen!

My desire to be like Jesus,
Living for Him ev’ry day.
May I obey all His teachings
Given me, so I’ll not stray.
Love You, Jesus, Lord, my master.
You are the King of my heart;
Follow You where’er You lead me;
Not from You depart!

http://www.godcares.tv/video/1476/Your-Servant-Witness

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Amos 7 (quoting verses 1-9 in the NIV 1984):

Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line

This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign LORD, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”
So the LORD relented.

“This will not happen,” the LORD said.

This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: The Sovereign LORD was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, “Sovereign LORD, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

So the LORD relented.

“This will not happen either,” the Sovereign LORD said.

This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?”

“A plumb line,” I replied.

Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.

“The high places of Isaac will be destroyed
and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined;
with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”

The Lord’s Servant

The Lord God was preparing to judge Israel (his people) with a swarm of locusts, but Amos, the Lord’s servant, interceded for the people of Israel and pleaded to God for his mercy and forgiveness. So, God relented. Then the Lord was calling for judgment by fire. Again Amos prayed for mercy, and God relented. Then, the Lord said he was setting a plumb line among his people, and he would spare them no longer. At this, Amos did not plead for mercy or forgiveness. Amos heard God’s voice. He prayed in God’s will. And God heard him. And Amos did whatever God told him to do.

So, Amos gave out the message to the people, warning them of impending judgment of God. The message was not well received. He was accused by the priest of Bethel of raising a conspiracy against the king. The priest then told Amos to “Get out! Go back from where you came. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.” Yet, Amos responded by telling the priest that he was not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but was a shepherd when the Lord took him from the flock and told him to go and prophesy to his people Israel. Amos was just an obedient servant of the Lord. And, so God used him.

A Plumb Line

A plumb line is a string or cord with a weight attached to one end of it. The cord is held at one end with the weight at the other end. It is allowed to hang vertically, with the weight at the bottom. It is used by builders to check to see if walls are straight up and down. If a wall is true to plumb, it means that it is vertically straight. Plumb lines were also used to test existing walls to see if they were still substantial or if they had settled in a bad way and needed to be reconstructed. Yet, God was using this in a spiritual context, not in the context of a literal wall or a literal building.

The Lord was standing next to a wall that had been built true to plumb, and he had a plumb line in his hand. True to plumb, spiritually speaking, would mean true to standard (God’s standard). A wall is a fortification (protection; guard; security; armor; defense). Spiritually speaking, this would symbolize God himself, his word, his gospel, his salvation, his truth, his righteousness, and the faith he provides. God sets the standard for how we are supposed to live, as followers of Christ, and he measures us against that standard, which is truly Jesus Christ and him crucified. Nonetheless, we can never measure up to that standard on our own. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we are able to be “true to plumb,” and acceptable to God. So, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we are built by God according to that standard. We come to know Christ in this way:

“You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:20-24).

That is the standard, and we can only meet that standard through the power of the working of the Holy Spirit of God within us, as we cooperate with that work. Yet, it is possible for God’s people, i.e. true followers of Christ, to get out of alignment with Christ and his standard for us. It does not mean we have lost our salvation, but that we have strayed from the Lord in some way through willful sin for which we have not repented, through spiritual neglect of our relationship with the Lord, through rebellion, and/or complacency, etc. And, thus we are not living according to the standard of righteousness that God has set for us to follow, and which he made possible for us to follow through the death of his Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins so that we could be free from the ultimate penalty of sin (eternal damnation), and so we could be free from the control of sin over our daily lives.

Our Intercessor

Before Jesus Christ was crucified, rose again, ascended into heaven and sent his Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of his followers, men (and women) of God were used of God to be God’s voice to the people and to intercede for them to God the Father. Once Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world, he became our intermediary between us and God the Father, and he is the one who intercedes for us. Through salvation we are set free from the final judgment of eternity in hell, so Christ’s righteousness is applied to our lives so that we can have eternity with God in heaven. That is the only way we can get to heaven.

Yet, that does not mean that we are free from temporary judgments of God, i.e. his discipline, correction, rebuke, chastisement, etc. If he sees his people straying from his standard of righteousness, i.e. straying from the devotion, commitment, and obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, as a loving Father, he may institute some type of divine correction in our lives in order to get us back in line, for our own good, and for the sake of his holy name. The interactions between Amos and God set the stage for this. In other words, we see Amos, as the intercessor, pleading with God for forgiveness and mercy, and God is merciful. Yet, when God told Amos about the plumb line, Amos did not plead for mercy, but he obeyed God in doing what God told him to do.

Jesus is our Savior. In him we are “true to plumb.” Through his intercession for us, we receive God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness. Yet, a day is coming when Jesus will come to judge, and even to judge his saints (see Revelation 2-3). We will not face the final judgment of eternity in hell, but God will discipline us in order to make us his holy bride, ready for the wedding with her husband. God wants us to live according to his standard – Christ, the gospel, the word of God, salvation, etc. So, if we get out of alignment with Christ, he will do what it takes to get us back to where we are supposed to be. He will restore us to a right relationship with him and will renew our fellowship with him when we respond correctly to his divine correction, we repent of our sins, and we turn again to walk in faithful obedience to him. So, if you have gotten out of alignment, I pray you will return to Christ today.

In Truth / An Original Work / January 10, 2012

Fellowshipping with my Lord, Savior, King.
He is Lord of all; Lord of ev’rything.
He is with me through ev’ry hour of day,
List’ning to me speak, as I humbly pray.
He cares for my needs,
and He intercedes for me,
‘cause He loves me in ev’ry way.

Obey His commands, and do all He says.
Sitting at His feet, daily in His word,
Let His word speak to me in ev’ry way,
Giving comfort and healing through each day.
Oh, how Jesus loves,
And He cares for you,
Which is why He died for our sins, in truth.

Love our Lord God, Savior, and King of kings.
Worship Him in truth, for He reigns supreme.
He created us with a plan in mind
For us to be His servants, and Him mind.
Follow Him in truth;
Go where’er He leads.
Share His love with others, and their needs meet.
Others: their needs meet.

http://www.godcares.tv/video/1469/In-Truth

The Ruin of Joseph

Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 3:34 a.m. – The Lord woke me with the song, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Amos 6 (NIV 1984):

Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,
and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
you notable men of the foremost nation,
to whom the people of Israel come!
Go to Calneh and look at it;
go from there to great Hamath,
and then go down to Gath in Philistia.
Are they better off than your two kingdoms?
Is their land larger than yours?
You put off the evil day
and bring near a reign of terror.
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory
and lounge on your couches.
You dine on choice lambs
and fattened calves.
You strum away on your harps like David
and improvise on musical instruments.
You drink wine by the bowlful
and use the finest lotions,
but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;
your feasting and lounging will end.
The LORD Abhors the Pride of Israel

The Sovereign LORD has sworn by himself—the LORD God Almighty declares:
“I abhor the pride of Jacob
and detest his fortresses;
I will deliver up the city
and everything in it.”

If ten men are left in one house, they too will die. And if a relative who is to burn the bodies comes to carry them out of the house and asks anyone still hiding there, “Is anyone with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the LORD.”

For the LORD has given the command,
and he will smash the great house into pieces
and the small house into bits.

Do horses run on the rocky crags?
Does one plow there with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison
and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness—
you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar
and say, “Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?”

For the LORD God Almighty declares,
“I will stir up a nation against you, O house of Israel,
that will oppress you all the way
from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” All scripture includes the Old Testament, including the Major and Minor Prophets. Although these words were written for specific people at a particular time in history, there are still lessons we can learn from these writings today, as they are applicable to our lives, and as they fit within the context of the New Covenant relationship with God via Jesus’ shed blood on the cross for our sins.

Complacency

Zion today is the kingdom of God, the church (temple) of God, the heavenly Jerusalem. It is comprised of God’s people, spiritual Israel, i.e. true believers in Jesus Christ. The people are the church, the body of Christ, and our hearts are his temple. He dwells within the lives of those who are truly his by his grace and through faith (repentance and obedience). Collectively the body of Christ makes up the church. So, in today’s context, this is speaking to believers in Jesus Christ, i.e. to the church.

Woe (distress; trouble; affliction) to the complacent in Zion (the church; the body of Christ). Complacent means to be “pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied:” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/complacent. People who are complacent generally are not moved to change, and are content with status quo, even if the status quo is not the most desirable, and generally have a “care-less” attitude. They are content with their lives, their own accomplishments, life patterns, hobbies, careers, etc., and feel pretty good about the direction in life where they are headed. They don’t want to hear that anything might be wrong with the direction they are going, and so they resist any suggestions that something in their lives might need to be altered or changed.

Not only as a people of God was Israel complacent, but as a nation they were complacent. They were described as “notable men of the foremost nation,” though these words may have been spoken in irony or in sarcasm, basically echoing how the people saw themselves. The people were bragging about their national security and their military and political power. They trusted in the strength of their nation. They had much national pride. They had much wealth and luxury, and apparently spent much time lounging around and entertaining themselves, indulging in the finest of food and wine.

My Country

I live in the United States of America, so it is really the only nation I really know much about. This description (above) of the nation of Israel, which was also a spiritual nation (a people of God), as complacent, self-sufficient, boastful and proud could be descriptive of many people and nations throughout the globe, I am sure. Yet, I see very much that the USA has become a very proud and boastful nation, bragging and feeling secure about our political and military strength and power. We take much pride in our form of government and in our military, thinking that we are the “good guys” of the world going throughout the world killing the “bad guys.” Yet, the Lord has consistently shown me for the past six years that we are not the good guys, but we are the bad guys, and we are just as guilty of what Amos was speaking to Israel about in his day, only this is speaking to the USA today.

They rejected the law of God (his word), were led astray by false gods (idols of men), they oppressed those who were less fortunate than them and/or took advantage of the righteous (ones in the right), and they were promiscuous and immoral. They were complacent, proud, arrogant, boastful, and had much self-assurance that they were better than others and that they were invincible. I see much of this same attitude today in our nation, and in the church. We promote and support those who we really don’t know, and don’t have a clue what they are really doing in our government and throughout the world, and don’t really care to try to find out what they are really doing, either. We involve ourselves in our own pleasures of entertainment and eating without knowing or caring to find out what our nation is doing to the people throughout the globe, and in our own nation, or the direction our own nation is headed. We have this euphoric idea that life is just going to continue as it is and so we should just sit back and relax and have a good time. Life is a party!

You Do Not Grieve

“…but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.” This is really the crux of the matter. “Joseph” was symbolic of the northern kingdom of Israel. Basically, the people of God were so caught up in their own lives, their own schedules, their own interests, their own sense of self-importance, and national pride, etc., that they were absolutely complacent with regard to the sins of their nation (government and military) and the sins of the people of God (Israel). And, this is so true of much of our nation and church here in the USA today. It appears to me that very few people, with whom I communicate, have met, or have observed over a period of time, truly are grieving over the sins of our nation and over the sins of the people of God in our nation. The church has so engrained the people with national pride and loyalty, that we don’t question what is really going on. We are gullible, naïve and too easily believe everything we see, hear and read without checking it out to see if it is true or not. I know. I did that, too.

And, we don’t grieve over the sins of our brothers and sisters in Christ, because we are taught not to say anything to offend anyone, and that we should only say “happy, happy” stuff to people to make them feel good about themselves, and so we only help feed this idea that the sins of our brothers and sisters is none of our business and that we should just let the Holy Spirit speak, and so we say nothing and allow our fellow believers to just continue in sin. May it never be! May we be ones who grieve over the spiritual ruin of our nation, and over the spiritual ruin of the church (Zion) within our nation.

God has judged our nation previously, and he will judge us again. Christians are not exempt from God’s judgments (discipline, rebuke, chastisement). True believers in Christ are only spared the final judgment of God, i.e. we have been saved from eternal punishment in hell because of our sins. Yet, the scriptures clearly teach that God judges and disciplines those he loves, so we should be earnest and repent of our sins. And, we should put our hope and trust in God, not in men. Man will fail us and will disappoint us, but God will never fail.

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms / Elisha A. Hoffman / A. J. Showalter

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.