Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The God who knows our hearts!

Pastor preached a faithful message on Judah and Onan and Tamar, etc. Sometimes, we are avoiding these difficult passages of scripture. Sometimes, we miss the work of God in difficult passages that we are seeing. Judah and his children were in the hand of God, through covenant and they were being drawn by God, into a real relationship. The Word of God reveals God's intention to draw the children of Israel into relationship and the nations around them. What a Lover of souls, God shows Himself in these passages. Don't miss Me, He seems to say. Come and Worship. Don't use other people to get where you want to be, ie. Onan, Judah, brothers. God is still the God who knows our hearts, when we are using people in their poverty of money and or souls. Wicked, He took those boys out early. He knew their hearts and He showed them that their testimony to the Canaanites was more important than continuing to deal with their sin. Halleluia for this testimony that we can know what Wicked is to God. We can know Him and what He wants from us. Repentance, Love of others, more than all, a relationship with Him. It took even godly Enoch some years to get to know Him. Jesus gives us the ability to know God earlier than 360 years, we don't have that long to get to know Him.
Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe! Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it!
Help me to know You in these relationships that You have blessed me with. Help me to repent of past sins and make it right, with those that I can and heal my heart of the pains that have cut me in these sins. Make me new. Give us Yourself! Amen!

God sought them out in families. God met each family in their need. Tamar in her need to be a part of the people of God and those boys, in what they thought their need was also. Their need meeting, didn't draw them closer to God, but further away. God is a covenant God and He is faithful, in Christ to teach us His will, against our own personal desires and conquests {sometimes}. God doesn't take people out, like He did then. He sends Godly men like our Pastor to use the Scriptures to win our hearts and minds into relationship with Himself. God arrest our hearts and take us into Your care. Amen

Friday, December 24, 2010

Isaiah 41:15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt

make the hills as chaff.


God's plan of comfort and usefulness for His people included fashioning them into instruments to draw the world into right relationship with Himself. The silence of death from the nations afar from His presence. Even the flagrant examples of disobedience will be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Can God cleanse Rahab? Can God clean the gnostic rebellions of Babylon? In Christ it is cleansed. God is too holy to even behold sin, but His entrance into the world was hammered through the making of a people for His own posession, that we could draw near to Him. The disobedience of Hezekiah would infiltrate in subtilty the Babylonians, through Daniel and the Power of Godliness, in Caleb, would and had subdued the godlessness of Rahab, as just a token of His heart to draw all men unto Himself.

I am not casting my people away, said God to them. I am using them to cast into the nations to draw down principalities and their possessors as fish into the net of God's intentions. I am not away from you, even in Babylon.

"God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world..."


He was making it very clear,{and Daniel got it} Israel was sharpened to do battle with the principles of darkness and even the weak things of the world would subdue what man thinks is strong. God, in Christ was, even then reconciling the world unto Himself.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Comfort Ye...

...And after the judgement that was given to Hezekiah, in Isaiah, there were comforts. We must learn to look at our circumstances through the sieve of the sovereignty of God who is far above the circumstances. God weaves my way, into His purposes. He has my good and the purposes of His will in mind in the providences that afflict and in the providences that encourage. We are truly grasshoppers in the light of the mind of what He is doing and all that we can study would be just a drop in the bucket in the light of the eternal good that He is doing. Thus, it is right that we should make it a discipline and a comfort to be encouraged in the Word of God, in good times and in difficulties.







Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Today, I saw the line of Hezekiah's mistake and Daniel's prayer.

"Why am I made thus?" I never read that question in the book of Daniel from Daniel. He seemed to know from the onset that there were judgements that were placed upon him by the disobedience of an earlier generation. A Eunuch for the Lord, was Daniel. I cried in prayer with my reading this morning that Hezekiah could embrace that judgement with such expectation. Why? God's plan to use His people to draw all men unto Himself. Principled obedience to the will of God, was Daniel's lot. Hezekiah, as it were said, I am not a eunuch, it didn't hurt me a bit. We do that sometimes. Leave judgements for our children to pay the farthest. The angel came to Daniel in his solitary state. God has a plan Daniel. You are beloved of God. There is nothing on earth that can match that condition. He could see salvation by grace and be the vehicle to reach the earth with principles of scripture that couldn't be woven in any other way. God weaves our errors into His plan, but not without cost. Thank you dear Savior for paying the price of our salvation. That Gentiles could come to faith through Christ. Thank you God for Gabriel, as it were setting the earth or salvation's clock by the stroke of Daniel. The hands are here and at this point is when Messiah is coming, can you see it?
He saw it and now we all see it. Daniel's job was to weave the knowledge of this into the cultures that he had opportunity to instruct. We know He did it well because Wise men came from the east.
The heavens declare the glory of God! The firmament showeth His handiwork!


Isaiah 39:1 At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.

Isaiah 39:2 And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

Isaiah 39:3 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.

Isaiah 39:4 Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.

Isaiah 39:5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:

Isaiah 39:6 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 39:7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

Isaiah 39:8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.







Daniel 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;

Daniel 9:2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

Daniel 9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

Daniel 9:5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

Daniel 9:6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

Daniel 9:7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

Daniel 9:8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

Daniel 9:9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

Daniel 9:10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

Daniel 9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

Daniel 9:12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

Daniel 9:13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

Daniel 9:14 Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

Daniel 9:15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

Daniel 9:16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

Daniel 9:17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

Daniel 9:18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

Daniel 9:19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Daniel 9:20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;

Daniel 9:21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

Daniel 9:22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

Daniel 9:23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.




Monday, December 20, 2010

Glory to God in the Highest!

And on Earth...





Peace, Good will toward men!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

A Lament for the blind condition of Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem...




O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
And drive away the shades of night,
And pierce the clouds and bring us light!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!


One day, God promises to open their eyes to the Messiah's work upon the earth. Until then, it is appropriate to long for the coming of the Messiah into the hearts of captive Israel. Captive in blind unbelief, for the most part. God has a purpose in it. God is still revealing Himself in and through them upon the earth and they are not anihilated, Halleluia. Rejoice, Rejoice that Christ has come to save Jew and Gentile, alike.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Woes in the Old Testament were truly Woes!


There was no hope for the people, whose God was not the Lord. The blood of bulls and goats couldn't even cleanse the people who were trying to obey the Lord. It seemed a blind and oblique, slow death for the godly and the ungodly. Jesus was trying to show the disciples this, Many prophets came into the world, but there was none greater than John the Baptist. Yet he who is least in the kingdom is better than he. Even the prophets were looking at life and their present, not to mention the futures of the nations through a dark, scary kaleidoscope. Then, Jesus came into the pictures. Joy to the World! The angels got it! We are reaping the harvest of the nations who come to God through Christ. It wasn't all for naught! It wasn't just a bunch of souls heading to a dire destruction. Many did, for sure. But now, in Christ, we are a new creation and we have the opportunity to build our children's souls to pass on traditions that will solidify the fear of God to our next generations. What a wonderful privilege, to raise the next generation to love and serve the Lord. It is not up for grabs. It is not chance. God calculatedly set His love upon us. He is attempting to inherit our future generations by our casting our traditions into the pot of His good pleasure. Praising God with our lives and our habits. Spiritual healthy habits of love and good works. Taking captivity captive unto the submission to the God of the universe. He has displayed and given us the revelation of His heart in His Word and we have the opportunity of committing our ways and the traditions that we teach to our children that God may inherit our future generations, as He puts it. He has translated His will into human in Christ and made a way for us to come to Him. He has no respect of persons. The wise men came from far. The shepherds came from the fields. The angels rejoiced in heaven and we are redeemed, who trust in Him for salvation. There is no better gift than that.

Thursday, December 2, 2010