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God’s message to me: Be prepared. Throughout the bible there are comments on the need to be prepared. The story of the bridesmaids and their lamps in the new testament is an example of being ready for the long term. Christ also told us not to burden ourselves with concern for tomorrow. This may seem contradictory but consider the examples. David knew that building the temple would be his son’s job so he set aside what he could to ensure Solomon would have the materials to build the Temple. The bridesmaids did not know when to expect the groom so the ones who kept extra oil and wicks to ensure their lamps would last as long as needed were rewarded.
God doesn’t ask us to do what is beyond us, He asks us to use the resources we have to make ready for what we know is coming. We all know that the end times are coming but the idea that “no one knows the hour of His return” has caused some to believe the study of prophecy is wrong. God didn’t give us the information so that we would ignore it. He has given us the signs and told us to know the times. We cannot predict the moment of Christ’s return but, we know what leads to it because it is written in the bible. It is important to know what is coming and what to do. God told us when we see these signs we should be looking up for the moment of His return is at hand.
Promises: Be prepared doesn’t mean we must get ready for every contingency. God tells us what to expect so that we can focus on the actual need rather than worrying about “what if”.
Commands: Stick to God’s timing. You cannot put off or speed up God’s will. David decided to take the census early and God brought judgment on Israel for his action.
Timeless principles: The acts of the leader effect the entire nation. David’s sin of rushing the census caused a plague that killed thousands in Israel. Neville Chamberlain made his country an easy target when he sought a treaty with Hitler. Hitler brought destruction and decades of division under the control of other countries to Germany with his campaign to rule the world(it’s important to note that the goal of Hitler’s Aryan Race program was to bring the Nephelim and the Rephiam to power over the world). Jimmy Carter sought to bring peace in the middle east with land for peace deals that chipped away at Israel’s territory and we all remember what life was like during his administration. While you may disagree with my conclusions, history is filled with the story of countries that suffered because their leaders did wrong.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Recognize the signs of the times. Prepare for what God has shown us will come. Stand up for God’s values and principles and seek leaders who will do the same.
more to learn for in-depth study: Prophecy is an in-depth study we haven’t gotten to yet but here are a couple signs ignored by those who predicted Christ’s return earlier. Christ would return within the lifetime of the generation that saw the rebirth of Israel. The message of the Gospel would go throughout the world. Life would me much as it was in the time of Noah just before the flood (whether this includes the physical presence of giants is debatable). The mark of the beast, an unmistakable mark of loyalty would be possible. There are others but, these few have only occurred in recent times. In fact all of them occurred after WWII.
tomorrow: First Chronicles 24-27
Showing posts with label prophecy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prophecy. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
First Chronicles 10-12
God’s message to me: It is important to understand the times. Past, present and future come together to form a picture we can use to understand our place in the world and God’s will for us. We are not of this world but we are in it and we are expected to effect it for the better. We cannot hope to do that unless we understand and act on the times.
1) Stand up for what God’s word tells us.
2) Stand up for the principles that protect our rights to worship and to teach the truth.
3) Stand up for God’s chosen people Israel.
4) Stand against those who label sin as personal choice.
5) Stand against those who demand we accept their “personal choice”.
6) Stand against those who redefine Christianity and Godliness as accepting everyone regardless of evil.
7) Stand up for the truth of the Gospel.
In the past few years I have heard leaders tell us that religion is the source of evil, that man is the source of law, that government is the source of wisdom, that Israel is a racist and evil state, that the US Constitution is an impediment to government and that the government can ignore the rights of the people when it is in the governments best interest(that last one is a supreme court decision regarding campaign finance reform). I see the present. I understand the past and how the progressives led us into the evils of Eugenics and Socialism while pulling us away from God. I see the future in the pages of scripture and know that Christ will return within my own life expectancy.
Promises: God’s word will tell us what is coming and what to do about it if we simply read it. While current events in the US may not be precisely predicted in scripture, the scripture can still be applied. Through it we know when what our leaders are doing is leading us in opposition to God. We can also see when the path our country is taking is right, wrong or even leading towards the end times.
Commands: Understand God’s word. When Saul was killed and David was made king there was a period of strife in the land because of those who didn’t understand or refused to acknowledge the prophecy of Samuel. Saul had disobeyed God in his first major act as king and was doomed by God to lose the kingdom. David was raised up to be Saul’s replacement. Those who knew and understood God’s will in the matter joined him immediately. Those who failed to keep up with what was going on found themselves on the wrong side of God’s will.
Timeless principles: Those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it. The time of the Judges was a steady stream of Israelites repeating the same mistakes over and over again. The time of the kings was a steady stream of kings who followed God and kings who didn’t and history meaning nothing to most of them. Josiah learned history through the book of the law and mourned and prayed forgiveness for the sins of his fathers. Most kings served God or didn’t based on personality. Some would follow in their father’s footsteps while others did the opposite of their fathers. Few ever gave a glance at history or the idea of turning from God would scare them to death.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Understand the times. 1 Chronicles 12:32 mentions that members of the tribe of Issachar, that understood the times, came to make David king. God commands us in many places to understand the times and to understand prophecy so that we can be prepared. Like the men of Issachar that did not come, we will no be prepared to do the right thing and avoid the wrong actions if we don’t know what is happening and what God has to say about it.
more to learn for in-depth study: Keeping up with current events, understanding politics, knowing prophecy and learning history are all things people tend to avoid. Without and understanding of history you cannot hope to understand the present or to know the future. (those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it) Without understanding current events you will find the world passes you by. Without understanding politics you will find others control your life and you don’t even know why. Without understanding prophecy you will not know how the other 3 subjects apply to God’s plan and how you should react to what is happening and what is coming.
tomorrow: First Chronicles 13-16
1) Stand up for what God’s word tells us.
2) Stand up for the principles that protect our rights to worship and to teach the truth.
3) Stand up for God’s chosen people Israel.
4) Stand against those who label sin as personal choice.
5) Stand against those who demand we accept their “personal choice”.
6) Stand against those who redefine Christianity and Godliness as accepting everyone regardless of evil.
7) Stand up for the truth of the Gospel.
In the past few years I have heard leaders tell us that religion is the source of evil, that man is the source of law, that government is the source of wisdom, that Israel is a racist and evil state, that the US Constitution is an impediment to government and that the government can ignore the rights of the people when it is in the governments best interest(that last one is a supreme court decision regarding campaign finance reform). I see the present. I understand the past and how the progressives led us into the evils of Eugenics and Socialism while pulling us away from God. I see the future in the pages of scripture and know that Christ will return within my own life expectancy.
Promises: God’s word will tell us what is coming and what to do about it if we simply read it. While current events in the US may not be precisely predicted in scripture, the scripture can still be applied. Through it we know when what our leaders are doing is leading us in opposition to God. We can also see when the path our country is taking is right, wrong or even leading towards the end times.
Commands: Understand God’s word. When Saul was killed and David was made king there was a period of strife in the land because of those who didn’t understand or refused to acknowledge the prophecy of Samuel. Saul had disobeyed God in his first major act as king and was doomed by God to lose the kingdom. David was raised up to be Saul’s replacement. Those who knew and understood God’s will in the matter joined him immediately. Those who failed to keep up with what was going on found themselves on the wrong side of God’s will.
Timeless principles: Those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it. The time of the Judges was a steady stream of Israelites repeating the same mistakes over and over again. The time of the kings was a steady stream of kings who followed God and kings who didn’t and history meaning nothing to most of them. Josiah learned history through the book of the law and mourned and prayed forgiveness for the sins of his fathers. Most kings served God or didn’t based on personality. Some would follow in their father’s footsteps while others did the opposite of their fathers. Few ever gave a glance at history or the idea of turning from God would scare them to death.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Understand the times. 1 Chronicles 12:32 mentions that members of the tribe of Issachar, that understood the times, came to make David king. God commands us in many places to understand the times and to understand prophecy so that we can be prepared. Like the men of Issachar that did not come, we will no be prepared to do the right thing and avoid the wrong actions if we don’t know what is happening and what God has to say about it.
more to learn for in-depth study: Keeping up with current events, understanding politics, knowing prophecy and learning history are all things people tend to avoid. Without and understanding of history you cannot hope to understand the present or to know the future. (those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it) Without understanding current events you will find the world passes you by. Without understanding politics you will find others control your life and you don’t even know why. Without understanding prophecy you will not know how the other 3 subjects apply to God’s plan and how you should react to what is happening and what is coming.
tomorrow: First Chronicles 13-16
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Second Kings 23-25
God’s message to me: your heritage means nothing. many good and God fearing kings had sons who were pure evil and Evil kings had sons who turned good. Hezekiah served God more thoroughly than any king since David and destroyed all false worship in Judah. His son rebuilt those high places and idols, He sacrificed his sons to false gods, he killed and destroyed in the name of false gods, he practiced witchcraft and consulted mediums. He was pure evil. His son Amon did the same. His grandson Josiah became king at age 8 and turned Israel back to god destroying idolatry and bringing back the law of God and begging God’s forgiveness for the sins of his father and grandfather and others. Josiah’s son went right back to all the evil of his grandfather and great-grandfather. His rule only lasted 3 months. Pharaoh made his brother king and he did all the same evils. When his brother was captured by Babylon, the king of Babylon made his uncle king and he continued the evil of his predecessors.
Promises: It’s hard to miss fulfilled prophecy. Hezekiah was warned that he showed Babylon all their treasures and now we can see where Babylon comes and takes those treasures.
Commands: Serve the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul.
Timeless principles: God fulfills his promises. Because he humbled himself before God and asked forgiveness for past sins, God withheld judgment during the time of king Josiah. The evil of Manaseh and Amon had caused God to promise judgment that would make it clear He didn’t tolerate disobedience and turning from God. The judgment would be terrible enough to make the ears tingle of those who heard it.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: God is just. I cannot expect to live like the devil then receive a full pardon and entry to heaven. God has always preserved a remnant who do not turn from His name and they have been made secure despite the troubles that come because of the evil of others. Noah, Abraham, the remnant of Benjamin, the survivors taken captive by Assyria and Babylon. He preserves this remnant and allows them to rebuild in His name that no one can ever say they over came Him.
more to learn for in-depth study: Josiah was zealous for God as no king before or after him. He destroyed all signs of Idolatry in Judah and in the cities of Samaria, some of which dated back to the time of Solomon. He eliminated the mediums, witches and perverted people who served false Gods with acts of evil. He read the law to all of his kingdom and swore to uphold it.
The king of Egypt at this time is Necho. Judah is captured by Babylon in the 8th year of king Nebuchednezer. The king of Babylon appointed Mattania as king and renamed him Zedikiah.
Chronicles is just that. History. It will involve a lot of lineages(begats) and reference material that some may wish to make notes on and use to clarify the timelines they already have. Some of it can be dry reading and boring but, it is important. Not only is every word of scripture meaningful, this section will help to clarify history and prophecy by laying out the details of events.
tomorrow: First Chronicles 1-3
Promises: It’s hard to miss fulfilled prophecy. Hezekiah was warned that he showed Babylon all their treasures and now we can see where Babylon comes and takes those treasures.
Commands: Serve the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul.
Timeless principles: God fulfills his promises. Because he humbled himself before God and asked forgiveness for past sins, God withheld judgment during the time of king Josiah. The evil of Manaseh and Amon had caused God to promise judgment that would make it clear He didn’t tolerate disobedience and turning from God. The judgment would be terrible enough to make the ears tingle of those who heard it.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: God is just. I cannot expect to live like the devil then receive a full pardon and entry to heaven. God has always preserved a remnant who do not turn from His name and they have been made secure despite the troubles that come because of the evil of others. Noah, Abraham, the remnant of Benjamin, the survivors taken captive by Assyria and Babylon. He preserves this remnant and allows them to rebuild in His name that no one can ever say they over came Him.
more to learn for in-depth study: Josiah was zealous for God as no king before or after him. He destroyed all signs of Idolatry in Judah and in the cities of Samaria, some of which dated back to the time of Solomon. He eliminated the mediums, witches and perverted people who served false Gods with acts of evil. He read the law to all of his kingdom and swore to uphold it.
The king of Egypt at this time is Necho. Judah is captured by Babylon in the 8th year of king Nebuchednezer. The king of Babylon appointed Mattania as king and renamed him Zedikiah.
Chronicles is just that. History. It will involve a lot of lineages(begats) and reference material that some may wish to make notes on and use to clarify the timelines they already have. Some of it can be dry reading and boring but, it is important. Not only is every word of scripture meaningful, this section will help to clarify history and prophecy by laying out the details of events.
tomorrow: First Chronicles 1-3
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
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Testing Spirits and KINGS
Testing the spirits is a complicated issue and one I am no expert on. Here are a few tips that I use in trying to understand what God is telling me:
1) God does not contradict Himself. If you believe God is telling you to do something His word forbids then you need to realize you are hearing from a false spirit (or even your own imagination trying to get what you want)
2) Your own imagination will tend to tell you what you want to hear. If your hearing what you already wanted it’s time to lay a fleece before God and/or study more in the bible to find God’s will.
3) False spirits (ungodly spirits trying to influence you) will not recognize Jesus as the Son of God and God incarnate. The answer to “Who is Jesus?” Should be an immediate “the Christ”, “The Messiah”, “The Son of God”. If there is any doubt whatsoever the question should be “I Jesus God?”. The answer should be “He is Lord”, “He is God”, “He is divine” or something similar. If you believe this is answered then the spirit is true. Ask God to block out the voice of any spirit but His and test the spirits. Then you may trust what you hear if it is not in contradiction with the Bible.
4) God isn’t big on repeating Himself. If the answer you seek could be easily found by reading the bible you are not likely to hear it in a disembodied voice. If you do it will probably be more like one of those nagging songs you can’t get out of your head. You will simply hear the verse that applies going over and over again in your memory until you are willing to comply with it.
5) Laying a fleece before God: This is taken from the story of Gideon and is a basic principle of finding truth. When faced with a big decision and you truly desire to find God’s will in the matter, test Him. Pray earnestly and believing that God will give you his sign. Be specific about the sign and do not make it something that would randomly happen. The example of Gideon is perfect. The dew would naturally be on everything on the ground so he asked that it be on the ground and not the fleece. The be sure he asked again that it be on the fleece but not the ground. Nature would put it on both but God could choose what stayed dry. Remember that Gideon was triple sure. His first test was to lay a sacrifice before the Angel of the Lord and he saw that the Angel brought fire out of the rock to consume the sacrifice supernaturally.
Endless testing while refusing to comply is sin. Testing to certainty is not. Once God has made His will clear it would be sin not to comply with it. If you have asked His guidance and tested His will you must comply with what He made clear or face the penalty of disobeying a direct order from God.
KINGS: For those who might be following the show notice a few things. The events take place in Shiloh, which is the city where the Tabernacle of Meeting was set up before Israel had kings. The Preacher who inaugurated the current king is Rev Samuels. Rev Samuels anointed David in the garage after he fixed the Reverends car. David killed a Goliath tank from the enemy nation of Gath. David gained position in the kings court because of his heroism. David is in love with the kings daughter. The king has an unreasoning hatred of David building after learning from Rev Samuels that the Lord has ceased to bless his house and that another will replace him as king that is not one of his children. These are all elements of the story of king David and King Saul. I’ll be watching to see how closely the story follows the bible and I’m sure many of you will too.
It is interesting to me that God leads me to things in perfect timing. The series began last week and this Sunday is the second episode. It’s Saturday morning and we are beginning our study of the books of Samuel which is the beginning of the study of the first kings of Israel. Over the next several weeks wee wil learn all about that time in history with 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. I hop that you will join me in taking notes as you go along to keep the timeline in Chronological order. Each of these books tells parts of the story and you will find they retell the same stories from different views and with different details. Keeping notes will help you get the whole story and refresh the information you may be comparing to the TV Series.
1) God does not contradict Himself. If you believe God is telling you to do something His word forbids then you need to realize you are hearing from a false spirit (or even your own imagination trying to get what you want)
2) Your own imagination will tend to tell you what you want to hear. If your hearing what you already wanted it’s time to lay a fleece before God and/or study more in the bible to find God’s will.
3) False spirits (ungodly spirits trying to influence you) will not recognize Jesus as the Son of God and God incarnate. The answer to “Who is Jesus?” Should be an immediate “the Christ”, “The Messiah”, “The Son of God”. If there is any doubt whatsoever the question should be “I Jesus God?”. The answer should be “He is Lord”, “He is God”, “He is divine” or something similar. If you believe this is answered then the spirit is true. Ask God to block out the voice of any spirit but His and test the spirits. Then you may trust what you hear if it is not in contradiction with the Bible.
4) God isn’t big on repeating Himself. If the answer you seek could be easily found by reading the bible you are not likely to hear it in a disembodied voice. If you do it will probably be more like one of those nagging songs you can’t get out of your head. You will simply hear the verse that applies going over and over again in your memory until you are willing to comply with it.
5) Laying a fleece before God: This is taken from the story of Gideon and is a basic principle of finding truth. When faced with a big decision and you truly desire to find God’s will in the matter, test Him. Pray earnestly and believing that God will give you his sign. Be specific about the sign and do not make it something that would randomly happen. The example of Gideon is perfect. The dew would naturally be on everything on the ground so he asked that it be on the ground and not the fleece. The be sure he asked again that it be on the fleece but not the ground. Nature would put it on both but God could choose what stayed dry. Remember that Gideon was triple sure. His first test was to lay a sacrifice before the Angel of the Lord and he saw that the Angel brought fire out of the rock to consume the sacrifice supernaturally.
Endless testing while refusing to comply is sin. Testing to certainty is not. Once God has made His will clear it would be sin not to comply with it. If you have asked His guidance and tested His will you must comply with what He made clear or face the penalty of disobeying a direct order from God.
KINGS: For those who might be following the show notice a few things. The events take place in Shiloh, which is the city where the Tabernacle of Meeting was set up before Israel had kings. The Preacher who inaugurated the current king is Rev Samuels. Rev Samuels anointed David in the garage after he fixed the Reverends car. David killed a Goliath tank from the enemy nation of Gath. David gained position in the kings court because of his heroism. David is in love with the kings daughter. The king has an unreasoning hatred of David building after learning from Rev Samuels that the Lord has ceased to bless his house and that another will replace him as king that is not one of his children. These are all elements of the story of king David and King Saul. I’ll be watching to see how closely the story follows the bible and I’m sure many of you will too.
It is interesting to me that God leads me to things in perfect timing. The series began last week and this Sunday is the second episode. It’s Saturday morning and we are beginning our study of the books of Samuel which is the beginning of the study of the first kings of Israel. Over the next several weeks wee wil learn all about that time in history with 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. I hop that you will join me in taking notes as you go along to keep the timeline in Chronological order. Each of these books tells parts of the story and you will find they retell the same stories from different views and with different details. Keeping notes will help you get the whole story and refresh the information you may be comparing to the TV Series.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Numbers 22-24
God’s message to me: No one has power over God. Balak sought to overcome Israel with magic. He tried to hire Balaam to curse them. Balaam heeded the words of God and blessed Israel because God blessed Israel.
Promises: No power can overcome God. Balaam was known by the fact that those he blessed were blessed and those he cursed were cursed. He could not do this without God and he could not do it against God’s will. He was hired to curse Israel but the Holy Spirit made him bless them.
Commands: Follow God’s plan. Balaam was told to go with the men if they came to bring him. Instead he got up early, saddled his donkey and went with them before they asked. God allowed his donkey to see the foolishness of this action while Balaam was still blinded by his own intentions.
Timeless principles: God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who curse Israel. He also knows what is to come. In addition to blessing Israel Balaam accurately predicted the downfall of several nations that would come against them.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Bless the Nation of Israel.
more to learn for in-depth study: The prophecy Balaam made about the downfall of kingdoms will be fulfilled in coming chapters. Try writing down the kingdoms that were named on a slip of paper and marking them off as their defeat is described.
tomorrow: Numbers 25-26
Promises: No power can overcome God. Balaam was known by the fact that those he blessed were blessed and those he cursed were cursed. He could not do this without God and he could not do it against God’s will. He was hired to curse Israel but the Holy Spirit made him bless them.
Commands: Follow God’s plan. Balaam was told to go with the men if they came to bring him. Instead he got up early, saddled his donkey and went with them before they asked. God allowed his donkey to see the foolishness of this action while Balaam was still blinded by his own intentions.
Timeless principles: God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who curse Israel. He also knows what is to come. In addition to blessing Israel Balaam accurately predicted the downfall of several nations that would come against them.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Bless the Nation of Israel.
more to learn for in-depth study: The prophecy Balaam made about the downfall of kingdoms will be fulfilled in coming chapters. Try writing down the kingdoms that were named on a slip of paper and marking them off as their defeat is described.
tomorrow: Numbers 25-26
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Genesis Chapters 47-49
God’s message to me: The last shall be first and the first shall be last. This theme keeps playing through the bible as God chooses the youngest child to lead in place of the oldest. (Tradition holding that the oldest holds the birthright to get the chief inheritance and have family leadership passed to him.) God uses these things to show us that the least of us will be brought to power and prosperity through him. No matter how low you go and how bad things get, God can bring you to the top.
Promises: God will give us all we need and more. No matter how low our position at the start we can be brought to the highest point by Him.
Commands: BLESS YOUR CHILDREN. This isn’t the first example or the last. Look at the most successful people in our country and you will see a lot of Jews. Why? Because the children of Israel understood from the beginning the importance of blessing their children. Each generation from Abraham down has received spoken blessings from their fathers and this is something Jewish fathers understand as being spiritually important to this day.
Gentile comedians make endless jokes of the curses we give our children. the classic example is “The mothers curse” which says “I hope you grow up and have children that behave just like you”. Strangely enough we usually do. In turn our mothers get a lot more gray hair worrying about their grandkids than they did worrying about their kids. Jewish families pray blessings over their children instead and are careful not to place such curses. I it any wonder they prosper? God honors the prayers of parents for their children. The proof starts in the first book of the Old Testament and continues to Steven Spielberg and beyond.
Timeless principles: I can’t reiterate this enough. BLESS YOUR CHILDREN. Isaac Asimov, Gertrude Stein, Neil Simon, Herman Wouk, JD Salinger, Carl Sagan, Judy Blume, Steven Spielberg, Leonard Nimoy, the list goes on into hundreds and thousands. check here for more. Even if you don’t like them you can’t deny their success and do you really think so many successful Jews is an accident. Follow the ages of the people on this list and you will see that many of them became successful before they had a country with land. They were the scattered children living in foreign lands.
more to learn for in-depth study: The blessings of the sons of Jacob are also prophetic in showing what will become of these tribes in the future. The tribe of kings, the lineage of Christ, the wars and strife arising from their activities will all play out as we read.
It’s also worth noticing who is buried in the grave of the patriarchs. Jacob had 4 wives but was buried with the first, Leah. He had intended to marry Rebecca and was tricked into his first marriage. He loved Rebecca from the moment he saw her and never gave much attention to Leah except as the mother of some of his children. Rebecca died first of his wives. She was buried near what would become Bethlehem. Leah received the honor of being buried with her husband.
Fun Fact: Rameses was Pharaoh when Joseph was prime minister. There were several Rameses on the throne of Egypt over the years but this gives us a clue to timing. So does the fact that Jacob was 130 years old when he met Pharaoh, God gave prophecy that the people of Israel would be in Egypt for 400 years, and the family line. 2 of Jacob’s grandsons died before going to Egypt, 66 members of the family and their wives came to Egypt and Joseph sent for his father to come to Egypt 2 years after the famine began.
Before the famine, 1/5th or 20% of the produce was taken to the storehouses to provide for the future. Under Joseph’s leadership this provided enough to feed all of Egypt and Canaan for the 7 years of famine and made Egypt the richest nation at the time. As the Famine came to a close this savings became the law. This created an effective 20% income tax as the way to keep Egypt intact. That remained the tax for hundreds of years afterward and was sufficient to maintain one of the richest and most culturally developed empires of the time even with the great projects they created. The Great Lighthouse, the Pyramids, The Sphinx, and many other wonders were created on just 20% taxation across the board.
Promises: God will give us all we need and more. No matter how low our position at the start we can be brought to the highest point by Him.
Commands: BLESS YOUR CHILDREN. This isn’t the first example or the last. Look at the most successful people in our country and you will see a lot of Jews. Why? Because the children of Israel understood from the beginning the importance of blessing their children. Each generation from Abraham down has received spoken blessings from their fathers and this is something Jewish fathers understand as being spiritually important to this day.
Gentile comedians make endless jokes of the curses we give our children. the classic example is “The mothers curse” which says “I hope you grow up and have children that behave just like you”. Strangely enough we usually do. In turn our mothers get a lot more gray hair worrying about their grandkids than they did worrying about their kids. Jewish families pray blessings over their children instead and are careful not to place such curses. I it any wonder they prosper? God honors the prayers of parents for their children. The proof starts in the first book of the Old Testament and continues to Steven Spielberg and beyond.
Timeless principles: I can’t reiterate this enough. BLESS YOUR CHILDREN. Isaac Asimov, Gertrude Stein, Neil Simon, Herman Wouk, JD Salinger, Carl Sagan, Judy Blume, Steven Spielberg, Leonard Nimoy, the list goes on into hundreds and thousands. check here for more. Even if you don’t like them you can’t deny their success and do you really think so many successful Jews is an accident. Follow the ages of the people on this list and you will see that many of them became successful before they had a country with land. They were the scattered children living in foreign lands.
more to learn for in-depth study: The blessings of the sons of Jacob are also prophetic in showing what will become of these tribes in the future. The tribe of kings, the lineage of Christ, the wars and strife arising from their activities will all play out as we read.
It’s also worth noticing who is buried in the grave of the patriarchs. Jacob had 4 wives but was buried with the first, Leah. He had intended to marry Rebecca and was tricked into his first marriage. He loved Rebecca from the moment he saw her and never gave much attention to Leah except as the mother of some of his children. Rebecca died first of his wives. She was buried near what would become Bethlehem. Leah received the honor of being buried with her husband.
Fun Fact: Rameses was Pharaoh when Joseph was prime minister. There were several Rameses on the throne of Egypt over the years but this gives us a clue to timing. So does the fact that Jacob was 130 years old when he met Pharaoh, God gave prophecy that the people of Israel would be in Egypt for 400 years, and the family line. 2 of Jacob’s grandsons died before going to Egypt, 66 members of the family and their wives came to Egypt and Joseph sent for his father to come to Egypt 2 years after the famine began.
Before the famine, 1/5th or 20% of the produce was taken to the storehouses to provide for the future. Under Joseph’s leadership this provided enough to feed all of Egypt and Canaan for the 7 years of famine and made Egypt the richest nation at the time. As the Famine came to a close this savings became the law. This created an effective 20% income tax as the way to keep Egypt intact. That remained the tax for hundreds of years afterward and was sufficient to maintain one of the richest and most culturally developed empires of the time even with the great projects they created. The Great Lighthouse, the Pyramids, The Sphinx, and many other wonders were created on just 20% taxation across the board.
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