Eye To Eye

I saw this in the news today and I remembered reading the book 'Eye To Eye'. The premise of the book is that every time the US tries to take land from Israel by encouraging 'land for peace', the US is hit by a natural disaster in 3 days time. Koenig, the author, documents an unbelievable number of instances and when I read this, I thought of Hurricane Ike.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75048

Our nation has not learned...

Daniel 8

Hindsight is 20/20. We get to read the 8th chapter of Daniel and it reads kind of like a history lesson. I think in order to really get what was going on when Daniel wrote this (about 530 BC), we need to remember that the Babylonian empire has recently fallen to the Persian empire- the most powerful army in the world.

The vision that Daniel has concerning the Ram and the goat leaves Daniel saying 'what the heck are you talkin' about Lord'. The Medo-Persian empire is represented by the ram with two horns, the first being the median empire and the higher horn representing the more powerful Persian empire. The Lord tells us that the goat is representative of the kingdom of Greece (8:21). This is where I forget precisely how accurate and wonderful God's prophetic Word is. We've all read about world empires as we went to school, but when Daniel was writing this Greece was a literal speck on the map...and God was foretelling that this tiny country would displace the most powerful empire in the world! Can you imagine if God gave us a prophetic vision showing Venezuela conquering the United States? Absurd...well, I'm sure readers of Daniel's vision thought that too.

Another historical accuracy is fulfilled in verses 21-22: "And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power." Who was the first king of the Greecian empire? None other than Alexander the Great. Once again, the accuracy of the Lord is displayed in verse 8: "but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven." Alexander the Great was at the height of power at age 32 when he died...a young age even then. Four generals then took control of separate parts of the empire, one of which was Antiochus Epiphanes.

Verses 23-26 describe the antichrist and we'll get a further look at that in Daniel 9. He'll rise with a program of peace and deceive the world, only to exalt himself in the newly completed Third Temple. I'm not sure there is a correlation, but I found it interesting that God placed the vision of Alexander the Great's exploits with an interpretation of 'the latter time of the kingdom'. One prophecy he fulfilled to the letter and the other yet to come...but for any doubters about the literalness of prophecy, Daniel's vision was quite explicit.

Separation of Church & State

Sorry...laggin' a bit with posting on Daniel. My buddy Grant and I were talking about separation of church and state the other day, so it got me to thinking and reading about it.

To clarify, 'separation of church and state' is not in the constitution! The media would have you believe that the founders of the United States intended to keep God out of government, when in reality exactly the opposite is true. George Washington argued that if religious principles were separated from public institutions such as our courts of justice, then citizens would no longer have a secure basis for property, life, or freedom. The writings of many prominent founders corraborate that they did not embrace the modern day 'separation' philosophy (i.e. John Adams, Benjamin Rush, John Marshall, Noah Webster, James Madison, etc).

So, where did 'separation of church and state' come from? I'll let David Barton tell you:

On October 7, 1801, the Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut, sent a letter to President Thomas Jefferson expressing their concern that protection for religion had been written into the laws and constitutions. Believing strongly that freedom of religion was an inalienable right given by God, the fact that it appeared in civil documents suggested that the government viewed it as a government-granted right rather than a God-granted right. Apprehensive that the government might someday wrongly believe that it did have the power to regulate public religious activities, the Danbury Baptists communicated their anxiety to Jefferson.

On January 1, 1802, Jefferson responded to their letter. He understood their concerns and agreed with them that man accounted only to God and not to government for his faith and religious practice. Jefferson emphasized to the Danbury Baptists that none of man's natural (i.e. inalienable) rights- including the right to exercise one's faith publicly- would ever place him in a situation where the government would interfere with his religious expressions. He assured them that because of the wall of separation, they need not fear governmental interference with religious expressions.

In his letter, Jefferson made clear that the 'wall of separation' was erected not to limit public religious expressions but rather to provide security against governmental interference with those expressions, whether private or public.

This original interpretation was applied by the courts in America for a century-and-a-half before the Supreme Court in Everson v. Board of Education, for the first time, interpreted the 'separation' phrase as requiring the federal government to remove religious expressions from the public arena.

So, instead of the ACLU interpretation of today, Jefferson and founders really wanted to ensure that no national religion was defined. No worship would be coerced. Because of the freedom the new government had installed, it wanted all people to be able to exercise their God-given right of choosing when and how to worship.

Iran-Turkey relations

I just read an article in the Jerusalem Post about Ahmedinajed visiting Turkey, which Israel dislikes. There just seems to be so much groundwork being laid for Ezekiel 38-39 right now. First, Russia (Magog) and Iran enter into an arms agreement and help them to develop nuclear power (also mentioned in Ezekiel). Germany (Gomer) then begins supplying energy for Iran. Now, Iran is having diplomatic relations with Turkey (Togarmah). God's Word is so accurate...I'm just blown away that God foretold of these countries, together, coming against Israel over 2000 years ago.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1218104238967&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

Daniel 7

Daniel definitely got to see some strange stuff! After telling us of the vision of the beast (and freaking everyone out), God makes a promise to us before the interpretation: "Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a Kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion in an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away"- 7:14 God wanted to assure us of the outcome before explaining the vision.

I focused on the interpretation of the vision. "The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces." I couldn't help but wonder how this kingdom would be different? An interesting conclusion that I've read about this kingdom is that it is a revived Roman Empire and the 'ten kings' are members of this future realm. Did you have any thoughts of our current day climate when you read this? We've read about the other empires that were described in Daniel's first vision and I couldn't help but wonder what classifed the empires as such? It seems to me that Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome all had a knack for brutality and control...so I'd think that the last empire that was described in the first vision would have those attributes. Then, when reading about the 'ten kings' in verse 24, that would be different than every other kingdom described (to have more than one king). I can't help but get excited to read about prophetic events because of the promise that it contains- the promise of being that much closer to our Savior.

Daniel gave this prophecy some 2500 years old...and here we are reading the promises God made that He has yet to fulfill. That's amazing. We can see the framework of the things Daniel spoke about being setup today. It doesn't matter when it will happen, but I'm encouraged by our God giving us warning so long ago because He knew his people would need the encouragement- that they'd know what to expect. Revelation chapter 13 deals with a this new kingdom and the antichrist too, so He is giving us ample opportunity to watch for, prepare for, and warn others about the coming change.

Daniel 5 & 6

"In the same hour the finger of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the all of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote." - 5:5

OK- that would freak me out! I suppose if God wanted to get the king's attention, he certainly succeeded. Belshazzar was definitely asking for trouble by having a party that he and his guests drank out of the gold and silver vessels that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem. I wonder if this is where the 'the handwriting is on the wall' idiom has its beginning? Because, for Belshazzar, the handwriting on the wall meant that he was toast! His kingdom was over and he'd be dead in mere hours. For my own application, I think about how many times I've run the 'stop sign' that God has put in front of me? Plenty...I may not have heard an audible 'no' or had handwriting on the wall, but I think that this illustration shows us that Belshazzar had seen the mighty things God did with Daniel (and his 3 friends) and he still mocked God. Ultimately, we'll all be judged and the only thing that saves us is Jesus- our Advocate.

Chapter 6 is one of the most well known stories in all biblical lore: Daniel and the lions' den. I love that Daniel is faithful to God by praying, under the punishment of death, and is willing to die instead of not worshipping the living God. God, of course, is faithful to save Daniel when he's thrown into the den. I know this is true in our own lives too- we'll know that by taking a particular stance on something, we'll pay the worldly consequence. However, God is faithful to bring us through it! That is hard to remember when you're in the midst of the den, but He always rewards our faithfulness. Always.

Germany-Iran natural gas agreement

I had to mention this article- when I've spoken with friends and family about Ezekiel 38-39 in the past, especially about the players in the Magog invasion, one of the first things that I've wondered is how Germany would be involved. Gomer is mentioned in Ezekiel 38:6 as a member of the invading army, which is present day Germany. I've thought 'how could Iran, Russia, Turkey, Ethiopia, Libya, and Germany be on the same offensive team?' Germany has been an ally of the western nations for quite some time, but I think that this mention of a natural gas pact between the two countries is going to begin laying the groundwork for friendly relations. The international community has said that they don't want any significant deals with Iran to be consummated due to their unwillingness to shut down its nuclear program...well, Germany obviously doesn't much care about that.

His promises are true and binding...Germany will be a part of the invading force.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215331161065&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Daniel 3 & 4

Man, will the king never understand that God is the one to be worshipped or what!? How many times does God have to show him...oh, wait- this applies to all of us! God has just used Daniel to show Daniel the dream that the king had and its interpretation, then he goes and sets up a gold alter to himself. This is what each of us do every day- God shows us wonderful things, we get pumped up about something and we pray fervently, read the Word, talk to others about Him. Then, we forgot or we grow complacent and we begin doing those things in our life that take away from our time with God. Our precious time with family, our education, our hobbies...I suppose anything that robs God of his precious time with us. God shows us all, individually, great things and comforts us...then we pull a Nebuchadnezzar and build an idol to worship. Well, he also shows us what happens if we put our trust in Him during our tough times with the example of the fiery delieverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. They placed their faith in God above their own perceived image, their comfort, and their very livelihood. They stood out for God and God rewarded them with his protection- much like he promises to do for each of us when we stand for His principles.

Daniel gives us another example of our worldly ways by showing the quick forgetfulness of the king. After receiving his second dream and interpretation, the king is given 12 months to change his behavior and repent. God gives us ample time to turn from our wicked ways, to ask for forgiveness and he would give us a repreive from our judgment. However, if we don't change our ways, He is just to enter into judgment. The king was made insane by God, roaming the fields with animals and eating like an animal for a set time period. The king had to be humbled so that he could become exhalted again, which God was merciful enough to do at the end of the trial. God is seeking the king, giving him every opportunity to come to a real knowledge of Him. I suppose it's hard for any of us to see that God is humbling us to bring us to a closer relationship with Him while we are going through any particular trial, but it's plain to see when we're on the other side.

I recently heard someone say that they believed the Bible is made up of stories that are embelished to help us with our faith, but that all the stories can't be taken literally. I believe that outrageous stories, like this one in Daniel 3 with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, are true, literal applications from God. Doesn't it cheapen the Bible if these 'tales' are embelished at all? We know God is capable of all things, and saving 3 men from fire wouldn't be any great feat to Him. If people believe that stories like these are embelished to make a point, it would be simple to argue that they would believe raising one from the dead would be 'embelishment' also. If the resurrection isn't the literal truth, we don't have a savior. I just thought the view was interesting...

Daniel 2

Daniel 2 gives us all a glimpse of not only our Father's mercy and power, but also a picture of what the future holds (including for us). Nebuchadnezzar puts out his decree that he had a dream and wants a description and explanation from one of his servants- something that can only be given by God himself. Daniel, under threat of death, prays with his 3 friends seeking mercy. God, of course, reveals the secret to Daniel in a vision and he'll get his opportunity to give glory to the Lord. What faith! God is painting the picture of 'seek me, ask for mercy, and I will protect you'-now that should be encouraging. Here, God is quick to give Daniel the vision because of the circumstances. His timing is always perfect- if we have to have an answer quickly, God will deliver.

I also love Daniel's answer to God when he's given the vision: open adulation. He blesses the name of the Lord, which is done in private but is recorded in the book. He gave private thanks and glorified the Lord before sharing with the king.

The vision is awesome. God is giving a 'world empire road map' for, what many believe, has yet to be completely fulfilled. The statue, made up of five different parts, with the first three named by Daniel. The head of gold is indicative of the Babylonian empire. Daniel also names the next two empires (prophetic pronouncement) to follow: the silver chest and arms are the Medo-Persian empire and the thighs of bronze are representative of Greece (Daniel 8:20-21). That leaves the legs of iron and the feet of partly iron and partly clay. The Roman empire seems to be the feet of iron because of the description given by Daniel of how the empire would rise and fall. Because the feet also contain iron, it would reason that the Roman empire would be apart of the final empire on earth.

With the advent of the European Union and the rise of the Euro, it is easy to imagine a reformation of a pseudo-Roman empire. Daniel's prophecy would even suggest this, in my opinion, as he says in verse 43 'As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.' The EU is conglomerate- a partnership of several states, not 'one state'. This makes the newfound empire weaker than the others because of its fragility, but an empire nonetheless according to God through Daniel.

God makes one last promise in the vision- "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." - 2:44

Sounds to me like God will return to set up his kingdom on earth! We can only hope that we are that close to our Lord's triumphant return to our fallen world. Daniel was so incredibly accurate with his description, predicting the world empires during the time that Israel would be a nation. Without fail, this will occur. Watch Europe.

Daniel 1

I couldn't help but write this down...I was getting ready in my hotel room this morning and I pulled out my travel size shaving cream. When I went to use it, it produced only a very small amount and my first thought was 'darn- this isn't going to be enough to shave with!'. Well, I began applying this small amount over my face and low and behold, it was enough. It got me to thinking- this is exactly how Christ works in our lives. Bear with me here...we're initially given a small portion of Jesus, and you wonder how this is going to affect your whole life. Some people don't attempt to apply Jesus to all aspects of their life and they don't ever find that He is enough. Others begin applying Jesus and find that it spreads to their entire life. Just as applying shaving cream must take place gradually (from one part to the next), Jesus does the same thing in our lives. I was blessed by the thought that the application of Christ is ongoing and to trust that He will be enough. Things are on-going- I'm applying Christ, only to find that there is still more of Him to apply to my sinful life. Ok...yes, laugh...but I had to share. ;-)

Anyway, I've read the first two chapters of Daniel and chapter 2 is chalk full of awesome stuff! Chapter 1 sets the stage for Daniel to be before the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, for later prophetic events. After Daniel is taken captive from Jerusalem into Babylon, he and his 3 friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego) are supposed to be preparing (for 3 years) to serve the king. In this time, they're supposed to be partaking of the kings delicacies and wine. Daniel sets himself apart from the other servants by "purposing in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank;"- 1:8

The chief of the eunichs doesn't want the king upset with him for the 4 servants having 'worse looking faces' than the others and is hesitant, but allows Daniel and his 3 friends to eat vegetables for a period of 10 days to prove that they could have an alternate diet and still maintain their healthy appearance. At the end of the 10 days, their appearance was better than the other servants so the eunich allowed them to continue with their undefiled diet.

Daniel is an example here of what we should be: set apart for God. He has the opportunity to experience luxury! The king is offering his delicacies and wine to Daniel, rare for anybody in that time period. Daniel chooses his desire to be close to God and following his commands over his comfort and 'fitting in'. Aren't we all faced with this everyday? Why can't we just do what Daniel did and chose the 'hard road', that ultimately ends the way God wants it to?

"And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them (Daniel and his 3 friends) ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm." - 1:20

Daniel, taking the road he new God would want him to take, was blessed! I think we choose comfort over seeking the will of God often, even if we don't know that we're even doing it. I've heard the nudge of the Holy Spirit say 'tell that person about me' and I've found an excuse to stay in my comfort zone as opposed to following God's will. What we think might be the hard road will bless us more than sitting on the sidelines being unusable. Remember, even if we 'mess up' His work, God is capable of turning our errors into wonderful things- not only in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us.

Hosea 13 & 14

Hosea concludes his book by foretelling of the restoration of Israel with only a remnant remaining. He makes many promises and confirms that he is the savior- "there is no savior besides me." 13:4b I pay particular attention to verses that make such statements because there are many cults that don't believe that Yahweh and Jesus Christ are one in the same. John 4:42 says "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." If God makes the statement in Hosea that 'there is no savior besides me' and then tells us in the New Testament that Christ is the savior of the world, we now know they are the same God.



God makes another reference to the work that He would do through Jesus in Hosea 13:14- "I will ranson them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction!" God's love for us is so abundant and His desire to have His people with Him so strong...He's just issued 7 chapters of judgment on Israel and now promises them that He will uphold His covenant and give them the ultimate redemption. God made this promise to all- death has no power in the Christian life!



"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him." - Hosea 14:4

For all of us who fight the daily battle with our flesh, this is a wonderful promise. We know from many passages that He seeks to have us repent, but think about the magnitude of love that God must have for each of us. We shouldn't ever think 'God is mad at me', because all we have to do is repent and His promise is that He'll love us freely and His anger will be abated.

Hosea is a love letter from God to His people. He shows us just how much pain He is willing to endure for the sake of our relationship with Him. There was no greater disrespect than that of the wayward wife, which we all play with God. Yet, He continually seeks us. We run, He chases. If you're ever running from God, rest assured that He will doggedly pursue you- you'll have to try much harder to avoid Him than you will to return to Him. He's our promise, our provider, our savior.

Why Rick Warren is Lost...

I found some of these links that I couldn't include in the comments section, so I figured a new post would suffice. First and foremost, listen to this youtube video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ptGh_xU2PCc&feature=Responses&parent_video=rTY-9FY13kw&index=0

Warren is a religious pluralist, which is defined as the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values exist in other religions.

http://www.independentconservative.com/2008/03/10/skip_pdl_salvation/

Anything that is taught that doesn't exclusively say that the way to eternal life is through Christ is heresy. Rick Warren, who speaks to a reported 22,000 people every Sunday, is saying something different than that. I have no interest in hearing either McCain or Obama in the pulpit, as it is the place to teach God's Word. It isn't for political endorsement or sparring. It can and should be used to further humanitarian efforts, such as AIDS outreaches, but not by people who obviously don't share the same moral conviction that you and I do. This man, Warren, isn't teaching the Bible- he's officially off the reservation.

Any suggestions for the next book of the Bible we should begin? I plan on posting the final two chapters of Hosea tonight...I like hearing any and all comments- so post them! ;-)

Obama Vows Support for Israel

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSL2341049720080723?virtualBrandChannel=10112

I didn't expect to see those words come out of Obama's mouth, but I'm delighted to hear them. He was, however, in the middle east to conduct peace talks with Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. We know, based on what Arafat did and said at the end of the Clinton administration, that the Palestinians have no desire in a land-for-peace treaty, they want Israel gone. The Bible predicts that Israel will, in fact, sign a 7 year peace treaty only to have it broken 3.5 years later with the Antichrist proclaiming himself God in the newly erected Temple on the Temple Mount.

At least Obama, if elected, will prove himself to be an ally of Israel or prove himself to be a liar. No other outcome is possible with his declaration of support.

Rick Warren to host Obama & McCain

Rick Warren, the famed author/pastor (and I put them in that order on purpose) of A Purpose Driven Life, is having Barack Obama and John McCain come to his church to speak. The article is careful not to call it a debate, as each candidate will have an hour to speak with Warren, who will be asking the questions.

OK- here is my problem with this. My interpretation of the Bible is that the pulpit is to teach God's Word. We know where these candidates stand on the moral issues that God has called His children to stand for. Obama is the author of an Illinois late-term abortion law. McCain is supposedly pro-life, even if that seems shaky to me because he isn't an ardent supporter the way God calls us to be (protectors of those who cannot speak for themselves). Obama is pro-gay marriage. McCain is anti-gay marriage. The Bible is obviously clear what it teaches about homosexuality. Why is a man of God offering his pulpit to anyone who doesn't support the principles of the Bible? I can't stand that he'd let his flock of 22,000 be subjected to such blatant blasphemy of God and His unbending principles. Am I wrong to feel this way? I think this is a 'visibility' ploy for Saddleback Church and Rick Warren- this heightens their profile because this will be the first time both candidates will share a stage. It saddens me that Warren would lead so many astray. Teach the Bible!

Another thing that bothers me- the article states that the candidates will be discussing AIDS, human rights, leadership style, etc. How much you wanna bet that abortion and gay marriage never get mentioned? What does it matter what the 'leadership style' of the President is if he makes decisions that are in opposition to God?

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=70182

Hosea 12

How many times have we heard 'well, he's a christian and he does _____, so he's not any better than me.' It's at the forefront in my brain because I've heard it recently...and ultimately, isn't that the truth?! We're all God's children, and without his divine help we are all lost (just like the guy who says the above).

"So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually." - 12:6

I see a lot of application here. First, when Hosea says 'So you, by the help of your God, return'- it serves as a reminder that we all stray and need to be looking for the help of our God to return. I'm not even talking about backsliding- I think it can be a daily return to Him. I mean, who doesn't want to seek the Lord's help? It certainly can apply to the larger issues that occupy our minds and hearts too, but I feel like the harder problems to deal with are the daily battles that we fight that require our 'return'- our reliance upon God.

Second, the observance of 'mercy and justice'. I was curious what the definition of observe was, and this is what I found: to conform one's action or practice to (as a law, rite, or condition) : comply with. Mercy and justice are pillars of God's character, and he's calling us to make ourselves more like him by practicing both. Ya know, if I was put in the situation God was in with Israel, there really isn't much doubt that I wouldn't be feeling merciful...I would want justice! 'I hope they get what they deserve' (i.e. justice)...those are words that I've used many a time. Maybe my heart needs a little tuning- because God certainly chased Israel long after I would have said 'Fine! I'll see you when you get back!'

This ties into the last third part of the passage- "wait on your God continually." We want mercy and justice in our time, all the time. I consult God in prayer for solutions to problems and expect an immediate answer. It seems that the reason we're to wait on Him continually is because He understands that we need to be told 'No' and 'not yet' far more often than we're told 'yes'. If we are waiting on Him continually, it would seem that not only our prayer lives, but our daily time in the Word, our fasting, and our closeness to the Lord would substantially increase.

Hosea 10 & 11

Hosea has been telling Israel that they need to repent for the last 5 chapters- that the Lord is faithful to forgive and is righteous and just. Yet, Hosea also chronicles the arrogance and stubbornness of the Jews, continually running from God and engaging in idol worship. Chapter 10 and 11 is where the Lord again reaffirms his love and affection for Israel and again calls them to repentance.

"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."- 10:12

God just wants Israel to do what is right and he will bless them for it. I had someone at work tell me today that she had felt estranged from God for the last couple months- praying less, feeling his presence less, and thus spending less time with God. She had a relationship go south, got depressed about being single, and had known that she didn't incorporate God into the relationship the way he needed to be. She recognized, in hindsight, that she allowed herself to drift from God to potentially get what she wanted, in her time. This passage shows us perfectly- sow righteousness and reap the fruit of unfailing love...and the time is now. It might not be what we're necessarily looking for, but it will be exactly what we need.

Chapter 11 has so much awesome content! What passage did you like most? I'm going to pick the one that most moved me.

"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused." - 11:8

We can substitute our names in place of Ephraim! We can see God's heart here, bared for all to see. He has been cheated on by his bride and now his plea is 'how can I give you up'. Admah and Zeboiim were sister cities to Sodom and they were overthrown when it was destroyed. There is no sin too great that God wouldn't have compassion on us...such voluminous love!

Iran and Russia sign major oil deal

The link between Iran and Russia countries to grow stronger. In the world economy, not much is more valuable at this time than securing oil. Russia and Iran are both oil-rich, but they also are interested in helping each other economically.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215330962516&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

I'd like to not only keep up with the policies and changes in Iran and Russia, but also the other countries that are listed in Ezekiel 38 & 39. The modern day countries of Turkey, Ethiopia, Libya, and eastern Europe are all included. God calls us to be vigilant- let us discern the times in which we live for ourselves and our sphere of influence.

Hosea 8 & 9

Chapter 8 spends a great deal of time talking about idol worship. The first thing that runs through my head while reading the word 'idol' is 'ah, I don't have to worry about that!'. Afterall, I don't sit in front of any statues in worship or bow to any graven images. However, in my thinking upon this 'idol worship', I began to think that 'idols' would look different today than they did in 700BC. "With their sliver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction"- 8:4(b). I mean, it isn't the idol or object as much as it is the robbing of God of worship, right? I think it could easily be that family, friends, jobs, pleasure, sports, or even church can become idols. All of these things are things that are given to us by God and to be counted as a blessing, but the furthering of that can cloud our true reliance upon the Lord- which is all God wanted from Israel.

"Israel cries out to me, 'O our God, we acknowledge you!'"- 8:2. Israel acknowledged God, but didn't truly worship Him...which forced God to punish His people. Acknowledgement isn't enough- we need constant relationship and conversation with the Lord to really understand what he desires for our lives.

I can't help but reading scripture with an eye towards the future. His promises are so great and infallible...He's given me such a passion for prophecy. With that in mind, when I read 9:7(b) I couldn't help but think of the current-day United States: "Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired man a maniac." Is it not this way in the US? Aren't the Ten Commandments being removed from schools, 'Born Agains' being called radicals, and Christians being mocked for a belief in God? This country protects what is banned in the Bible (homosexuality, abortion) and treats men of God like they're crazy. Everything that is in the Bible is a picture and a story to help us fundamentally along in our walk- this is a glowing reminder that you'll be persecuted by nonbelievers because of your belief in God. It's a good thing that it's His standard that we live up to, not the worlds!

Bush gives 'amber light' to Israel regarding Iranian hostilities

I was just cruising through the Jerusalem Post and found this article from this morning. Apparently President Bush has given the 'amber light' to Israel about an Iranian conflict- meaning that Israel should put everything in place and await the green light. The article also opines that the US wouldn't be able to help Israel if such an attack occurred, which perked my ears a bit. As we all know, the United States doesn't look to be included in any End Times theology and there can only be two reasons why that would be: 1) the US isn't powerful enough to help Israel, or 2) the US chooses not to help Israel. Interesting read...God is literally setting the stage here for some events that were foretold 3000 years ago.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215330945390&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Hosea 7

Haven't we all asked "why would God allow this?" I know, especially in my times of weakness and vulnerability, that I've openly thought it. There are many different answers that fit this question, but Hosea 7 gives one such answer: "They do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness; Now their own deeds have surrounded them." God is stating his case here against Israel and his judgment is to follow. How can we, as followers of Jesus, be surprised when we haven't been acting the way our Lord would want us to act on His behalf and judgment follows? Mind you, in God's currency there is no such thing as 'big' and 'little' deeds, just righteousness and sin. As an example- simply doing our jobs each and everyday. God asks us to work 'to the glory of the Lord'- I know that I don't embody that all of the time. Can I expect him to bless me when I'm not following after His heart the way that I'm supposed to? If I'm not fulfilling the Lord's desire in my work, should I be surprised if I'm not blessed (or even punished) for not being the dilligent worker the Lord expects me to be?

I'm certainly not saying that we don't suffer from attacks that aren't from the Lord (because spiritual warfare is real), but I do think that each of us can examine our own lives when trials arrive so that we may test ourselves under the Lord's vision, to make sure we are firmly placed where he intends us to be in all aspects of our life. Our faith doesn't need to be blind- we can ask the Lord what we need to do so that He can refine us in His fire.

Hosea 3-6

Isn't it interesting that we can't commit a sin God would consider offensive enough to warrant divorcing us? Isn't it interesting that it is always us who puts separation between Him and us? Who departs from whom? God never initiates a separation from us. He withdraws from us because we depart from Him to pursue our other interests (gods), instead of Him.

The marriage between Hosea and Gomer was to serve as an object lesson to Israel for its relationship with God. But, didn't God have in mind, also, to communicate another lesson; and that being, His loving and forgiving relationship with Israel? Hosea's purchase of his wayward wife was, as you say, the laying down of the blueprint for reconciliation. Obviously, we're pointing to God purchasing us with the blood of Christ, to bring us home.

Bad News for Oil Prices

Sorry...I can't help myself here. I'm sure you've noticed that oil prices are spiraling out of control (even though the US still has it relatively good- they pay $9.85 a gallon in Sweden) and we've seen the articles that have Israel and Iran on a collision course with war. Now this- the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has publicly said that oil prices would see an 'unlimited' increase in the case of a military conflict with Iran.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/10/business/opec.php

I completely understand the posturing going on between Iran (with Ahmedinejad as the mouthpiece) and the west, but this is ridiculous. Iran can spout off all they want about pushing Israel into the Mediterranean Sea, but as soon as Israel shows signs that they might have to consider military options to prevent the Iranians from obtaining nuclear weapons we get this! Buy your gas now...if we thought $4.50 a gallon was expensive, we're going to see much, much worse than that.

Another thing that I also think ties into our reading of Hosea- Israel isn't trusting God right now. They have a secular leader (Olmert) giving land away to terrorists- land ordained to Israel by God himself. Hosea said at the end of chapter 3 that Israel would again follow the Lord and His blessings in the latter days- that time is yet to arrive in Israel (probably well into the tribulation period).

Hosea 3-6

Before reading this book, I've thought that adultery could be the one divorce-worthy offense by a married person. Not that adultery would merit a divorce, but that I could understand why the offended party was unwilling to trust their partner to the extent that is needed within a marriage. Well, that thought kinda goes out the window in Hosea 3. "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans"-Hosea 3:1.
This spoke to me about the choice that we make to love another person. God commanded Hosea to buy back his wife, like a slave, and to take her back into his house. What a picture: God's bride has cheated on Him and has been living with another as a harlot. He now has to be humiliated by buying his bride back and committing to reconcile. Talk about swallowing some pride. As God laid down the blueprint for reconciliation, it is definitely our responsibility to forgive and allow God to do the real restoration.

We've all fallen, and I think reading Hosea 6:1-3 is awesome. Not only does the Lord promise to revive us, but he does so in a short time period because he's eager to restore His relationship with His children. You know when you sin, it's almost like that feeling of 'I'm further away from God'...and that's true. Fortunately (and unfortunately) for us, He didn't move- we did! If we feel further from Him, it's up to us to recognize our iniquity, repent, and God is quick to restore us. Nobody should feel condemnation...our God, through Hosea 6:3, shows us that "He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth." According to Nelson's, the latter rains of Israel came in the spring and caused the plants to grow. The former rains came in the autumn and softened the ground for plowing and sowing. If that isn't all-encompassing, I don't know what is. Watering our spiritual lives and bringing them to harvest...

A 'God-Thing'!

What an excellent idea this is to stay in contact & especially in terms of being accountable to other brothers in 'Our' Lord. I sometimes after conversations with other believers when we have no spiritual interaction can get a dirty feeling as if we had just waisted each others time & this is a awesome way of holding ourselves to the line in order to hopefully mutually edify one another..Praise God!! I pray this will further flesh out the scripture in Hebrews 10:23-25: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love & good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, & so much the more as you see the Day approaching".

Btw, Doug, I am not familiar with the work "The Copper Scroll". Who's the author? Is it a newer writing or older, it sounds interesting?

Christianity in Iran

With our attention on the headlines from today's news, I thought this article was just another way of God telling his people (and the rest of the world) to get ready. This is what's coming to a country near you:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=69158

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me." - Matthew 9:9

I know that generations before us have thought that they were living in the Last Days, but we have nearly daily soundbites that should put us on alert. England, France, and Australia are fighting Sharia Law, Saudi Arabia is paying for the materials that our children read in school and thus Islam gets a big endorsement in the textbooks, and I don't have to mention all the money flowing into the coffers of the Middle East via oil. Islam is advancing. It is our job to man the station that the Lord has given us. I haven't had enough of a sense of urgency...man, prophecy pumps me up!

Today's News and Ezekiel

Except for the exposure I received by reading "The Copper Scroll", I'm not all that versed in 'End Times theology'. But given your question, I've read a little bit and although I can envision a nuclear blast fulfilling Ezekiel 38:9, I can also envision a massive, coordinated group of armies surrounding and coming against Israel. A storm generally has clouds and the clouds identify the boundary (front) of the storm. I can see battle tanks, personnel carriers, support vehicles, and low flying helicopters creating a dust cloud that advances on Israel like a storm. (Interesting the name of the action in Iraq in 1991 - Desert Storm.)

Before I read your latest post, today, I was clearing clutter from the table where my laptop is located. On the table was a card I saved that has a picture of a woman we met in Connecticutt (1982). She died a few years ago and I kept the card, primarily because her husband sent it to me. On opening the card, on the left side is written scripture verses from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. I read that card today and about a half our later, you're talking about verse 18. I went back and reread verses 13-18. The verses are a great encouragement!

Iran Missiles Can Reach Israel

As soon as I read this headline on DrudgeReport, I thought "Bible prophecy". I absolutely love that our God gave us markers, as it were, to gauge the times in which we live. After reading Ezekiel 38 & 39 (Iran-Russia alliance), along with Isaiah 17 (destruction of Damascus), the Iranians are getting awfully close to making Bible prophecy present-day history. I'm encouraged, as Paul said we should be by prophecy in 1 Thessalonians 4:18- "Therefore encourage each other with these words" (speaking of the Rapture of the Church).

I got into a discussion recently with a friend about Ezekiel 38 being pre-rapture or post rapture? We know that the Rapture doesn't have requirements that it must fulfill, so it can happen any time. The Gog & Magog battle doesn't have any specific limitations either, but Ezekiel 38:9 seems to indicate that nuclear weapons will be in play. I believe Ezekiel 38 & 39 are pre-rapture, if only because it is our Lord's character. He is so faithful, so caring- He affords people opportunity upon opportunity to witness the Lord's goodness and truth, if only to be rejected. This battle will allow only one explanation: God. The God of Israel will save his people, and the world will witness it via CNN. How great would a revival be? How boldly could Christians boast in the Lord with their Bible open to the pages of Ezekiel? I believe these days to be upon us. Thoughts?

Hosea 1 and 2

When I've thought of adultery, I've always thought of it in physical/sexual terms. I'm only now being introduced to the concept of spiritual adultery (and my having lived a life of spiritual adultery!). Look at our society and how easy it is to do that!

Having read these first few Chapters of Hosea, I'm reminded of Jesus using the phraseology, 'adulterous and sinful generation' (Mark 8:38). I always thought he was speaking of the people's sexual sin, but now I sense he was referring to the people as having devotion away from God and to other gods. Hosea 1:2 even defines adultery for us - "...because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.

In Hosea, I think Hosea represents God, who is faithful; Gomer represents Israel, who is unfaithful. I always remembered that God chastises those whom He loves. In this case (Chapter 2), God states that he will punish Israel and goes into great detail to describe what He'll do. He later goes on to describe in great detail how He will bring (the people of) Israel to love Him, so that He can restore Israel. Doesn't this demonstrate that God's love for us is greater than His wrath against us? The book of Hosea discloses that it is His willingness to draw us back to Him (woo us back into love of Him) and then to restore us. This is the history of Israel explained.

You mention Hosea's faith allowing him to take a step that would cause him pain. That reminds me that Jesus' relationship with the Father enabled Jesus to take a step that would cause Him pain. Like Hosea, Jesus' knew His faith in the Father would bring Glory to God. And, like God, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, by Peter (who denied knowing Jesus three times), and by those who should have recognized Him for who He was (read Mark 3:31). Peter was rebuked by Jesus in Mark 3:32 for having in mind the things of men (power?). All of it speaks of spiritual adultery. When you think about it, our sin today (perhaps spiritual adultery being chief amoung them) was borne by Jesus at Calvary. And, God woos us back to him to restore us, through Christ.

The fallen state of man always causes man to put his own interests first (commit adultery). We wrongly usurp and occupy the throne so as to pursue our self=serving desires. It is only when we get off the throne that we can worship Him who rightfully belongs there and stay in right relationship with God as He has ordained.

Hosea 1 & 2

I've never read Hosea before, so the beginning of this book caught me off guard a little bit. When the Lord gives Hosea the directive to marry a harlot. Upon further study, it seems that 'it is more likely that teh descriptive phrase anticipates what Gomer would become following her marriage to Hosea' (subtext of Nelson Study Bible). It spoke to me that God would have Hosea be the picture of Israel, having a bride (the Church) that would leave him. Hosea's faith allowed him to take a step that he knew would cause him pain (his wife's adultery), but that the Lord would bless him for it! Too often, when I hear the Lord say 'tell that person about me', my response has been 'Lord, I'm working and I don't know what they'll think of me'. Shouldn't my attitude be 'whatever you have for me today Lord, I shall do'?

Even after this, the Lord declares 'Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, will save them by the Lord their God' (1:7). It would seem this could be used in marriage today, as well. Adultery is often thought of as the sin that provoke divorce, but God certainly takes the adulterous relationship that Israel was having and says that mercy will be restored. My parents are both involved in potential divorces at this point in time, and God will always allow restoration if the parties involved will submit to him, allow him to work in their relationship, and both parties are merciful. I know the Lord uses what is going on in each of our lives to speak to us through his Word- it's amazing that He takes penned words and makes them His Voice.