QT 31 Aug 2020, Joel 2:11, We need to repent and believe

Joel 2:11 (ESV) —

11 The Lord utters his voice

before his army,

for his camp is exceedingly great;

he who executes his word is powerful.

For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;

who can endure it?

NOTE: While this army sounds like locusts or even very disciplined human soldiers, I think this is the demonic army that God unleashes during the tribulation. It could also be the Armies of the Nations that come up against Jerusalem, but in that case, God fights for Israel. If It is the demonic army, how can God direct it? Even demons are ultimately under God's authority. As in most issues of authority on the fallen earth, God does not use his inherent authority. Since the fall, he has allowed other authorities to rule, but that does not mean he does not have the right to rule at any time. At some point, all restraint will be gone on evil. The demonic army, currently in some type of prison will be released. Men and demons will run with their schemes. The world will be a very terrible place. And God will use evil to execute judgment. We need to repent if we have not repented yet. The only way to escape the wrath to come is the rapture. Jesus will rapture the true believers -- not the religious or the church-goers or even nice people. Jesus will only raptured those who have put their faith in him, who have repented of their sin, and have made him the Lord of their life. Many who attend church are grossly deceived by themselves and Satan. They do not truly believe.

PRAYER: Father, I pray for my church that I am a part of the body. I pray for the blind and deaf. I pray they stop playing church. I pray they stop playing middle-class American Christianity. I pray that you open our eyes and our ears and break down our wills. I pray we would confess our sins and seek you will all of our hearts.

QT 29 Aug 2020, Joel 2:1-2, We are living as fools

Joel 2:1–2 (ESV) —

1 Blow a trumpet in Zion;

sound an alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,

2 a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and thick darkness!

Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains

a great and powerful people;

their like has never been before,

nor will be again after them

through the years of all generations.

NOTE: The prophet is convinced the day is near and that it is a day that will never be seen again. The evidence would suggest to be during the end times or tribulation, but the idea of nearness is confusing. All prophets thought the day was near. And, only God himself knows the timing of the day of the Lord, not even the Son knew the day. Additionally, it would hardly be a worry if the Prophet was told and relayed that the day of the Lord is many generations away. The day of the Lord can come at any time. And who is to say it won't come this generation or even this year. But it is coming and it will be fierce and it will be in judgment for our sins. We are guilty of much. We have rejected God's laws for our laws. We have rejected the worship of God for the worship of our own hand-crafted idols and philosophies. We have rejected Jesus Christ as the savior of the world. We should be judged for just being plain stupid, but we have convinced ourselves of the logic of our stupidity.

PRAYER: God, have mercy on us. The more I read your word the more convinced I become of our sin and foolishness. You see it all (everything) and yet you withhold your hand from destroying us. Please, open our eyes. For believers, help us to live for you above all things.

QT 27 Aug 2020, Joel 1:14,16, Communing with God

Joel 1:14,16 (ESV) —

14 Consecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly.

Gather the elders

and all the inhabitants of the land

to the house of the Lord your God,

and cry out to the Lord. …

16 Is not the food cut off

before our eyes,

joy and gladness

from the house of our God?

NOTE: I'm not sure if the Prophet is saying that the actions are from the House of God or that joy and gladness are not found in the house of God. I would not say joy and gladness come from a building, unless the prophet is using the house of God metaphorically as a relationship with the most high. We do meet with people in houses (homes) and share a meal. Many of the required sacrifices also included a meal at the temple to share the sacrifice. The food was sacrificed but also eaten by those participating in the sacrifice (a lack of sacrifices would mean less sacrificial meals). A meal with friends is a good way to build relationships. A meal with God is probably also a good way to build a relationship with God. In Rev 3:20, Jesus says he stands at the door and knocks, and that if anyone would open the door, he would come in and eat with them and they with him. While the verse was written to a church, it is completely accurate description of a relationship with God developed through communion. Meals are one example of communion.

PRAYER: Father, I don't often think of a time of eating as also a time of communion with you. We pray and thank you for the meal. But maybe we should more often include a discussion of the things you are doing in our life during the meal, in order to make you more a part of our communions with others.

QT 26 Aug 2020, Joel 1:15, We need to repent soon …

Joel 1:15 (ESV) —

15 Alas for the day!

For the day of the Lord is near,

and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

NOTE: The day of the Lord seems to have two meanings. It is certainly used of the final days of judgment during the tribulation and then the establishing of the millennial kingdom. But it also has a more general sense of God doing something, usually judgment, with / for his people. In this case, the day of the Lord is near and would probably be interpreted, not as the end, but more as judgment, a fulfillment of curses mentioned in the latter half of Deut 28. I believe there is that type of 'Day of the Lord' going on right now. It is not specifically the end times, although it may be preceding it, but it certainly is judgment upon us and our nation for our failures to follow the laws of God. We can and should repent, but I think the withdrawal of God's hand of judgment is unlikely, unless like Nineveh, the whole nation was to break down and repent. I don't see that happening in the rhetoric, therefore, things are only going to get worse.

PRAYER: I pray, that as a nation, we would repent. I pray that within the church we would repent. We are almost as guilty as the rest, and maybe more. Our witness is lacking any transformative power. Our worldview is not biblical but worldly. We live for things and not for God. Forgive us Lord and have mercy on us.

QT 25 Aug 2020, Joel 1:12, Knowing God is not about knowledge but about change

Joel 1:11–12 (ESV) —

11 Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil;

wail, O vinedressers,

for the wheat and the barley,

because the harvest of the field has perished.

12 The vine dries up;

the fig tree languishes.

Pomegranate, palm, and apple,

all the trees of the field are dried up,

and gladness dries up

from the children of man.

NOTE: The locusts had destroyed the land. The resources for wine, bread, and dishes of fruit were gone. Food is one of the blessings of life that God created to be enjoyed. The flavor of delicacies cooked correctly with just the right mixtures of seasoning and herbs is like a master artist's painting or a hike into a beautiful park. They are memories enjoyed, remembered, and discussed for years later. But there would be no good memories for a while. Finding any food to survive would be difficult. Those things that provided gladness to the children of man were gone … for a time. Why? Because the nation forgot God. Because the worship of God was a formality (religion) and not the daily experience of hearts in touch with the savior. That is the case  in many churches today. We have many people with knowledge of the bible but with no real change inside. People have not really experienced the life changing power of the Holy Spirit coming into their heart and completely transforming their life. If they had, they would long to meet with the Savior in the word daily. The real blessing of life, a relationship with God, has dried up in their hearts, if it ever existed.

PRAYER: Father, use this time to cause us to reexamine our true relationship with you. Have we really put our faith in your son, Jesus Christ? Have we really asked Jesus into our hearts? Have we really experience the life changing transformation that comes when we believe and your Holy Spirit enters our heart? Oh, I pray we would before it is too late.

QT 24 Aug 2020, Joel 1:2, Wake up; something is happening

Joel 1:2 (ESV) —

2 Hear this, you elders;

give ear, all inhabitants of the land!

Has such a thing happened in your days,

or in the days of your fathers?

NOTE: Pandemics, plagues, war, and famine are interspersed through history. They are not common, unless you look at all 6000 years of recorded human history. They are not common because they are usually separated by quite a few years. Even during the middle ages, plagues were not a yearly occurrence. So, these events are out of the ordinary and are to remind us of something. In Israel's case, they were to remind them to return to God or as a precursor to an even greater judgment unless the nation repents. We have not seen a lot of catastrophes in the western world, outside of localized events, usually weather related. For most of us, life goes on. But when an event effects a whole area of the world or even the world itself, it is time to wake up. God is calling us to repentance. We have disobeyed his commands in marriage, sexual immorality, sexual identity, and selfishness. The church has also joined the sin by accepting false views of the world. We can't force people to change but we can stand our ground on what God calls sin. And the church does not live holy. We too are caught up in the sin of the world if only by living vicariously through the television screen.

PRAYER: Father forgive us for our ugly unholy sin. Open our eyes. Help us to see that for all of your word that we know, very few of us live any of it out in our lives. Forgive your church. Forgive me for my sin and sinful thoughts.

QT 21 Aug 2020, Hos 14:9, God's way is the only way toward true happiness

Hosea 14:9 (ESV) —

9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;

whoever is discerning, let him know them;

for the ways of the Lord are right,

and the upright walk in them,

but transgressors stumble in them.

NOTE: Real wisdom and discernment are found in God's word. There is a way, which seems right, but its end is destruction -- that way is the way of the world. My nation stumbles greatly right now. It sows destruction upon itself because it has rejected the ways of the Lord. It has convinced itself that God's ways are foolish and science has disproved God and his word. But, that is not true. Science has not disproved God or his ways or his word in the slightest. Nor has it proved it either because some of the things of God are beyond our understanding. But much is not, and those things are true and plainly visible. But Satan has deceived us by using corrupted men to carry forth lies. Men and women who even believe the very things that they know are lies (yes, that does sound confusing, but it is true).

PRAYER: Have mercy on us O Lord for our foolishness. Open our eyes to truth. Give us hearts that hunger after you.

QT 20 Aug 2020, Hos 14:3-4, The only answer is to repent and return

Hosea 14:2–4 (ESV) —

2 Take with you words

and return to the Lord;

say to him,

“Take away all iniquity;

accept what is good,

and we will pay with bulls

the vows of our lips.

3 Assyria shall not save us;

we will not ride on horses;

and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’

to the work of our hands.

In you the orphan finds mercy.”

4 I will heal their apostasy;

I will love them freely,

for my anger has turned from them.

NOTE: Politics will not save us. Alliances will not save us. Our own strength and hands (machinations) will not save us. Repentance can save us. We have turned away from God and loved the things of this world. We have forgotten God and we are being judged. This passage is about the Northern Kingdom, but it was also a warning to the Southern Kingdom as well. And, it is applicable to the church today. We will be judged for our sins. Our greatest sin (for believers) is forgetting God. Our greatest sin (for unbelievers) is the failure to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and God of our life. It's possible the upheaval of today will pass … this time. But ultimately, it will not end well. Satan is clever and deceitful and he has fooled the world that they are their own gods who can solve their own problems. It is not true. And we, as a nation, will fail if we do not recognize God and repent.

PRAYER: Father, forgive us for our arrogant stupidity. Forgive us for the apostasy that roams the land. People believe all kinds of garbage, and the message of the gospel is lost. Help me to live like Christ and to share my testimony with those around me.

QT 19 Aug 2020, Hos 13:9-11, Rely on God not others

Hosea 13:9–11 (ESV) —

9 He destroys you, O Israel,

for you are against me, against your helper.

10 Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities?

Where are all your rulers—

those of whom you said,

“Give me a king and princes”?

11 I gave you a king in my anger,

and I took him away in my wrath.

NOTE: The issue was not, wanting the king or even getting a king. The issue was relying on the king and not on God. Our trust and reliance must be upon God. To do that, God must be first, our first priority. How? We start our day with God and we end our day with God. We meet with God during the day and pray to God as situations come up. We meditate on the memorized word of God. The bottom line is that we make God the focus of the day. For too many in the church, God is the afterthought of the day and even the afterthought of the week. He is completely on the sideline when times are good and we only turn to him when our life starts to fall apart. This is not what it means to rely on God. It has to be daily and has to be now.

PRAYER: Father, I don't ever want to forget you. I want to make you the focus of my life in all situations. As an application, I am going to work at making a habit of reviewing my verses, and praying through scripture each day.

QT 18 Aug 2020, Hos 13:6, The key is not to forget God

Hosea 13:6 (ESV) —

6 but when they had grazed, they became full,

they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;

therefore they forgot me.

NOTE: This might as well be a broken record in scripture and throughout history. Prosperity can be a blessing but it usually ends up a curse. People, when they are well fed and satisfied (materially distracted), forget God. It is almost a rule of life. But I don't know if it has to be. I think there are ways to avoid the trap. The key is that we can't forget God. How? A person must meet with God every day in the word and prayer. The prayer can't just be requests but must be communication back and forth with God. We ask for guidance before reading the scriptures. After listening to your word, we share back what we see in the passage. We pray and ask for change. Throughout the day we remember to pray. Later in the day we read your word from the perspective of the big picture (whole chapters). During the day we memorize a verse and meditate on what it means. Once a month we get away and spend half a day praying, singing, reading, and listening to God through his word. Once a year or a quarter, we spend a whole day alone with God--it really is not hard, the time passes swiftly. Again, the key is to not forget God. I could also add the importance of applying the word, sharing the word, and giving resources as essential aspects of not forgetting God. But this will do …

PRAYER: Father, I do not want riches to crowd out my love for you. I do not want to forget you. I want to make you an essential joy of every aspect of my life. Help me to do better in these areas. They are all things I desire to do and can work at doing better.

QT 17 Aug 2020, Hos 12:8, We live too much for wealth, and not really for God

Hosea 12:8 (ESV) —

8 Ephraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich;

I have found wealth for myself;

in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”

NOTE: Riches are no excuse for behavior. Living for riches is the sin. Even if the person is so busy working for riches that he has no opportunity to sin. But he does sin. He does not find time for God or family or serving others because he is so busy making wealth. The rich man serves money, making decisions based on the accumulations of it, rather than on the use of it for the kingdom. Wealth is not sin, but living for wealth and worshipping wealth are indeed sin. We who are wealthy, which really is most of America, are guilty. We make little effort to serve God. We are absorbed in ourselves.

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for my focus on wealth. You have provided generously. You have given me much. I have not always used it as I should. I pray that I would be wise and generous with what you give.

QT 13 Aug 2020, Hos 11:8;11, Dealing with sin

Hosea 11:8–11 (ESV) —

8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, O Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

My heart recoils within me;

my compassion grows warm and tender.

…

11 they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,

and like doves from the land of Assyria,

and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.

NOTE: I believe this is in reference to the end times. The cities mentioned in verse 8 were cities completely destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah. Israel would be destroyed, but not in the same way. Even today, Israel returns to the land. It could be the final restoration, but I think the verse refers to the days after the tribulation. Near the end of the tribulation, Israel will flee the land and hide in the region of Edom. But after Israel calls upon the Lord, he will come and defeat the Antichrist, and the people will once again resettle the land, this last time in true belief and in true safety. Why did this happen? Because of apostasy, the same thing that is affecting many churches today. We have the truth of the bible and inserted our own ideas from the world's way of thinking. We have become inclusive, which is good, but we have also become inclusive of ideas that are not good (living together before marriage, sex outside marriage, same sex, sexual change, etc). We accept these things, but the bible says they are sin. Certainly, men can choose how they want to live and we can't force them to believe or behave a certain way, but the real danger is that the church accepts practices within the church that God has said are sin. In fact, these statements are almost certainly wrong to say in many churches today.

PRAYER: Father, give us courage to stand up for your truths. May we do it in a gentle and respectful way. I do pray we would be more inclusive and less judgmental. But for people who call themselves believers, we have a responsibility to rebuke sin in our midst. Give us the wisdom to deal kindly and appropriately.

QT 12 Aug 2020, Hos 11:1-5, Lets live as Jesus would during this time

Hosea 11:1–5 (ESV) —

1 When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son.

2 The more they were called,

the more they went away;

they kept sacrificing to the Baals

and burning offerings to idols.

3 Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;

I took them up by their arms,

but they did not know that I healed them.

4 I led them with cords of kindness,

with the bands of love,

and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,

and I bent down to them and fed them.

5 They shall not return to the land of Egypt,

but Assyria shall be their king,

because they have refused to return to me.

NOTE: The passage is very beautiful and painful. It describes the love of a mother or father for their child. When they were young, they were protected but they still made mistakes. We picked  them back up, bandaged the hurts, and took care of them. The protection (the cords and bands) around them prevented many worst choices. But at some point, we needed to let go. They have to face the results of their choices. Israel refused to return to God. Israel did not seek God. And now, Israel was to lose their land and serve another.

God allowed (or caused) this pandemic to happen to the entire world. Of course, it is not the first, there have been many over the course of human history. Modern medicine (science) has made us seem invincible to 'plagues,' and yet here we are. The pandemic is worldwide. Also, riots have broken out and people have turned against each other. You might think the pandemic would be a time to band together in love rather than to burn down buildings and hurt others, but alas, as a people, we don't seem to care for each other. We won't wear masks because we don't like them and we have rights. We won't stop destroying property because we feel it is our right (reparations for something that never happened to the particular individuals burning things). We are as Paul described in 2 Tim 3 living in the last days--caring more for ourselves than for others.

PRAYER: Father, I would hope that the church, of all people, might care for others. We don't need to insist on our rights. It makes very little difference in the eternal scheme of things. I don't think that you, Jesus, would have refused to wear a mask. You didn't even refuse to pay taxes to the conquering Roman empire. Lord, change our hearts in the church. Help us to see the need to love others.

QT 11 Aug 2020, Hos 10:12, We must return to God in heart

Hosea 10:12 (ESV) —

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;

reap steadfast love;

break up your fallow ground,

for it is the time to seek the Lord,

that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

NOTE: This is a call for repentance. Instead of sowing sin, it is time to sow righteousness. Instead of reaping injustice, it is time to reap love. We need to change our approach to God, judgment is coming. We need to seek God with whole hearts. God allowed this time to come upon us. He may or may not have cause it, but he did allow it, and why? Maybe because when life is easy, we forget how much we need him. We have become fat on riches, and we starve spiritually. As the bride of Christ, we are in pitiful condition. We attract very few to Christ, because we have nothing to attract them to Jesus. Our lives are no different from our neighbors. We show no love or service or care for anyone but ourselves. We have failed as witnesses.

PRAYER: Father, forgive us for falling in love with things. Draw us back to you. Teach us to pray. Teach us to love our neighbors. Show grace to us and through us to others.

QT 10 Aug 2020, Hos 10:1, Wealth has a tendency to drive people away from God

Hosea 10:1 (ESV) —

1 Israel is a luxuriant vine

that yields its fruit.

The more his fruit increased,

the more altars he built;

as his country improved,

he improved his pillars.

 

NOTE: The prophecy and picture is that of Israel, the Norther Kingdom. But it really is a principle, and it could be any nation that worships the one true God. When riches increases, two things happen. 1) People's hearts grow cold to the true God. They don't see that they need him. 2) People increase their number of idols and passionately give their time and worship to their idols. An idol is anything that demands our time, our energy, our passion, and our allegiance (commitment). This is happening in my country today. The more we grow in riches, the more we fall away from the one true God, and the more we live for the creation (and not the creator).

 

PRAYER: Father, forgive us for our sin. Open our eyes by the power of your Holy Spirit. Cleanse us from our sins. Let us Jesus. Let us be like Jesus. But, also, be merciful.

QT 6 Aug 2020, Hos 9:7, We are supposed to be ambassadors for Jesus, not a political movement

Hosea 9:7 (ESV) —

7 The days of punishment have come;

the days of recompense have come;

Israel shall know it.

The prophet is a fool;

the man of the spirit is mad,

because of your great iniquity

and great hatred.

 

NOTE: This is how the prophet is viewed by a nation that does not want to repent of its sin. All prophets are fools and mad men. They hate God and his commands so much, they can't see truth. They seethe when they hear His commands repeated. They want nothing to do with God. This is not Israel I describe but my country. Love is lost, evil runs wildly. Everything is hatred and the problem is defined to be some systemic bias. But the real problem is our sin nature. The real problem is a heart hardened by sin. And the real answer is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to change a person's heart. Oh church, why does the world not see it in us? Are we such poor witnesses? Do we engage in the same degree of hate? Is politics more important than our relationship to Jesus Christ? I think we watch the news more than we read our bibles, and that pretty much communicates our priority and our first love.

 

PRAYER: Father, wake your church to our role in the world. We are not a political machine, we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ -- God making his appeal through us to the world. Give us love and gentleness and a message of true hope to the world around us.

QT 5 Aug 2020, Hos 8:14, It is not instinct, it is sin

Hosea 8:14 (ESV) —

14 For Israel has forgotten his Maker

and built palaces,

and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;

so I will send a fire upon his cities,

and it shall devour her strongholds.

NOTE: Israel pursued idols. Israel pursued its selfish desires. Funny, I read an article only this morning which tried to make some stupid excuse that our survival instinct, caused by years of evolution, is the reason for our bad decisions, our inability to delay gratification. That is not true. It is our sin nature, not our desire for survival. Israel built palaces and then when in search of treaties to protect herself. Judah fortified her cities to exist without help. It doesn't really matter. Neither walked with God as they should, but instead lived for themselves and their own pleasure. Israel was destroyed in 722BC for her sins. Judah saw and did not heed. Judah was destroyed in 586BC. It wasn't the survival instinct that betrayed them, it was sin. It seems like the culture of today can't accept the fact that we are sinners! We have a serious life-ending disease called sin. And there is only one cure, faith in Jesus Christ who died in my place and promises resurrection and life for all who believe.

PRAYER: Father, open the eyes of our hearts Lord. Open the eyes the of our heart, We want to see you. It starts with the church. Open our eyes I pray.

QT 4 Aug 2020, Hos 8:4-6, A government that will really work

Hosea 8:4–6 (ESV) —

4 They made kings, but not through me.

They set up princes, but I knew it not.

With their silver and gold they made idols

for their own destruction.

5 I have spurned your calf, O Samaria.

My anger burns against them.

How long will they be incapable of innocence?

6 For it is from Israel;

a craftsman made it;

it is not God.

The calf of Samaria

shall be broken to pieces.

NOTE: There is so much to this story and it is evil all around. Rehoboam was stupid to answer the people as he did. The people rebelled against the authority placed over them. Jeroboam instituted two calves at the northern and southern ends of the land for the people to worship. Rehoboam, the people, and Jeroboam all sinned. The worst sin of all, was Jeroboam's sin. It was in complete defiance of God's law. It was an irrevocable decision by Israel. From that point on, no family ruled Israel (the Norther Kingdom, also called Samaria) longer than 4 generations and many only ruled for one, as individual after individual killed off the previous ruling generation. David would not lift his hand against the Lord's annointed despite Saul's evil. Israel would not stop lifting their hands against their authorities. The idols, the two calves, clinched Israel's destruction. It was a repeat of what happened when Moses went up the mountain to get God's law. Rebellion, without God's blessing and leading, is a terrible thing. We are all a rebellious people. We will ultimately destroy ourselves.

PRAYER: Father, I so look forward to the Millennial kingdom when you shall rule on earth. For once, there will be godly leadership in the land. For once, there will be true peace and a government that works. Open our eyes to our failure as a people. I pray you would draw people to yourself.

QT 3 Aug 2020, Hos 7:13, There is no coming back from outright rebellion

Hosea 7:13 (ESV) —

13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!

Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!

I would redeem them,

but they speak lies against me.

NOTE: I see three key points in this verse. First, a woe is pronounced for the discipline promised because of their sin. This is how God deals with persistent sin, he disciplines us for our good. But, discipline is almost always quite painful. Second, while he intended to discipline them, to bring them back to him, they have gone from disobedience to outright rebellion. In God's eyes, this is not something you can come back from--these actions have irrevocable consequences, much as is later explained in the book of Hebrews. These are physical consequences, most likely in accord with Deut 28. Third, God is still willing to redeem the people, here is where I am unsure of the physical or eternal aspect of the statement. Because of the previous rebellion and irrevocable consequences, this might be spiritual and eternal. But the problem is that the people's heart is not right--it lies as it entreats God for salvation. Consequently, there can be no spiritual redemption either; they lie, they really do not believe in God.

PRAYER: Father, I believe this is also true for my nation. I don't know that they can call out to you but in a lie, since they do not believe and refuse to believe. We are on a path of destruction because of our rebellion. It will not be discipline, but it will be destruction, much like Israel of the past.