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God’s message to me: God can and will provide all I need and far more. He will bring prosperity and abundance into my life. This blessing is dependent on my faith and recognition of Him. Solomon, in his early years as king, recognized that both he and the people of Israel were not deserving of God’s favor and that nothing they could ever build would be good enough or large enough to hold God. Only God’s love and grace provides us with His blessings and His promises to us supersede our unworthiness as He will never fail His promises.
Promises: God honors the honest prayers of His servants. Solomon asked for the wisdom to rule the Israelites as God intended. Because Solomon asked for the thing that would be most pleasing to God, he was granted wisdom in abundance as well as health wealth and power. He was the wisest, richest and most powerful king in history. His wisdom brought rulers from throughout the world to his throne to learn from him. He received tribute from all around him and, despite having ruled in peace throughout his entire reign, Solomon had one of the most powerful armies in the world.
Commands: Obey God’s command and keep your faith in Him or suffer the consequences. The division of Israel was a result of idolatry and false worship. The capture of the Israelites, the destruction of their lands and the general oppression the periodically went through was always a direct result of turning away from God.
Timeless principles: Advice is only as useful as the person who hears it. Rehoboam ignored the advice of his father’s advisors and took the bad advice of his friends resulting in a revolt which divided Israel and left Rehoboam as king of Judah while the rest of the nation separated and succeeded from the union.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Understand that peace comes through strength. The kings of Israel fielded some of the most powerful armies of their time. God granted victory to them against enemies who were far more powerful and at other times he granted such victory by providing Israel with the overwhelming force. Most often in Israel’s history, the times of peace were marked by wise kings who followed God and kept strong armies ready to defend the land. The victory of small Israeli forces over much larger forces was generally preceded by a time of weakness during which the Israelites neglected the necessity of having a strong military.
more to learn for in-depth study: More books and documents listed: The book of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Aijah the Shilonite the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the book of Shemaiah the prophet. These books are not scripture but they are the historic references used for compiling some of the books of the bible. Many would say that these books, written during captivity in foreign lands, are the result of oral traditions and subject to mistakes but the authors made it clear that they compiled the information from multiple written sources that recorded the events as they happened or shortly after, and in some cases prior to those events occurring.
tomorrow: Second Chronicles 13-17
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
First Chronicles 28-29
God’s message to me: God has already prepared a way. When David became king he had already made all the contacts he would need with neighboring kingdoms while he was running from Saul. When Solomon became king he had all David’s contacts and everything David prepared for him to accomplish the building of the temple. When Solomon died he left behind great treasuries that would provide for Israel’s rescue from trouble in multiple occasions over the next several hundred years.
Promises: When God has something for you to do you may rest assured that He has already prepared the way. It was Solomon’s job to build the temple. Just as God told Moses the exact details of the construction of the Tabernacle of Meeting, He provided David with the exact details of the Temple of God (mistakenly called the temple of Solomon by historians). When Solomon began the project he had a detailed written plan for every aspect of the temple and it’s contents, he had more supplies than he needed to do the job, all the money needed to pay the workers, exact details down to the weight of the metals to be used in each item, workers ready to do the job, and everything else he needed. All he needed to do was start the job.
Commands: Prepare the way for what God tells you will happen. Charity is a wonderful thing but so is passing along an inheritance. God provides the ability to gain great things and for some it is a means to do charity and for others it is a path for future generations to gain security. Next time you’re tempted to believe that the guy on TV telling you it’s evil to leave an inheritance and all your wealth should go to charity, remember how many biblical characters left their estates to charity (none, though several left large estates as well as large amounts given to the temple and/or national treasuries) and how many left large estates to their heirs(almost all of them though some died without heirs or without an estate) MAN’S WAY MAY SEEM RIGHT BUT GOD’S WAY IS RIGHT.
Timeless principles: God expects us to do the jobs He assigns. David was not to build the temple but he was given the plans and the requirements. David took what he knew and prepared for the building project by making certain all the supplies were ready, the plans were laid out, the people were in place and the job was assigned to the man who God wanted in charge of it, Solomon, before he left the throne and then died.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Judge everything deemed a virtue by the measure of God’s word. There are many fine sounding ideas in this world that most would deem virtuous but God would find offensive. The stories of David show us several. Leaving an inheritance, securing your land and your nation, weapons in a place of worship, arming ministers, and so on. given the rest of this post this portion may seem out of place but, this is what I got from the text. What did you get?
more to learn for in-depth study: The end of First Chronicles tells us where we can learn more of David. The books of Samuel are found among the scriptures and the books of Gad and Nathan would be found among historic documents like the Talmud.
I have been asked who decides what goes into the bible. The answer is, God decides and showed early leaders of the Israelites and of the early church what should and shouldn’t be there. Many books that didn’t make it into scripture are still found in the Talmud. They have history important to the Jews. Some are books of prophecy that applied only to the time. Some are books of history and legend that provide insight into the times but are not useful for teaching doctrine. Others are simply not from reputable sources. The reason that the books of the Apocrypha didn’t make it into protestant bibles is simple. When the King James bible was translated, the Rabbi’s who passed along the scripture pointed out that parts of the document were not scripture but merely history and legend. This doesn’t make them worthless it just means they should not be a source for doctrine and deciding how God wants us to live our lives.
tomorrow: Second Chronicles 1-5
Promises: When God has something for you to do you may rest assured that He has already prepared the way. It was Solomon’s job to build the temple. Just as God told Moses the exact details of the construction of the Tabernacle of Meeting, He provided David with the exact details of the Temple of God (mistakenly called the temple of Solomon by historians). When Solomon began the project he had a detailed written plan for every aspect of the temple and it’s contents, he had more supplies than he needed to do the job, all the money needed to pay the workers, exact details down to the weight of the metals to be used in each item, workers ready to do the job, and everything else he needed. All he needed to do was start the job.
Commands: Prepare the way for what God tells you will happen. Charity is a wonderful thing but so is passing along an inheritance. God provides the ability to gain great things and for some it is a means to do charity and for others it is a path for future generations to gain security. Next time you’re tempted to believe that the guy on TV telling you it’s evil to leave an inheritance and all your wealth should go to charity, remember how many biblical characters left their estates to charity (none, though several left large estates as well as large amounts given to the temple and/or national treasuries) and how many left large estates to their heirs(almost all of them though some died without heirs or without an estate) MAN’S WAY MAY SEEM RIGHT BUT GOD’S WAY IS RIGHT.
Timeless principles: God expects us to do the jobs He assigns. David was not to build the temple but he was given the plans and the requirements. David took what he knew and prepared for the building project by making certain all the supplies were ready, the plans were laid out, the people were in place and the job was assigned to the man who God wanted in charge of it, Solomon, before he left the throne and then died.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Judge everything deemed a virtue by the measure of God’s word. There are many fine sounding ideas in this world that most would deem virtuous but God would find offensive. The stories of David show us several. Leaving an inheritance, securing your land and your nation, weapons in a place of worship, arming ministers, and so on. given the rest of this post this portion may seem out of place but, this is what I got from the text. What did you get?
more to learn for in-depth study: The end of First Chronicles tells us where we can learn more of David. The books of Samuel are found among the scriptures and the books of Gad and Nathan would be found among historic documents like the Talmud.
I have been asked who decides what goes into the bible. The answer is, God decides and showed early leaders of the Israelites and of the early church what should and shouldn’t be there. Many books that didn’t make it into scripture are still found in the Talmud. They have history important to the Jews. Some are books of prophecy that applied only to the time. Some are books of history and legend that provide insight into the times but are not useful for teaching doctrine. Others are simply not from reputable sources. The reason that the books of the Apocrypha didn’t make it into protestant bibles is simple. When the King James bible was translated, the Rabbi’s who passed along the scripture pointed out that parts of the document were not scripture but merely history and legend. This doesn’t make them worthless it just means they should not be a source for doctrine and deciding how God wants us to live our lives.
tomorrow: Second Chronicles 1-5
Monday, April 27, 2009
Second Kings 9-11
God’s message to me: God fulfills his promises in His time. The priests of Baal were slaughtered in the temple of Baal which was then demolished and made a trash dump. The line of David was preserved on the throne as Joash took the crown at the age of 7. Jezebel was turned into dog food. Jehoram’s remains were tossed in the field he had stolen when Jezebel conspired against it’s owner. All of the house of Ahab was killed. And so the story goes when God makes a promise, it is only a matter of time.
Promises: God keeps his promises, long term or short term they will be upheld.
Commands: Obey God, do not turn to false worship, false religion and false Gods. Jehoash made a good start in removing Baal worship but, by continuing to turn Israel to idolatry, he doomed his kingdom. Under his rule the kingdom of Israel was picked apart piece by piece by surrounding nations.
Timeless principles: Politicians tend to stick with the tried and true methods even if they are wrong. Jehoash started well. He killed off the royal line that had brought so much destruction to Israel. he avenged the prophets against Jezebel and the priest of Baal. He destroyed Baal worship in Israel. Then he continued the first sin of leading Israel to worship the golden calves so that they wouldn’t turn to the Temple in Judah. The desire to consolidate power can lead the best leaders to evil. No matter how solid the foundation it can be torn down by the quest for power. Think of that when you hear that the US Constitution is an impediment to good government.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Stay true to God and don’t be turned by false religion. So many weak Christians are turned to a politically correct but false religiosity because they cannot fathom the truth of passages like the one we just read. Remember that one of the most common images given by God is the trial by fire. When everything seems to be going wrong God sometimes finds destruction the only path to salvation. That which is of value can only be purified by fire. When everything else is burned away, God’s chosen remnant can shine most brightly.
more to learn for in-depth study: Promises are obvious, commands should be obvious. This section is about a great slaughter. As horrifying as some of these images may be they ended in the removal of Baal worship, the end of the evil queen Jezebel and the destruction of those who turned Israel to destruction.
Are you a fan of fantasy books. JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis took their inspiration straight from the pages of the bible. The fact is, to best understand this era in Israel's history, you need to read it in large portions just like you would the Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings. The story covers a lot of time and pieces together over large parts of scripture. Some prophecies take more than one generation to come true but, by reading it through as we are doing you can more easily see how God delivers on his promises and his curses.
tomorrow: Second Kings 12-15
Promises: God keeps his promises, long term or short term they will be upheld.
Commands: Obey God, do not turn to false worship, false religion and false Gods. Jehoash made a good start in removing Baal worship but, by continuing to turn Israel to idolatry, he doomed his kingdom. Under his rule the kingdom of Israel was picked apart piece by piece by surrounding nations.
Timeless principles: Politicians tend to stick with the tried and true methods even if they are wrong. Jehoash started well. He killed off the royal line that had brought so much destruction to Israel. he avenged the prophets against Jezebel and the priest of Baal. He destroyed Baal worship in Israel. Then he continued the first sin of leading Israel to worship the golden calves so that they wouldn’t turn to the Temple in Judah. The desire to consolidate power can lead the best leaders to evil. No matter how solid the foundation it can be torn down by the quest for power. Think of that when you hear that the US Constitution is an impediment to good government.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Stay true to God and don’t be turned by false religion. So many weak Christians are turned to a politically correct but false religiosity because they cannot fathom the truth of passages like the one we just read. Remember that one of the most common images given by God is the trial by fire. When everything seems to be going wrong God sometimes finds destruction the only path to salvation. That which is of value can only be purified by fire. When everything else is burned away, God’s chosen remnant can shine most brightly.
more to learn for in-depth study: Promises are obvious, commands should be obvious. This section is about a great slaughter. As horrifying as some of these images may be they ended in the removal of Baal worship, the end of the evil queen Jezebel and the destruction of those who turned Israel to destruction.
Are you a fan of fantasy books. JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis took their inspiration straight from the pages of the bible. The fact is, to best understand this era in Israel's history, you need to read it in large portions just like you would the Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings. The story covers a lot of time and pieces together over large parts of scripture. Some prophecies take more than one generation to come true but, by reading it through as we are doing you can more easily see how God delivers on his promises and his curses.
tomorrow: Second Kings 12-15
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
First Kings 14-16
God’s message to me: Prophecies are fulfilled literally even if it takes a long time. It was over 650 years after Joshua made the prophecy about Jericho that someone tried to rebuild the city and the prophecy was fulfilled exactly as it had been given.
Promises: God keeps his promises. He promised David that his family would keep the throne and they did because he had followed God throughout his life. Due to the sins of these ruler some had exceptionally short careers as king but the family did continue to rule. King Asa was one who had a long career. Because he walked in the ways of the Lord and even removed his Grandmother from being queen mother because of her Idolatry, God allowed him to rule 41 years in Jerusalem and lead his people in the ways of the Lord.
Commands: Do not turn from God and do not lead others away from Him. How many kings of Israel and Judah do you need to see destroyed for this sin before you know the consequence. Asa led the people back to God and reigned 41 years. David and Solomon ruled 40 years each so at this point Asa was setting a record for time on the throne.
Timeless principles: OK, this one should be obvious. Don’t make God angry. You won’t like Him much when He is angry at you.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: When reading prophecy, take it literally. When God speaks figuratively he always provides a literal translation or explains that the things described could not be understood in earthly terms. There are no exceptions to this rule in the bible. The Bible is filled with prophecies and over 2/3 of the are already fulfilled. Each one was fulfilled literally as it was written. Those who claim the prophecies are open to interpretation are LYING TO YOU.
more to learn for in-depth study: The books of the chronicles of the kings of Israel and the chronicles of the kings of Judah are more books that are not found in the bible. The books of first and second Chronicles cover a lot of that history as well but the history books referred to here are just that, history books. They aren’t scripture so they aren’t found in the bible.
Jeroboam reigned 22 years. Because he led Israel into worshiping idols and false gods, god promised to remove his family like trash and send the Israelites out of the land. God had given him most of Israel to rule because of Solomon’s idolatry and he didn’t learn from the previous king’s mistake. As predicted, his son Nadab was murdered by Baasha and Baasha took over the throne of Israel. Then he killed everyone in the house of Jeroboam.
God also promised that all these things would only be for a time. Other prophecies found elsewhere in the bible predict the reuniting of Israel, the birth and ruler ship of Jesus from the house of David, and the perpetual kingdom of Israel which will never be removed.
Jeroboam’s son Nadab took the throne after him. In the meantime Rehoboam is doing an equally bad job of leading Judah by setting up worship of false Gods. He rules only 17 years and is replaced by his son Abijam who reigned only 3 years and was replaced by his son Asa.
Baasha would only last 24 years and continue the sins of the house of Jeroboam. God made the same promise of destruction to him and after he died his son Elah took over and was murdered and replaced 2 years later by the commander of his Chariots, Zimri. Zimri then killed off all his family and friends.
The army wasn’t to happy with Zimri killing the king so they appointe Omri king and began another civil war within a civil war. Israel and Judah had been at war since Solomon’s death and now Israel was fighting amongst itself as well. The fight began only a week after Zimri took over and he burned the kings house down with himself in it when he lost the fight. Half the people wanted to make Tibni king and the other half were following Omri. Omri prevailed and Tibni died so that Omri became king of Israel. Omri built the city of Samaria and was followed by his son Ahab who ruled from that city and each was worse than the previous in continuing to provoke God.
Ahab married Jezebel the daughter of the king of Sidonia. He worshiped Baal and Ashorah. In his time the prophecy spoken through Joshua was fulfilled when Hiel of Bethel built Jericho laying its foundations with the life of his first born and setting up it’s gates with the life of his youngest.
tomorrow: First Kings 17-18
Promises: God keeps his promises. He promised David that his family would keep the throne and they did because he had followed God throughout his life. Due to the sins of these ruler some had exceptionally short careers as king but the family did continue to rule. King Asa was one who had a long career. Because he walked in the ways of the Lord and even removed his Grandmother from being queen mother because of her Idolatry, God allowed him to rule 41 years in Jerusalem and lead his people in the ways of the Lord.
Commands: Do not turn from God and do not lead others away from Him. How many kings of Israel and Judah do you need to see destroyed for this sin before you know the consequence. Asa led the people back to God and reigned 41 years. David and Solomon ruled 40 years each so at this point Asa was setting a record for time on the throne.
Timeless principles: OK, this one should be obvious. Don’t make God angry. You won’t like Him much when He is angry at you.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: When reading prophecy, take it literally. When God speaks figuratively he always provides a literal translation or explains that the things described could not be understood in earthly terms. There are no exceptions to this rule in the bible. The Bible is filled with prophecies and over 2/3 of the are already fulfilled. Each one was fulfilled literally as it was written. Those who claim the prophecies are open to interpretation are LYING TO YOU.
more to learn for in-depth study: The books of the chronicles of the kings of Israel and the chronicles of the kings of Judah are more books that are not found in the bible. The books of first and second Chronicles cover a lot of that history as well but the history books referred to here are just that, history books. They aren’t scripture so they aren’t found in the bible.
Jeroboam reigned 22 years. Because he led Israel into worshiping idols and false gods, god promised to remove his family like trash and send the Israelites out of the land. God had given him most of Israel to rule because of Solomon’s idolatry and he didn’t learn from the previous king’s mistake. As predicted, his son Nadab was murdered by Baasha and Baasha took over the throne of Israel. Then he killed everyone in the house of Jeroboam.
God also promised that all these things would only be for a time. Other prophecies found elsewhere in the bible predict the reuniting of Israel, the birth and ruler ship of Jesus from the house of David, and the perpetual kingdom of Israel which will never be removed.
Jeroboam’s son Nadab took the throne after him. In the meantime Rehoboam is doing an equally bad job of leading Judah by setting up worship of false Gods. He rules only 17 years and is replaced by his son Abijam who reigned only 3 years and was replaced by his son Asa.
Baasha would only last 24 years and continue the sins of the house of Jeroboam. God made the same promise of destruction to him and after he died his son Elah took over and was murdered and replaced 2 years later by the commander of his Chariots, Zimri. Zimri then killed off all his family and friends.
The army wasn’t to happy with Zimri killing the king so they appointe Omri king and began another civil war within a civil war. Israel and Judah had been at war since Solomon’s death and now Israel was fighting amongst itself as well. The fight began only a week after Zimri took over and he burned the kings house down with himself in it when he lost the fight. Half the people wanted to make Tibni king and the other half were following Omri. Omri prevailed and Tibni died so that Omri became king of Israel. Omri built the city of Samaria and was followed by his son Ahab who ruled from that city and each was worse than the previous in continuing to provoke God.
Ahab married Jezebel the daughter of the king of Sidonia. He worshiped Baal and Ashorah. In his time the prophecy spoken through Joshua was fulfilled when Hiel of Bethel built Jericho laying its foundations with the life of his first born and setting up it’s gates with the life of his youngest.
tomorrow: First Kings 17-18
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Exodus chapters 13-15
God’s message to me: When you are doing God’s will and you find your enemies hot on your heels it is time to rejoice. Through the power of their hands and their minds they expect to overcome you but, God is about to show them where the real power lies. He will show their power is nothing before your eyes and theirs and gain honor by defeating them in their hour of victory.
Israel had had this position since it was reformed in 1948. Every time they are attacked it is by a force so overwhelming that they stand no chance of victory or even survival. in every case they are found victorious and in control of much of their enemies territory in a matter of a couple of days to a week. The Lord gains honor each time in the eyes of those who pay attention because there is no way these victories could occur without Him.
Promises: God will protect you. He will provide all your needs. God will heal you and keep you from sickness.
Commands: Obey God and follow his laws and precepts.
Timeless principles: Freedom isn’t free. Liberty is an elusive goal in most countries because the people seek apparent security at the expense of liberty. Our founding fathers noted that those who would sacrifice liberty for the sake of security deserve neither. The people of Israel gained their freedom from Egypt. They watched as God brought one judgment after another on their oppressors while they suffered none of it. They saw God kill all the firstborn of Egypt without touching them. They left Egypt with a fortune in treasure, and livestock and food and clothing. Even with all that, the moment they saw a threat they complained that they should have been left in slavery where they were safe.
more to learn for in-depth study: There is a popular theory that the Israelites did not cross the red sea. Some say the name in was wrong and so it was another sea. Many say exactly what God said Pharaoh would say, “they are bewildered by the land”. In other words they were lost and didn’t know what body of water was before them. In Exodus 14:2 we see the truth. They knew precisely where they were. Imagine you set camp before Arlington, VA Between Fairfax, VA and the river. When you turn to enter Washington, DC, How likely are you to think you are crossing the Anacostia, south of DC? How likely are you to confuse DC with Alexandria even if you haven’t been there? The simple fact is they knew where they camped and what locations were around them so they would also know precisely where they crossed.
For those who are still scratching their heads, the Potomac runs North and south while the Anacostia branches East off of the Potomac and runs along the southern side of the capitol city.. Arlington and Fairfax are west of the city and, forming a triangle with Arlington in front of you and Fairfax on one side with the river on the other means your heading north and the only body of water in sight is the Potomac.
Israel had had this position since it was reformed in 1948. Every time they are attacked it is by a force so overwhelming that they stand no chance of victory or even survival. in every case they are found victorious and in control of much of their enemies territory in a matter of a couple of days to a week. The Lord gains honor each time in the eyes of those who pay attention because there is no way these victories could occur without Him.
Promises: God will protect you. He will provide all your needs. God will heal you and keep you from sickness.
Commands: Obey God and follow his laws and precepts.
Timeless principles: Freedom isn’t free. Liberty is an elusive goal in most countries because the people seek apparent security at the expense of liberty. Our founding fathers noted that those who would sacrifice liberty for the sake of security deserve neither. The people of Israel gained their freedom from Egypt. They watched as God brought one judgment after another on their oppressors while they suffered none of it. They saw God kill all the firstborn of Egypt without touching them. They left Egypt with a fortune in treasure, and livestock and food and clothing. Even with all that, the moment they saw a threat they complained that they should have been left in slavery where they were safe.
more to learn for in-depth study: There is a popular theory that the Israelites did not cross the red sea. Some say the name in was wrong and so it was another sea. Many say exactly what God said Pharaoh would say, “they are bewildered by the land”. In other words they were lost and didn’t know what body of water was before them. In Exodus 14:2 we see the truth. They knew precisely where they were. Imagine you set camp before Arlington, VA Between Fairfax, VA and the river. When you turn to enter Washington, DC, How likely are you to think you are crossing the Anacostia, south of DC? How likely are you to confuse DC with Alexandria even if you haven’t been there? The simple fact is they knew where they camped and what locations were around them so they would also know precisely where they crossed.
For those who are still scratching their heads, the Potomac runs North and south while the Anacostia branches East off of the Potomac and runs along the southern side of the capitol city.. Arlington and Fairfax are west of the city and, forming a triangle with Arlington in front of you and Fairfax on one side with the river on the other means your heading north and the only body of water in sight is the Potomac.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Exodus chapters 7-9
God’s message to me: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the fee exercise thereof” You didn’t really think the founding fathers came up with that amendment by accident did you?
Promises: God differentiates between his people and the ungodly. The next time you here someone claim that some disaster is a judgment from God, ask them if God’s people were spared. The people of Israel lived in the flood plain known as Goshen and were separate from the rest of Egypt because Egyptians found animal shepherding to be distasteful. Goshen was not effected by the plagues hitting just up the road.
Commands: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Bless God’s chosen people, Support the nation of Israel and never stand against it.
Timeless principles: It’s easy to beg for God’s protection and blessing and relief in your hour of trouble but all to easy to forget him when things get better.
more to learn for in-depth study: Continuing with the theme of relief. How many stories have you heard in which a tornado wiped out a town and left only the church standing? How many times have things happened that caused many deaths and when you here from the survivors they are giving the glory to God for their survival? These are stories in which you might be able to claim the judgment of God. The twin towers was an attention grabber but it was pretty random in who got killed and who didn’t. How many stories of priests and preachers losing their lives while praying with the dying do you need to hear to know it effected all. Katrina wiped out everything in it’s path. While it’s tempting to call it judgment when you hear of the behavior of survivors, you should also examine the fact that churches and synagogues were wiped out two. People of faith died with the pagans. Another random act.
Have no doubt that judgment will befall the corrupt, the Satanist, the pagans, the criminals and all the other evil doers in a place like New Orleans. Katrina was not that judgment. If anything, I would say their political leadership qualifies as their punishment. While the Christians and Jews turn to God for their help the rest turn to a government that steals more than it pays in wages and pays far more in wages than it provides in benefits to the community. This is a judgment which spares the righteous.
Promises: God differentiates between his people and the ungodly. The next time you here someone claim that some disaster is a judgment from God, ask them if God’s people were spared. The people of Israel lived in the flood plain known as Goshen and were separate from the rest of Egypt because Egyptians found animal shepherding to be distasteful. Goshen was not effected by the plagues hitting just up the road.
Commands: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Bless God’s chosen people, Support the nation of Israel and never stand against it.
Timeless principles: It’s easy to beg for God’s protection and blessing and relief in your hour of trouble but all to easy to forget him when things get better.
more to learn for in-depth study: Continuing with the theme of relief. How many stories have you heard in which a tornado wiped out a town and left only the church standing? How many times have things happened that caused many deaths and when you here from the survivors they are giving the glory to God for their survival? These are stories in which you might be able to claim the judgment of God. The twin towers was an attention grabber but it was pretty random in who got killed and who didn’t. How many stories of priests and preachers losing their lives while praying with the dying do you need to hear to know it effected all. Katrina wiped out everything in it’s path. While it’s tempting to call it judgment when you hear of the behavior of survivors, you should also examine the fact that churches and synagogues were wiped out two. People of faith died with the pagans. Another random act.
Have no doubt that judgment will befall the corrupt, the Satanist, the pagans, the criminals and all the other evil doers in a place like New Orleans. Katrina was not that judgment. If anything, I would say their political leadership qualifies as their punishment. While the Christians and Jews turn to God for their help the rest turn to a government that steals more than it pays in wages and pays far more in wages than it provides in benefits to the community. This is a judgment which spares the righteous.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Genesis Chapters 43-46
God’s message to me: God prepares the way to preserve us in disaster
Promises: All things work together for the good to those who serve God
Commands: Forgiveness is a virtue. Be virtuous.
Timeless principles: If God brings you to it He will also bring you through it. Josephs service provided a safe home for his family in the time of need.
more to learn for in-depth study: Joseph played a few tricks on his brothers but when Judah offered himself in place of his younger brother Joseph could no longer hide himself. He forgave his brothers and explained their action was used by God to ensure the family would survive the drought.
God placed Joseph in the right place at the right time so that the Children of Israel would have a place to grow into a nation. He gave Joseph such favor in the eyes of Pharaoh that the ruler of Egypt ordered Josephs family be treated as the family of royalty.
It seems I need to fall behind to get ahead. I had an early morning planning music with the pastor. He is also working on a funeral for a family member of one of our members. Being late today I started the studies for the next couple of posts. I'm Sorry for the late post today.
Promises: All things work together for the good to those who serve God
Commands: Forgiveness is a virtue. Be virtuous.
Timeless principles: If God brings you to it He will also bring you through it. Josephs service provided a safe home for his family in the time of need.
more to learn for in-depth study: Joseph played a few tricks on his brothers but when Judah offered himself in place of his younger brother Joseph could no longer hide himself. He forgave his brothers and explained their action was used by God to ensure the family would survive the drought.
God placed Joseph in the right place at the right time so that the Children of Israel would have a place to grow into a nation. He gave Joseph such favor in the eyes of Pharaoh that the ruler of Egypt ordered Josephs family be treated as the family of royalty.
It seems I need to fall behind to get ahead. I had an early morning planning music with the pastor. He is also working on a funeral for a family member of one of our members. Being late today I started the studies for the next couple of posts. I'm Sorry for the late post today.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Genesis chapters 12-16
Beginning the story of Abraham
God's message to me: Even the most dangerous situation is an opportunity for God to bless me and improve my situation. I don't need to claim the best at the expense of others, God will turn the sand to soil and the lead to gold. Go where God wants and you will prosper in His name.
Promises: Obey God's command and you will receive his blessing.
Commands: Bless Israel. God made a blood covenant with Abraham and that covenant can never be broken. The children of Israel are God's chosen people and should be supported always. Failure to do so brings a curse.
Timeless principles: In order to bless you, God will often take you out of your comfort zone.
How can I apply what I've learned: "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you" this message from God would be a warning to all. With the fighting in the Gaza strip and the threats from Hamas in Lebanon, are you on the winning side of the argument?
more to learn for in-depth study: This is an extension of the information to be gained in the last section. Now we see where some of those new found nations went and how they acted. The breakdown of that information should be ready this afternoon for another entry.
God's message to me: Even the most dangerous situation is an opportunity for God to bless me and improve my situation. I don't need to claim the best at the expense of others, God will turn the sand to soil and the lead to gold. Go where God wants and you will prosper in His name.
Promises: Obey God's command and you will receive his blessing.
Commands: Bless Israel. God made a blood covenant with Abraham and that covenant can never be broken. The children of Israel are God's chosen people and should be supported always. Failure to do so brings a curse.
Timeless principles: In order to bless you, God will often take you out of your comfort zone.
How can I apply what I've learned: "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you" this message from God would be a warning to all. With the fighting in the Gaza strip and the threats from Hamas in Lebanon, are you on the winning side of the argument?
more to learn for in-depth study: This is an extension of the information to be gained in the last section. Now we see where some of those new found nations went and how they acted. The breakdown of that information should be ready this afternoon for another entry.
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