Isaiah 59 – 63

In Isaiah 59, Isaiah explains redemption, how the Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back, i.e., redeem, those in Israel who have turned from their sins. Jerusalem will the light to which all nations come. And he Lord tells them “You will know at last that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.” There will be peace and salvation, no violence, no desolation or destruction. “The Lord will be your everlasting light and your God will be your glory.” Imagine the sun never setting and the moon not going down, “for the Lord will be your everlasting light.”

Those wonderful words Jesus speaks of himself in Luke 4:18-19 are from the first two verses of Isaiah 61:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

In chapter 62,. Isaiah continues his praise of Jerusalem – the Savior is coming bringing his reward with him. The people will be called “The Holy People” and “The People redeemed by the Lord” and Jerusalem will be called “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”

Did you notice the similarity between the words of Isaiah 63 and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic?”

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 64 - 66. (Can you believe we’ll have read the whole book of Isaiah by tomorrow?)

Until next time…

Isaiah 54 – 58 and No Justice for Ashley Moser’s Unborn Child

Isaiah 54 – 58

Isaiah’s message to Jerusalem is one of hope, for the Lord has called you back from your grief. God is going to have compassion on Jerusalem with everlasting love. He will rebuild Jerusalem and it will be secure. The Lord appeals to the thirsty to come and drink. “Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.” This is always great advice.

We also learn that God’s thoughts are nothing like our thoughts and his ways are far beyond anything your could imagine. Not only is Israel going to be blessed, but so will the foreigners. The Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. He also says “I will bring others too, besides my people Israel.” The Lord condemns the leaders who do not follow his ways.

I have always found Isaiah 57:1 comforting when some dies “before their time.” “Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.”

God condemns those who worship idols, those who sacrifice their children, who commit adultery. He challenges them to see if their idols can save them. Still, he is always ready to forgive.

Isaiah 58 is a wonderful discussion of fasting and how fasting to please themselves does no good. Going through the motions does no good. We cannot expect our fasting to have any benefit unless:

• Those who are wrongly imprisoned are set free
• The oppressed are set free
• Your food is shared with the hungry
• Shelter is given to the homeless
• Clothes are given to those who need them
• Help is given to relatives
• You are godly
• You don’t spread vicious rumors
• You keep the Sabbath day holy
• Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day
• Don’t follow your own desires or talk idly

If we fast as God demands:

• Your salvation will come like the dawn
• Your wounds will quickly heal
• Your godliness will lead you forward
• The glory of the Lord will protect you from behind
• When you call, the Lord will answer
• The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength
• You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring
• You will be given great honor

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 59 - 63.

No Justice for Ashley Moser’s Unborn Child

Ashley Moser, mother of the six-year old who was killed in the Aurora Theater shootings, miscarried her unborn child as a result of being shot herself.  The alleged shooter will not be charged for this death because of a Colorado law that says homicide may only be charged for someone who has been born and is alive. How tragic!

Until next time…

Isaiah 49 – 53 and Tisha B’Av and The Dark Knight

Isaiah 49 – 53

After talking about how the Lord called him before his birth from within the womb, Isaiah discusses how the Lord has made him a light to the Gentiles and how he will bring his salvation to the ends of the earth. He will restore Israel. The Lord himself has written their names on the palms of his hands.

Think of the words in Isaiah 49:20 in terms of the Jews who are in Israel today. “The generations born in exile will return and say, ‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’” And “All the world will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. He speaks of people ransomed by the Lord returning to Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. In Isaiah 52, beginning at verse 13, Isaiah begins to talk about the “suffering servant” – so many references in here and in chapter 53 about our Redeemer and Messiah, Jesus Christ, who “bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.”

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 54 – 58.

Tisha B’Av: The Root of Destruction – The Saddest Day of the Jewish Calendar

The following video explains Tisha B’Av – an annual day of fasting for the Jews that occurs every year on the ninth day (Tisha) of the month of Av. Even though we are not studying the destruction of the Temple yet, I thought you might find this as interesting as I do.

http://www.aish.com/h/9av/mm/98394544.html

It commemorates five events that occurred on this day:

1. The refusal of Israel to enter the Promised Land because of the report brought back by the spies. This resulted in the 40 years of wandering in the Wilderness. This is said to be at the root of this memorial.
2. The destruction of Solomon’s Temple by the Babylonians.
3. The destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans.
4. The death of more than 100,000 Jews at the hands of the Romans when they crushed Bar Kokhbar’s revolt in the city of Betar.
5. The plowing of the site of the Temple after Bar Kokhbar’s revolt was put down.

Other calamities that occurred on that day include:

1. The commencement of the Crusades.
2. Jews expelled from England in 1290.
3. Jews expelled from Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492.
4. Jews expelled from the Warsaw ghetto en route to Treblinka in 1942.
5. To commemorate the Holocaust.

The Dark Knight

Today, Karen and I went to see The Dark Knight – what a great movie: lots of excitement, car chases, unpredictable story lines and great acting. See it if you get a chance.

Until next time…

II Kings 18:9 – 19:37 and Psalm 46, 80, and 135 and Ever Wonder?

II Kings 18:9 – 19:37 and Psalm 46, 80, and 135

Several days ago, we read of Hezekiah being made king of Judah. If you recall, he was a good king. Not only did he remove the pagan shrines and sacred pillars and Asherah poles, but he also broke up the bronze serpent (Nehushtan) that the people had been offering sacrifices to.

Today, we read that in the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacks the city of Samaria. After three years of siege King Hoshea (Israel) and his people were exiled to Assyria “for they refused to listen to the Lord their God and obey him.”

Guess who Assyria under King Sennacherib set his sights on next. Yes, King Hezekiah and the people of Judah. Hezekiah (Judah) gathered the tribute demanded (eleven plus tons of silver and one ton of gold) by Sennacherib and sent it to him. This, however, did not stop the Assyrians from surrounding Jerusalem and laying siege. As we read in Isaiah, Hezekiah sought the Lord and in response to that prayer, the Lord promised that Sennacherib would be summoned home.

Hezekiah learned the truth of Psalm 46 that God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” He knew that he could call on the Lord as expressed in Psalm 80. As Psalm 135 says, he knew the greatness of the Lord – that our Lord is greater than any other god. Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 49 – 53.

Ever Wonder?

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

And no dropped calls!
Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities?’

When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you

Until next time…

Isaiah 44 – 48 and a Funny Cartoon

Isaiah 44 – 48

This wonderful passage not only talks about the Lord pouring water on a thirsty land, but also his Spirit on their descendants and his blessing on their children. How eloquently he discusses the futility of idols, how people can take a bit of wood or iron and manufacture idols, then worship these same things their hands have created.

Isn’t it amazing that one-hundred fifty years before Cyrus is born, the Lord through the prophet Isaiah talks about him rebuilding Jerusalem and restoring the temple. After all, the temple is still standing at this time. The Lord talks about Cyrus being the anointed one and how kings will be paralyzed with fear.

According to this, Cyrus was raised up “for Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one,” “to fulfill my righteous purpose.” Cyrus was raised up to restore the Lord’s city (Jerusalem) and to free his captive people.

The Lord also makes it clear that the whole world must look to him for salvation, that every knee will bend to him and every tongue confess allegiance to him.

Mention is made of Babylon’s gods Bel and Nebo. The irony is that such gods must be hauled around on ox carts. Those false gods cannot protect the people and the people cannot protect their false gods. God tells the people to remember him, what he has done for them in the past, that he alone is God and there is none like him. Babylon will come to an end. Disaster and catastrophe are in Babylon’s future.

Finally, in Isaiah 48, Isaiah reminds Israel how he predicted these things would come to pass, how he would rescue them for his sake. More than one hundred fifty years before Cyrus would be heard of Isaiah tells how Cyrus will put an end to the Babylonian empire and redeem the people of Israel.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Kings 18:9 – 19:37 and Psalm 46, 80, and 135.

A Funny Cartoon

No matter where you stand on the subject of the government mandating that insurance companies provide contraception, you have to agree that this is hilarious.

Until next time…

Isaiah 40 – 43 and Little Akio

Isaiah 40 – 43

One might title the 40^th chapter of Isaiah as “How Great Thou Art.” It speaks of the glory of the Lord being revealed, how “the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever” and asks “who else has held the oceans in his hands.”

When asked who he was, John the Baptist referenced Isaiah 40 when he answered: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’”

One of the best promises in the Bible is Isaiah 40:31: But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” This verse has often sustained me and lifted me up.

Isaiah 41 speaks of God’s calling back the people of Abraham from the ends of the earth. He chose them and will not throw them away or abandon them. He holds them by their right hand and promises to help them, to be their Redeemer.

He speaks of what foolish, worthless things idols are.

In chapter 42, we have the promise of a servant the Lord has chosen, one who pleases him, one he puts his Spirit upon. This chosen one will bring justice to all who have been wronged, will be a light to guide the nations, will open the eyes of the blind, and so on.

What promises we find in Isaiah 43, which basically says: I will be with you. There is no other God, no other Savior.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 44 – 48.

Little Akio

The teacher said, "Let's begin by reviewing some American History. Who said 'Give me Liberty, or give me Death'?"

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Little Akio, a bright foreign exchange student from Japan , who had his hand up: 'Patrick Henry, 1775' he said.’Very good!' Who said, 'Government of the People, by the People, for the People, shall not perish from the Earth?'

Again, no response except from Little Akio: 'Abraham Lincoln, 1863'.'Excellent!', said the teacher continuing, 'let's try one a bit more difficult... Who said, 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country?' Once again, Akio's was the only hand in the air and he said: 'John F. Kennedy, 1961'.The teacher snapped at the class, 'Class, you should be ashamed of yourselves, Little Akio isn't from this country and he knows  more about our history than you do.' She heard a loud whisper: 'F*@ k the Japs,'.

'Who said that? I want to know right now!' she angrily demanded. Little Akio put his hand up, 'General MacArthur, 1945.'At that point, a student in the back said, 'I'm gonna puke.'

The teacher glares around and asks, 'All right!!! Now who said that!?Again, Little Akio says, 'George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991.'

Now furious, another student yells, 'Oh yeah? Suck this!' Little Akio jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the teacher, 'Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky, 1997!'

  Now with almost mob hysteria someone said, 'You little shit If you say anything else, I'll kill you.'

Little Akio frantically yells at the top of his voice, 'Michael Jackson to the children testifying against him, 2004.'The teacher fainted. As the class gathered around  the teacher on the floor, someone said, 'Oh crap, We're screwed!'Little Akio said quietly................. 'The American people, November 4, 2008

Until next time…

Isaiah 37 – 39 and Psalm 78

Isaiah 37 – 39 and Psalm 78

Faced with an ultimatum to surrender Jerusalem, King Hezekiah (Judah) tears his clothes and puts on burlap and sends Eliakim to the prophet Isaiah requesting him to pray for “those of us who are left.” The Lord, through Isaiah, sends word to Hezekiah (Judah) not to be disturbed, that the King of Assyria will receive word he is needed at home. When he returns to Assyria the Lord will have him killed with a sword. Before he leaves Judah, King Sennacherib of Assyria sends a taunting message to Hezekiah (Judah) telling him not to trust the Lord. Hezekiah’s (Judah) response is to seek the Lord and request a rescue.

Isaiah delivers the Lord’s message, that King Sennacherib will never enter Jerusalem. That very night, the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Sennacherib goes back to Nineveh and stays there. Two of Sennacherib’s own sons kill him while he is worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch.

After this, Hezekiah (Judah) becomes “deathly ill” Isaiah, who came to visit him, tells him to set his affairs in order because he is going to die. In response to Hezekiah’s (Judah)prayer, the Lord adds 15 years to his life. A sign of this is the sun’s shadow will move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz. Isaiah has Hezekiah’s (Judah) servants prepare an ointment from figs and spread it over Hezekiah’s (Judah) boil.

Then, what was Hezekiah (Judah) thinking? Hezekiah (Judah) shows the Babylonian envoys “everything in his treasure-house.” On hearing this, Isaiah tells Hezekiah (Judah) that the Babylonians will be carrying away all of the treasures, that some of his own sons will be taken away into exile, will become eunuchs serving in the palace of the Babylonian king.

Hezekiah’s (Judah) response to this was a little bizarre – he thinks the message is good since there will be peace and security whil he is alive.

Do you remember what the Lord told Israel in Deuteronomy 6: - 9?

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all you soul. and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them wen you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Asaph in Psalm 78 shows what happens when the above words are disregarded. A he says: “He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children…and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.” How sad that they didn’t follow those simple instructions.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 40 – 43.

Until next time…

Isaiah 35 – 36

In Isaiah 35, the prophet tells about the wilderness and desert being gflad in those days, about the wasteland rejoicing and blossoming with spring crocuses. He tells of the Lord coming to destroy their enemies and coming to save them. It is here that we learn of the Holy Highway, only for those who walk in God’s ways. Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return and enter Jerusalem singing. Sorrow and mourning will disappear.

Isaiah 36 recounts how King Sennacherib of Assyria attacks the fortified towns of Judah and conquers them. Through his chief of staff, he issues an ultimatum to a number of officials: Eliakim of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna, the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian. He basically wanted them to surrender, to not trust in the Lord their God.

The officials try to get the Assyrian chief of staff to speak in Aramaic rather than Hebrew because they don’t want the people to know what’s happening. The Assyrian refuses and the people hear what’s being said but don’t say anything. At the end of chapter 36, we see the officials tearing their clothes in despair and telling Hezekiah (Judah) what the Assyrians want.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 37 – 39 and Psalm 78.

Until next time…

Isaiah 31 – 34

In Isaiah 31, Isaiah continues his warnings about relying on Egypt for help. He speaks again of Assyria being destroyed. In the midst of these dire warnings, Isaiah speaks of a righteous king coming with honest princes ruling under him, how the Lord’s people will live in safety, quietly at home, and how the Lord will greatly bless his people.

After pointing out the fate of Assyria and Egypt specifically, he then addresses the nations of the earth. The Lord is “enraged against the nations…he will completely destroy them, dooming them to slaughter.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 35 – 36.

Until next time…

Isaiah 28 – 30 and A Specific Prayer

Isaiah 28 – 30

We’re back in Isaiah where the prophet is pronouncing all sorts of warnings about Samaria and the fate of Israel, how the Lord will ‘have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language.” We see a wonderful promise, also: Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.” In his letter to the Ephesians 2:20, Paul makes reference to Jesus being the cornerstone of the house that is the church.

There are also grim warnings for Jerusalem, how God will bring disaster upon them with much weeping and sorrow. God would their enemy surrounding them and attacking their walls. But there is also hope where the Lord promises his people will no longer be ashamed or turn pale with fear.

But, what contempt the Lord shows for Judah’s alliance with Egypt. He makes it clear that Egypt cannot help Israel, no matter how strong they appear to the world. The Lord must wait for Israel to come to him so he can show love and compassion. The Lord is a faithful God who will be gracious if we come to him.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 31 – 34.

A Specific Prayer

WE ARE PRAYING FOR RUNNING WATER RAIN, ENOUGH TO FILL LAKES AND STREAMS.  THEN A LIGHT SHOWER TO SOAK OUR LAND.  Let's be specific!!!
AMEN TO THIS!!!!
Isaiah 41:10
This is a prayer for rain in those dry areas of America......join in!!! 
         Large Prayer Circle  
         As evidenced by people living in Colorado, Oklahoma, West Texas                                   
and South Texas, and New Mexico ever-increasing areas in other parts of the country, the drought condition is reaching critical status; cattle are being auctioned off; crops have burned up; and drinking water is becoming a concern.  Please join us in this prayer circle.
         Let's make this one of the largest prayer circles ever.
It will be as though everyone is holding hands around the world  
Dear Heavenly  Father,
         You said whatsoever any two or more come together and agree and ask in Your Son's name, it shall be given. We come to You, humbly, and ask that You send down the rain to our parched lands. Our farmers and ranchers need it desperately, as well as our firefighters. We ask this all in Jesus' name.
         Amen.
         You may adopt this prayer and evidence your participation in this gathering by simply passing this prayer request on to your circle of friends!
         PLEASE forward this if you believe in the power of
prayer  

 

CBS re: President Obama

It's hard to believe that CBS actually said something that wasn't flattering to this President!
Air Force One:

This is from Mark Knoller of CBS.

The pilots and crew of Air Force One are flying more hours than a rookie on a beer run.
They are tired of it too, and are adding more crew to Air Force-1, - I know this for a fact because I'm one of the instructors that trains the crews. Our company (Atlas Air) has had the Air Force-1 and E-4 contract for over three years and I've been doing it for about 18 months now.
Last year (2011) Obama flew in Air Force One 172 times, almost every other day. White House officials have been telling reporters in recent days that the Democrat doesn't intend to hang around the White House quite so much in 2012.They explain he wants to get out more around the country because, as everyone knows, that midterm election shellacking had nothing to do with his health care bill, over-spending or other policies, and everything to do with Obama's not adequately explaining himself to his countrymen and women.
And with only 288 days remaining in Obama's never ending presidential campaign, the incumbent's travel pace will not likely slacken. At an Air Force-estimated cost of $181,757 per flight HOUR (not to mention the additional travel costs of Marine One, Secret Service, logistics and local police overtime), that's a lot of frequent flier dollars going into Obama's carbon footprint.
$8 Million every time it lands & takes off.
We are privy to some of these numbers thanks to CBS' Mark Knoller, a bearded national treasure trove of presidential stats. According to Knoller's copious notes, during the last year, Obama made 65 domestic trips over 104 days, and six trips to eight countries over 22 days. Not counting six vacation trips over 32 days. He took 196 helicopter trips, signed 203 pieces of legislation and squeezed in 29 rounds of left-handed golf.
Obama last year gave 491 speeches, remarks or statements. That's more talking than goes on in some entire families, at least from fatherly mouths. In fact, even including the 24 days of 2010 that we never saw Obama in public, his speaking works out to about one official utterance every 11 waking hours. Aides indicate the "Real Good Talker" believes we need more.
Related: Obama spends nearly half his presidency outside Washington , plans to travel more.
Related: Vacationer-in-Chief Spends $1.75 Million to Visit Hawaiian Chums.
Obama has spent over $100 million taxpayer dollars flying around in Air Force One, and probably another $100 million on his entourage.
Obama is just another tin-pot dictator living lavishly at the expense of his subjects.
And we seniors have to "tighten our belts"
THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED PUT THIS GREEDY WINDBAG IN OFFICE!

PLEASE BE MORE CAREFUL NEXT TIME!!

America's continued freedom depends upon your awareness !

Until next time…

Hosea 8 – 14 and Ice Age: Continental Divide

Hosea 8 – 14

The theme of the last half of Hosea can be found in Hoseq 9:7: “The time of Israel’s punishment has come; the day of payment is here. Soon Israel will kinow this all too well.” He recounts the Lord’s love for Israel and how the more he called to Israel, the farther he moved from him. He tells how the history of the Lord’s dealings with Jacob and speaks of bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, and how now, “the people of Samaria must bear the consequences of their guilt because they rebelled against their God. He calls out to Israel to return to the Lord their God.

In my opinion, this parallels God’s dealings with the USA. The founding fathers made a covenant with God when this country was founded. In 1962, we kicked God out of the classroom and since that time, there has been a concerted effort to remove God from every part of our lives. Instead of freedom of religion, the First Amendment has been twisted to mean freedom from religion.

In 1973, the US Supreme Court found a “right to privacy” that legalized the abortion (murder) of an unborn or nearly born child. This is so like the offering of children to the fire as practiced by Baal and the other pagan religions Israel turned to when they left the God of their Fathers. The black population has particularly suffered from this. In New York City, nearly one-half of all babies aborted are black – nearly 1800 black babies are aborted every day. There would be 35% more blacks in this country if it weren’t for the abortion of black babies.

The concept of right and wrong has nearly been obliterated by political correctness. Most children are no longer brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. As a result, we have flash mobs causing disruptions and many young people who show no respect for anything or anybody.

Let’s welcome God back into our lives. Let’s humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. God has promised that if His people do this, he will hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 28 – 30.

 

Ice Age: Continental Divide

Today, my friend Karen and I went to see Ice Age: Continental Divide, the third in the series of terrific Ice Agew movies. The movie was great wit characters we have come to know and love and some new, non-so-easy-to-love characters. It was very funny and extremely exciting. See it if you can.

Until next time…

Hosea 1 – 7 and New Tool Case

Hosea 1 – 7

From the first verse of Hosea, we learn that he was a prophet during the years Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

In order to show “how Israel acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods,” the Lord had Hosea marry a prostitute “so some of her children would be conceived in prostitution.”

Just as Isaiah obeyed God and walked around naked and barefoot for three years, Hosea was an obedient prophet and married the prostitute Gomer. The two of them had a son that God told him to name Jezreel because the Lord intended to break Israel’s military power and punish King Jehu’s dynasty for the murders he carried out in Jezreel.

Hosea and Gomer’s second child was a daughter named Lo-ruhamah – ‘Not Loved’ because the Lord wanted demonstrate two things:

• He would no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them
• He would show love to the people of Judah and free them from their enemies by his power

A prolific couple, Hosea and Gomer’s third child was a son, named Lo-ammi or ‘Not My People.’ This illustrates that Israel was no longer the Lord’s people and the Lord was not their God. But God would also unite Israel and Judah and they would choose one leader for themselves and return from exile together. This would be called the “Day of Jezreel.”

The Lord continues to use Hosea and his wife to illustrate what he will accomplish for Israel and Judah, in the end, winning her back again wand in that day, Israel will call God ‘my husband’ instead of ‘my master.’ Then, God would make Israel his wife forever. “In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of his goodness.”

Hosea does issue a number of warnings to both Israel and Judah.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Hosea 8 – 14.

New Tool Case

Last week, I bought an angled-utility knife, but didn’t realize until I got it home that the blade is exposed at all times. It is a great tool and really helps with cutting leather.

Since I don’t trust myself having sharp instruments around, I decided to make a case for it:

Now, I just tuck this case in a handy pocket in my tool bag. It works great. 

Until next time…

II Kings 18:1-8; II Chronicles 29 – 31 and Psalm 48; The 28th Amendment and Mitt Romney

 

II Kings 18:1-8; II Chronicles 29 – 31 and Psalm 48

Do you remember the bronze serpent that Moses erected (see Numbers 21) to keep the Israelites from dying of snakebite? If they were bitten by a poisonous snake, all they had to do was look at the bronze serpent and they would be healed. After Ahaz (Judah) dies, his twenty-five-year-old son Hezekiah (Judah) began to rule over Judah. Hezekiah (Judah) was a good king, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. Not only did he remove “the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles,” but he also broke up the bronze serpent called Nehushtan. Apparently, people had been offering sacrifices to the serpent, using it like a golden calf, instead of worshiping the living God. He also reopened the Temple and and purified it. This process took sixteen days. There was a great ceremony with music, burnt offerings, and “joyous praise.”

I just love II Chronicles 29:36: “And Hezekiah (Judah) and all the people rejoiced because of what God had done for the people, for everything had been accomplished so quickly.”

In addition, Hezekiah (Judah) invited all Israel and Judah to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover – something that had not been done as required by the Law. They had to celebrate a month later than usual because they didn’t have enough priests at the normal time. Hezekiah sent letters urging people to come to the Temple and submit themselves to the Lord. “There was great joy in the city, for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like this one since the days of Solomon, King David’s son.” The result: “God heard their prayer…”

There was great revival in the land with the Israelites smashing all the sacred pillars, cutting down the Asheral poles and removing pagan shrines and altars. As a result, the people brought a lot of offerings to the Temple. What a difference it can make when a leader is obedient to the Lord.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Hosea 1 – 7.

The 28th Amendment

Monday on Fox news they learned that the staffers of Congress family members are exempt from having to pay back student loans. This will get national attention if other news networks will broadcast it. When you add this to the below, just where will all of it stop?
35 States file lawsuit against the Federal Government
Governors of 35 states have filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.

This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, please pass it on.

This is an idea that we should address.

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform... in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop.
If each person that receives this will forward it on to 20 people, in three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.
Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution: "Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States."

Did You Know This About Mitt Romney?

I forward this to you in hopes that you will pass on Mitt Romney’s credentials to others who may have supported others for President.  This election is more important than ever (considering the Supreme Court Ruling yesterday) and hopefully America will wake up and properly vote for the most qualified candidate.

Personal Information:

His full Name is: Willard Mitt Romney
He was Born: March 12, 1947 and is 65 years old.
His Father: George W. Romney, former Governor of the State of Michigan
He was raised in Bloomfield Hills , Michigan
He is Married to Ann Romney since 1969; they five children.
Education:
B.A. from Brigham Young University ,
J.D. and M.B.A. from Harvard University
Religion:
Mormon - The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints
Working Background:
After high school, he spent 30 months in France as a Mormon missionary.
After going to both Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School simultaneously, he passed the Michigan bar exam, but never worked as an attorney.
In 1984, he co-founded Bain Capital a private equity investment firm, one of the largest such firms in the United States .
In 1994, he ran for Senator of Massachusetts and lost to Ted Kennedy.
He was President and CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
In 2002, he was elected Governor of the State of Massachusetts where he eliminated a 1.5 billion deficit.
Some Interesting Facts about Romney:
Bain Capital, starting with one small office supply store in Massachusetts , turned it into Staples; now over 2,000 stores employing 90,000 people.
Bain Capital also worked to perform the same kinds of business miracles again and again, with companies like Domino's, Sealy, Brookstone, Weather Channel, Burger King, Warner Music Group, Dollarama, Home Depot Supply, and many others.
He was an unpaid volunteer campaign worker for his dad's gubernatorial campaign 1 year.
He was an unpaid intern in his dad's governor's office for eight years.
He was an unpaid bishop and state president of his church for ten years.
He was an unpaid President of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee for three years.
He took no salary and was the unpaid Governor of Massachusetts for four years.
He gave his entire inheritance from his father to charity.
Mitt Romney is one of the wealthiest self-made men in our country but has given more back to its citizens in terms of money, service and time than most men.
And in 2011 Mitt Romney gave over $4 million to charity, almost 19% of his income.... Just for comparison purposes, Obama gave 1% and Joe Biden gave $300 or .0013%.
Mitt Romney is Trustworthy:
He will show us his birth certificate
He will show us his high school and college transcripts.
He will show us his social security card.
He will show us his law degree.
He will show us his draft notice.
He will show us his medical records.
He will show us his income tax records.
He will show us he has nothing to hide.
Mitt Romney's background, experience and trustworthiness show him to be a great leader and an excellent citizen for President of the United States .
You may think that Romney may not be the best representative the Republicans could have selected. At least I know what religion he is, and that he won't desecrate the flag, bow down to foreign powers, or practice fiscal irresponsibility. I know he has the ability to turn this financial debacle that the current regime has gotten us into. We won't like all the things necessary to recover from this debt, but someone with Romney's background can do it. But, on the minus side, He never was a "Community Organizer", never took drugs or smoked pot, never got drunk, did not associate with communists or terrorists, nor did he attend a church whose pastor called for God to damn the US.

Until next time…

Isaiah 23 – 27 and Billy Graham’s Prayer for our Nation

Isaiah 23 - 27

This passage begins with the Lord’s message for Tyre and then his promise to destroy the earth. The prophet speaks of the Lord punishing the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth, of the glory of the moon waning, and the brightness of the sun fading. All is not lost, however, since he talks about a remnant being left. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion, will rule in great glory in Jerusalem. The Lord is a tower of refuge to the poor, to the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat.

Just imagine: the Lord will be serving up a delicious banquet. He will remove the cloud of gloom and will swallow up death forever. He will swallow up death forever. As a result the people will proclaim: “This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us!” He breaks into praise for our God “who does what is right,” “who will grant us peace.”

He also speaks of that day when the Lord will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan, the swiftly moving serpent, the coiling, writhing serpent. He will kill the dragon of the sea. He speaks also of a great trumpet sounding and people coming from exile to return to Jerusalem to worship the Lord on his holy mountain.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Kings 18:1-8; II Chronicles 29 – 31 and Psalm 48.

Billy Graham’s Prayer for our Nation

Current Age: 93.  Truth............from a man the media has never been able to throw dirt on.....amazing!

He has certainly hit the "world" on the head!

THIS MAN SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY!

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today  to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and  guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call  evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have  lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We  have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have  rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed  our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists  and called it justifiable... We have neglected to  discipline our children and called it building self  esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We  have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it  ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and  pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have  ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and  called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our  hearts today; cleanse us from sin and Set us free.  Amen!'

With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we once again can be called 'One nation under God!'

……………….

And, Speaking of Prayer

If he gets re-elected "it's all over but the crying"

When we get 100,000,000, that's one hundred million willing Christians to BOND together, voice their concerns and vote, we can take back America with God's help, Become one of the One hundred
million, then lets get 200 million. It can be done by sharing this with your friends. Do the math. It only takes a willing heart and a
fed up soul. God Bless America and Shine your light on Her..

In 1952 President Truman established one day a year as
a "National Day of Prayer."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

In 1988 President Reagan designated the First Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------In June 2007 (then) Presidential Candidate Barack Obama declared that the USA"Was no longer a Christian nation."

---------------------------------------------------------------

This year President Obama canceled the 21st annual National Day of Prayer ceremony at the White House under the ruse Of "not wanting to offend anyone"

------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUT... 
on September 25, 2009 from 4 AM until 7 PM , a National Day of Prayer FOR THE MUSLIM RELIGION was Held on Capitol Hill, Beside the White House.

There were over 50,000 Muslims in D.C. that day.

HE PRAYS WITH THE MUSLIMS!

I guess it Doesn't matter if "Christians" Are offended by this event -
We obviously Don't count as "anyone" Anymore. The direction this country is headed should strike fear in the heart of every
Christian, especially knowing that the Muslim religion believes that if Christians cannot be converted, they should be annihilated.

This is not a Rumor - Go to the website To confirm this info:
http://www.islamoncapitolhill.com/

Share this with ten people and  the person who sent it to you!...
to let them know that indeed, it was sent out to many
more.

Until next time…

Isaiah 18 – 22 and Taxi in Dallas

Isaiah 18 – 22

Iaiah continues his warnings to a number of nations: Ethiopia, Egypt, Babylon, Edom, Arabia, Jerusalem and even the palace administrator named Shebna.

Of particular note is the passage in Isaiah 20, where Isaiah is told to walk around naked and barefoot as a sign of the terrible troubles the Lord will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia. He complies and does this for three years. Why do you suppose the Lord used one of his prophets to provide a sign to Egypt and Ethiopia?

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 23 - 27.

Taxi in Dallas

An Arab Muslim enters a taxi cab in Dallas, Texas . . .  
Once he is seated he asks the cab driver to “turn off the radio because he must not hear music as decreed by his religion and in the time of the prophet, there was no music, especially Western music, which is music of the infidel's and certainly no radio.”

So the cab driver politely switches off the radio, pulls over to the side, stops the cab and opens the back door.
The Arab asks him: “What are you doing, man?”
The Texan answers: “In the time of the prophet there were no taxis.  So get out, stand on the curb and wait for a camel.”

Until next time…

Isaiah 13 – 17

In today’s reading, Isaiah is prophesying about the destruction of Babylon hundreds of years before Babylon took the Israelites (Judah) into exile and hundreds of years before Cyrus conquered them. Amazing, isn’t it?

In Isaiah 14:23, he speaks of Babylon being filled with swamps and marshes. When archaeologists excavated the ancient city of Babylon, there were many places they could not explore because the water table had risen and prevented it.

Isaiah also refers to the defeat of the Assyrians -- the nation than took the ten tribes of Israel into exile, and the destructions of Moab.

However, he makes it clear in Isaiah 17:14 that attacking Israel is not without cost: “In the evening Israel waits in terror, but by dawn its enemies are dead. This is the just reward of those who plunder us, a fitting end for those who destroy us.” This does not bode well for Israel’s enemies today either.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 18 – 22.

Until next time…

II Chronicles 28 and II Kings 16 – 17

Ahaz, who became king of Judah following the death of Jotham, did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord by:

• Casting metal images for the worship of Baal
• Offering sacrifices in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, even sacrificing his own sons in the fire
• Following the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land
• Offering sacrifices and burning incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree

As so often happened in the history of God’s dealings with the Israelites, God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz (Judah) and to exile his people to Damascus. When Pekah (Israel) and the army of Israel captures 200,000 women and children from Judah and siezes “tremendous amounts” of plunder, a prophet of the Lord in Samaria warns Israel that they have gone too far. Four of the leaders of Israel paid attention and agreed to send the prisoners and the plunder back to Judah.

Ahaz, rather than pleading for help from the Lord, asks the king of Assyria for help. To pay him, he takes all of the valuable items from the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, and the homes of officials for tribute to the king of Assyria. Instead of turning to the Living God, the God of his fathers, he turns to the gods of Damascus and closes the Temple of God.

Hoshea (Israel) began reigning in Samaria in the twelfth year of King Ahaz’ rule, but he only ruled for nine years. Although he had been paying tribute to the king of Assyria (Shalamaneser), he stopped paying and asked the king of Egypt to help him. When Shalamaneser found out, he put Hoshea in prison and invanded the entire land. After besieging Samaria for three years, he finally captured it and Israel went into exile.

II Kings 17 makes it clear why Israel went into exile:

• They worshiped other gods.
• They sinned against the Lord their God
• They followed the practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of them
• They had secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the Lord their God
• They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns
• They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree
• They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops
• They did many evil thigs, arousing the Lord’s anger
• They worshiped idols, despite the Lord’s specific and repeated warnings
• Again and again the Lord sent his prophets and seers to warn them
• They rejected his decrees and the covenant he made with their ancestors and they despised all his warnings
• They worshiped worthless idols
• They rejected all the commands of the Lord their God and made two calves from metal
• They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil

Not only did Assyria exile the people of Israel, he also moved foreigners into the land of Israel. Interesting how the Lord sent lions in to attack these foreigners, but more interesting is how the king of Assyria sends one of the exiled priest back to Samaria to teach the new people how to worship the Lord. I guess, though, it’s not too surprising that these foreigners just continued to worship their own false gods in addition to worshiping the Lord. We are given quite a list of these false gods:

• Babylonians worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth
• Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal
• Those from Hamath worshiped Ashima
• The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak
• The people from Sepharvaim even buried their own children as sacrifices to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech

Hoshea was the last king of Israel. How sad that Israel seemed to want to worship every false god there was, but not the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 13 – 17.

Until next time…

Micah and This Says It All

Micah

Today, we are reading the entire book of Micah. According to the first verse of the first chapter, Micah was given this message by the Lord during the years when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. However, his message did not just concern Jerusalem (the capital of Judah), but also for Samaria (the capital of Israel).

Micah issues warnings against both Judah and Israel, warnings of judgment to come, but just as Amos did, he offers hope, that he will gather the remnant that is left and the Lord himself will guide them.

Micah has special warnings for the leaders and the false prophets, but he also talks about the last days and how the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all. In Micah 4:2, he says: “People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s god. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’” He speaks of hammering swords into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks and the reality of NO MORE War. The Lord himself “will rule from Jerusalem as their king forever.”

In chapter five, he speaks of a ruler of Israel (one whose origins are from the distant past) coming from Bethlehem Ephrathah, but Judah will be exiled to Babylon before this.

I just love the last verse of the last chapter: “You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.”

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Chronicles 28 and II Kings 16 - 17.

This Says It All

Until next time…

II Chronicles 27 and Isaiah 9 – 12 and Don’t Honk at Old People

II Chronicles 27 and Isaiah 9 – 12

II Chronicles 27 gives us the account of the reign of Jotham (Judah), the son of Uzziah (Judah) who reigned for 16 years after his father died. He was a good king, doing what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and did not follow the example of his father by burning incense in the Temple of the Lord. Unfortunately, although he was agoood king, “the people continued in their corrupt ways. When he died, his son Ahaz (Judah) took his place.

In the previous chapter of Isaiah, the Lord warns about the coming invasion by Assyria and the trouble this will bring. In chapter 9, we see the mercy of God: a promise that “that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.” We hear the words fulfilled in Mattherw 4:16:

“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great life. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”

And then, thiose wonderful words about our Savior:

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.”

In the meantime, however, the Lord’s judgment will be on Israel and Judah since they will not repent. Isaiah 11 gives us further promise and a description of a “a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.” This reference to Jesus includes the promise that the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him.

We also see the promise that the Lord will bring back the remnant of his people. We are given a picture of the people singing about the Lord saving them, that “the Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” Most interesting to me is the reference to “the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.” Wow!

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Micah.

Don’t Honk at Old People

This is a short, but really funny video you will probably watch more than once:

http://dave6.posterous.com/dont-honk-at-old-people

Until Next Time…

Amos 6 – 9 and Midway

Amos 6 - 9

Chapter 6 continues with God’s warnings to Israel, specifically those “who feel secure in Samaria,” that they will “be the first to be led away as captives.” Amos is shown a vision of a vast swarm of locusts over the land of Israel., but he ask the Lord to forgive Israel and the Lord relented from his plan. He then sees a vision of a great fire devouring the entire land. He prays to God to stop it and the Lord relents. The next vision is of a plumb line the Lord is using to test Israel. He declares he will no longer ignore all their sins and will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end.

Amaziah, priest of Israel, sends a message to Jeroboam (Israel) that Amos is warning Jeroboam will be killed and the people sent into exile. Amos was then ordered to go back to Judah. Amos tells him the Lord was the one who sent him with the message and then he doubles down on the warning.

The Lord then shows Amos a vision of a basket of ripe fruit, a picture of Israel being ripe for punishment. He is determined to bring disaster upon them and not to help them. He says something that almost seems contradictory: “I, the Sovereign Lord, am watching this sinful nation of Israel. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will never completely destroy the family of Israel.” Apparently, there is a distinction between the “nation” and the “family” of Israel.

We see in this passage that our God is truly a God of hope. He promises restoration, bringing exiled Israel back from distant lands where he will firmly plant them there “in their own land.” He promises also they will never again be uprooted from the land God gave them.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Chronicles 27 and Isaiah 9 – 12.

Midway

In the middle of the night, while I was unable to sleep, I watched the 1976 movie Midway, starring Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, Glenn Ford, James Coburn, Hal Holbrook, Robert Mitchum, Cliff Robertson, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Wagner, and even Pot Morita. This movie dealt with the Japanese plan to take the island of Midway about six months after their attack on Pearl Harbor.

While I watched the movie, I was reminded again of the men and women who have been killed and wounded to defend our freedoms. I was also reminded of how God has intervened to protect this country. It was a miracle that our fleet was able to defend Midway and destroy four of the Japanese navy’s aircraft carriers.

I hope that God has not withdrawn His protection of this great nation. I think we are being warned in many ways to turn back to Him. How could God, whose first directive to Adam and Eve was “Be fruitful and multiply…” not be unhappy with the 50 MILLION babies that have been brutally aborted since the Roe v. Wade decision. He constantly warned the Israelites not to practice child sacrifice as the nations around them did. If abortion isn’t child sacrifice, what is it?

In our lesson in Amos today, we saw that Amos had a vision of a great fire, but God relented of that plan. Those fires out west and the problems with this year’s corn crop and other crops, among other things, may be warnings from a righteous God, that it is time to turn back to Him

Remember II Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Until next time…

Amos 1 - 5

The book of Amos is only nine chapters long, but it is packed full of judgment against Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah and Israel. He makes no bones about the reasons for this judgment or what this judgment will entail. He also talks about restoration.

Amos, as he says in the first chapter, was a shepherd from Judah who received the message he writes in visions two years before the earthquake during the time Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II was king of Israel. This earthquake is also mentioned in the book of Zechariah.

As in all cases where the Lord warns people, also calls them to repent. In Amos 5:4, he says: “Now this is what the Lord says to the family of Israel: Come back to me and live!” In verse 6, he repeats: “Come back to the Lord and Live! In verse 15, he says “Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice.”

Amos os the first prophet to mention the “day of the Lord.” In fact, he says “the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope.” He promises to send Israel into exile.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Amos 6 - 9.

Until next time…

Isaiah 5 – 8 and Wal-Mart vs. The Morons

Isaiah 5 – 8

In chapter 5, the Lord talks about his vineyard and what he will do to it: Tear down its hedges, let it be destroyed, break down its walls, let the animals trample it, make it a wild place, stop the rain from falling on it. To what did this vineyard refer? He answers it in verse seven: “The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies…”

The damage to the vineyard is because of the nation’s sin. “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.” Chief, of course, of their sins is that they have jrejected the law of the Lord and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

In chapter 6, the prophet Isaiah was changed dramatically. Why? Isaiah saw the Lord, sitting on his throne, in all of his holiness and splendor. His reaction to the Lord is how anyone who really comes face to face with God reacts: He sees his sinful self, the doom that is in store for him because of his sin, his unworthiness and helplessness. When Isaiah confesses this sin, a coal is brought to his “filthy lips” and his sins are declared forgiven and his guilt is declared removed.

In the same way, we cannot do anything about our sin. Only by confession and repentance can we be declared forgiven by the our Lord Jesus. As I John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sin to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

Then, when God calls for someone to send as a messenger to his people, Isaiah’s response is “Here I am. Send me.” God sends Isaiah, but warns him that people will not listen.

In chapter 7, Isaiah comforts Ahaz (Judah), grandson of Uzziah, when he and the people are afraid of an attack on Jerusalem by King Rezin of Syria and Pekah, king of Israel. Isaiah tells him the attack will not take place and within sixty-five years, Israel “will be crushed and completely destroyed.”

A sign is given that “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us.’).”

The Lord, through Isaiah, even tells Ahaz who will destroy Israel – the king of Assyria.” He also offers some good advice: “Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble.”

Wait for the Lord and put your hope in him.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Amos 1 - 5.

Wal-Mart vs. The Morons or How to Fix the Economy

1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart Every hour of every day.

2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!

3.. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.

4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target +Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.

5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.

6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.

7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.

8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.

9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.

10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.

11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)

12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart.

How to Fix the Economy

You may think that I am complaining, but I am really laying the ground work for suggesting that MAYBE we should hire the guys who run Wal-Mart to fix the economy.

This should be read and understood by all Americans… Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!

To President Obama and all 535 voting members of the Legislature:

It is now official that the majority of you are corrupt morons:

a.. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.

b.. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years get it right and it is broke.

c.. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.

d.. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.

e.. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.

f.. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.

g.. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.

You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars. AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM??

Until next time…

Isaiah 1 – 4 and More Words To Live By

Isaiah 1 – 4

As I’m sure you recall, Uzziah (Judah) became king at age sixteen after his father Amaziah (Judah) was assassinated. In II Chronicles 26:22 we learn: “The rest of the events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.” Today, we begin reading the book of Isaiah, one of the “major” prophets.

The book of Isaiah, according to the first chapter, contains the “visions that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He saw these visions during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.”

In the first chapter, Isaiah delivers a message from the Lord to his rebellious children. He speaks of their sin, their guilt, the evil that they do and how they have turned their backs on “the Holy One of Israel.” The country is in ruins and if it had not been for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, they would have been wiped out loike Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord is sick of their offerings and meaningless gifts. He will not listen to their prayers because their hands are covered with the blood of the innocent.

He pleads with them to:

“Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.”

He promises that if they will do that:

Though your sins are as scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.

Our wonderful God is always eager for his people to repent and do what is right, but he also makes it clear that a failure to do this will result in destruction.

It is so encouraging that Isaiah shared his vision with us, the one in chapter two where he talks of the last days, where the mountain of the Lord’s house will be highest of all. He speaks of people from all over the world coming there to worship where the Lord will teach us his ways. There will be no study of war anymore. Before that though, he speaks of judgment against Judah and Jerusalem if they continue in their sin.

We are also advised not to put our trust in mere humans. Too often, I think we put our trust in a political solution, iin a politician, in an individual instead of relying on the Lord.

Yes, he speaks of destruction and death, but he also speaks of those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem and how the Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment.

When I look at our great nation and see the depths to which it has fallen, it’s easy to lose hope, but our God is an awesome God and can cleanse and rebuild this nation so that we can once again be that shining city on a hill. The promise in II Chronicles 7:14 is still true:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 5 – 8.

 

More Words To Live By

1. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.

2. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.

3. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.

4. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.

5. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.

6. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear very bright ... until they speak.

7. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.

8. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.

9. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

10. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

11. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.

12. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

Until next time…

II Kings 15 and II Chronicles 26, A Good Jewish Story and Spiderman

II Kings 15 and II Chronicles 26

In II King 15, we learn a little about Uzziah (JUDAH) and a lot about the kings of Israel that were in power during the time of his reign. In II Chronicles 26, we learn a lot about Uzziah and what kind of king he was.

Uzziah (Judah), who was sixteen when he came to power, ruled for fifty-two years. He was mostly a good king, doing what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, except he did not destroy the pagan shrines and people offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

The kings of Israel mentioned in II Kings 15 include:

• Zechariah son of Jeroboam II who reigned over Israel six months
• Shallum son of Jabesh who reigned over Israel one month
• Menahem son of Gadi ruled who reigned over Israel ten years
• Pekahiah son of Menahem who reigned over Israel two years
• Pekah son of Remaliah who reigned over Israel twenty years

None of the kings of Israel did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but Uzziah (Judah) did. Zechariah the prophet apparently had a good influence on him. Zechariah taught him to fear God and “as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.” Then, he decided he could burn incense in the Temple. The priests tried to stop him, but couldn’t get him out of there until he was stricken with leprosy. He suffered from the disease until the end of his days.

Government and the rule of law does make a difference. Israel during this time reminds me of third-world countries where whoever is willing to do anything to rule does. Individuals come into power through assassination. Pray for our country.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading Isaiah 1 – 4.

A good Jewish story.

A Jewish businessman in Chicago decided to send his son to Israel to absorb some of the culture of the homeland. When the son returned, the father asked him to tell him about his trip. The son said, "Pop, I had a great time in Israel. By the way, I converted to Christianity." "Oy, vey," said the father, "Vot haf I dun?" He decided to go ask his friend Jacob what to do. Jake said, "Funny you should ask. I too sent my son to Israel, and he also came back a Christian. Perhaps we should go see the rabbi and ask him what we should do." So they went to see the rabbi. The rabbi said,"Funny you should ask. I too sent my son to Israel. He also came back a Christian. What is happening to our young people? Perhaps we should go talk to God and ask him what to do." The three of them prayed and explained what had happened to their sons and asked God what to do. Suddenly a voice came loud and clear from Heaven. "Funny you should ask. I, too, sent my Son to Israel"

The Amazing Spider-Man

Today, Karen and I went to see The Amazing Spider-Man, an excellent movie starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Denis Leary, Sally Field and Martin Sheen. The story was a little different (better) than the movie starring Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

I’d recommend it to anyone.

Jonah and What Doesn’t Kill You

The four chapters that tell the familiar story of Jonah are extremely interesting and tell us a lot about how God deals with people, not just Jonah the prophet, but also the people of Nineveh.

When the Lord gives Jonah the message for Nineveh that his judgement is against it, Jonah goes “in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.” Nineveh was a large city (it took three days to “see it all”) on the Tigris River in what is now northern Iraq. Jonah gets on a boat in Joppa that was leaving across the Mediterranean for Tarshish.

Guess what? You can’t hide from God. You can’t get away from Him and Jonah should have known that. Actually, he probably did know this, but his actions caused a lot of trouble. The ship he sailed on was in a terrible storm and the captain and sailors finally figured out it was because of Jonah. Jonah tells them to throw him into the sea and even though they didn’t want to do it, they eventually saw they had to.

Then, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish just as the Lord had arranged. Was it this great fish a whale as is so often depicted? There are whales in the Mediterranean so it may well have been a whale.

What would you have done if you had been swallowed by a great fish? You bet – you would have prayed, which is exactly what Jonah did. According to Jonah’s prayer, he spent a terrifying time in the sea before the fish rescued him. After he told God that he would fulfill his vows and that he realized his salvation cames from the Lord alone, the Lord ordered the fish to spit him out onto the beach.

Jonah goes to Nineveh to shout out the Lord’s message: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed.” The people of Nineveh took the message seriously; they really believed it. The king, his officials and the people fasted and wore garments of mourning for their evil ways and violence, thinking that God might change his mind and not destroy them. And God did – in His abundant mercy, He decided not to destroy the city.

And did this ever tick off Jonah, so angry that he complained to the Lord about it. Didn’t you just love his complaining about being merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love, eager to turn back from destroying people?

God set him straight just as Jesus set the teachers and Pharisees straight by predicting that he would be in the grave for three days just as Jonah had been in the belly of the fish for that long. He told them that “the people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.”

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Kings 15 and II Chronicles 26.

What Doesn’t Kill You

 

Today I downloaded a new Iris Johansson book called What Doesn’t Kill You from audible.com. I’ve listened to about half of it and it’s every bit as good as the other books of hers I have read. She has another book coming out in Augus that I am also looking forward to reading.

Until next time…

II Kings 14 and II Chronicles 25

These two chapters deal with Amaziah, king of Judah who began to rule in the second year of Joash (Israel). He reigned a long time – 29 years – and did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, except for not destroying the pagan shrines and people offering sacrifices at them. He cleverly waited until he was firmly established asking before punishing those officials who had assassinated his father Joash (Judah) and apparently was familiar with the Law of Moses and did not destroy the children of the assassins.

(Isn’t it confusing when rules from both Israel and Judah have the same name, such as Joash (Judah) who was King of Judah following Athaliah and Joash (Israel) who ruled Israel following Jehoash (Israel)?)

He did make the mistake of attacking Jehoash (Israel) and his army and was defeated. In fact, Jehoash (Israel) tore down 600 feet of Jerusalem’s wall and carried off the treasures from the Temple and the royal palace.

Just as Joash (Judah) had been assassinated, so Amaziah (Judah) was also assassinated, leavimg his sixteen-year old son Uzziah to reign in Judah.

In Israel, Jeroboam II took over for his father Jehoash in the fifteenth year of Amaziah (Judah). He did evil in the Lord’s sight. We first discover the prophet Jonah, son of Amittai in the account of Jeroboam II (Israel).

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading the entire book of Jonah – only four chapters.

Until next time…

II Kings 12 – 13 and II Chronicles 24

In these two parallel passages, we learn that Joash (Judah), who was six years old when he became king and reigned for forty-six years, was instructed by Jehoiada the priest. For this reason, he did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight even though he did not destroy the pagan shrines.

In II Chronicles 24, we learn that the Temple was in need of repair because the followers of “the wicked Athaliah” had broken into the Temple and used the dedicated things from the Temple in their worship of the images of Baal. Joash (Judah) asked the priests and Levites to go to the towns of Judah and collect the required annual offerings so the Temple could be repaired. When nothing was done, he spoke with Jehoiada the priest who drilled a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it up at the Temple so people could bring their annual Temple money. The people, who were pleased to have this opportunity, filled the chest over and over and the repairs were done on the Temple.

Joash (Judah) didn’t fare very well after he made a deal with King Hazael in which he gave Hazael all the sacred objects collected by Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah in exchange for not attacking Judah. He also abandoned the Temple and worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead of the one true God. Joash (Judah) even went so far as to have Zechariah son of Jehoiada stoned to death when he warned him that God was displeased. Joash (Judah) was assassinated. His son Amaziah (Judah) became king.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Kings 14 and II Chronicles 25.

Until next time…

II Kings 9 - 11

II Kings 9 - 11

Much of what we read today was already covered in II Chronicles, although we do learn a little more about how Jehu (Israel) became king, how he actually killed Joram (Israel) and Ahaziah (Judah). We also learn that, through his actions, Elijah’s prophecy regarding Jezebel and the wiping out of of Ahab’s (Israel) family line, including the killing of Ahab’s seventy sons.

Jehu’s (Israel) trick to eliminate all of Baal’s worshippers and prophets was very clever and it certainly did the trick.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Kings 12 – 13 and II Chronicles 24.

Happy Fourth of July – Independence Day!

Until next time…

II Kings 5 – 8 and Standing Guard

II Kings 5 - 8

Included in our reading today are some of the miracles that Elisha was involved in, including:

• Curing Naaman of leprosy
• Knowing that Gehazi had chased after Naaman and had taken silver, etc. from him
• Making Gehazi suffer from Naaman’s leprosy,
• Making the ax head float,
• Warning the kings exactly where the Arameans would attack
• Revealing to his servant the horses and chariots of fire supporting them
• Blinding the Aramean army
• Predicting the end of famine – to happen in one day
• Predicting that Hazeal would be king of Aram in place of Ben-hadad

I guess it’s clear he got a “double portion” of Elijah’s spirit.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Kings 9 - 11.

Standing Guard

My cousin sent me this picture – how appropriate for Independence Day

Until next time….

II Kings 1 – 4 and Lunch with Esther

II Kings 1 - 4

The first four chapters of II Kings relay some exciting events, including a number of miracles performed by Elijah and Elisha. Aren’t you glad you weren’t the captain or one of the fifty soldiers who went to bring Elijah back to see Ahaziah (Israel)? After two groups were burned up, a wise captain begged Elijah to spare his life and the life of his men. When Elijah confronted Ahaziah (Israel), he died and, since Ahaziah (Israel) had no sons, his brother Joram (Israel) became king of Israel.

The story of Elijah and Elisha is pretty interesting. Elisha certainly knew the Lord was going to take Elijah away – the prophets from both Bethel and Jericho and some from beside the Jordan River tell him so. I admit I don’t understand why Elijah found it necessary to cross the Jordan River after striking the water with his cloak so they could cross on dry land, but they did. I’ve always considered Elijah to be the more powerful of the two prophets, but Elisha asked for and received a double share of Elijah’s spirit.

I also thought Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire, but according to II Kings 2:11, Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. The chariot of fire merely separated Elisha from Elijah. I guess Elisha told the prophets what happened but I don’t think they believed him since they searched for Elijah for three days. Of course, they didn’t find him.

Forty-two boys found out how dangerous it was to make fun of Elisha; they were mauled by bears.

We get a real picture of the wickedness of the Moabites; when he saw he was failing to defeat the king of Edom, the king of Moab sacrificed his oldest son as a burnt offering. How could he possibly have thought that would solve anything?

You might wonder how he could do such a thing and yet, the wickedness of our nation will come back to haunt us. I truly believe our nation will pay for the 50 million babies that have been sacrificed to the false god of women’s choice. We should be on our knees begging for forgiveness for the innocent blood that has been shed with the approval of our government. How can the U.S. survive total destruction if we don’t do something about this?

May God have mercy on the U.S.A.

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Kings 5 - 8.

Lunch with Esther

Today, I met Esther at Mimi’s Cafe and we had a great lunch together. She had to come over to Brandon to the foot doctor and this gives us a chance to get together.  I was glad for the opportunity to deliver a notepad to her that I finished yesterday. It turned out pretty well as you can see from the picture.

 

Until next time…

Obadiah and Psalm 82 – 83 and Disney’s Brave

Obadiah and Psalm 82 – 83

We were introduced to the prophet Obadiah in I Kings 1. If you recall, it was Obadiah who told Elijah that he had hidden 100 of the Lord’s prophets in two caves. In yesterday’s reading, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites and some of the Menuites declared war on Jehoshaphat. They were also referred to as “a vast army from Edom.”

The book of Obadiah reveals a vision he had from the Lord concerning the land of Edom, basically telling Edom that the Lord is going to destroy them because of what they did to Israel, their “close relatives. “ In this same vision, Obadiah sees the people of Israel coming back to Jerusalem to reclaim their inheritance.

Psalm 82 and 83 are two Psalms of Asaph calling on God to judge the earth. They call on the Lord to intervene in the schemes of nations that want to wipe out Israel and destroy even the “very memory of its existence.” It specifically mentions the Edomites along with the Ishmaelites, Moabites, Hagrites, Gebalites, Ammonites, Amalekites and others,

Tomorrow, we’ll be reading II Kings 1 - 4.

Disney’s Brave

Today, Karen and I went to see the new Disney movie Brave. It was a typical Disney movie with strong leading characters and a bundle of laughs. It might be a bit scary for really little kids though I didn’t see or hear anyone crying or screaming in fear.

The Scottish accents are terrific, making the most mundane lines seem interesting.

Call To Fall

Please be sure to check out the website:

http://www.call2fall.com/

The FORTY days of Prayer begin today. This is so important. Mo9re than a political or pary solution, this nation needs a return to Almighty God.

Until next time…