JOSEPH A TYPE OF CHRIST...

I love the story of Joseph.  Such a beautiful picture of Christ.   Even if you do not know the Bible well you cannot miss some as you read through Genesis 37-50.  John MacArthur uses the following verses to show Joseph as a type of Christ.  There are many, many more.  A. W. Pink lists 101 and others more.

1.  Joseph was a shepherd of his father's sheep.

Genesis 37:2 This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.


 John 10:11, 27-29"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.

2.  His father loved him dearly. 

Genesis 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors.
 
Matthew 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 

3.  Hated by his brothers.

Genesis 37:4  But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
 
John 7:4-5 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
 

4.  Sent by father to brothers.

Genesis 37:13-14  And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." So he said to him, "Here I am."  Then he said to him, "Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me." So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.
 
Hebrews 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,


5.  Others plotted to harm them. 

Genesis 37:20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured him.' We shall see what will become of his dreams!"


John 11:53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.


6.  Robes taken from them.

Genesis 37:23  So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 

John 19:23-24 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be," that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: "THEY DIVIDED MY GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS." Therefore the soldiers did these things.


7.  Taken to Egypt. 

Genesis 37:26  So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?


Matthew 2:14-15 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON."


8.  Sold for the price of a slave.

Genesis 37:28  Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.


Matthew 26:15 and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.

9.  Tempted.

Genesis 39:7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."


Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

10.  Falsely accused. 

Genesis 39:16-18  So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, "The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside."
 


 Matthew 26:59-60 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,  but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward


11. Bound in chains. 

Matthew 27:2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.


Genesis 39:20  Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.

12. Placed with two other prisoners, one who was saved and the other lost. 

Luke 23:32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 

Genesis 40:2-3 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined.


13.  Exalted after suffering.  

Genesis 41:41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."

 Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 


14.  Both 30 years old at the beginning of public recognition. 

Genesis 41:46  Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.


Luke 3:23  Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

15.  Both wept.

Genesis 42:24 And he turned himself away from them and wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

Also see Genesis 45:2, 14,15; and 46:29

John 11:35  Jesus wept.

16.  Forgave those who wronged them. 

Genesis 45:1-15 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Make everyone go out from me!" So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph; does my father still live?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me." So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. "Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph: "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children's children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine." ' "And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here." Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.  Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
Luke 23:34  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.

 17.  Saved their nation 
Genesis 45:7  And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
 
Matthew 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."


18.  What men did to hurt them, God turned to good.  

Genesis 50:20  But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.


1 Corinthians 2:7-8  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

GOD'S GRACE CHANGES EVERYTHING!!

To My Daughters:

Spending lots of time in the "Joseph" section of Genesis.  There is so much application here...so much to meditate on.  This verse, however, in Chapter 44 really gave me pause this morning. (Judah is speaking to Joseph here)

Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.

Judah who had forsaken his brother Joseph and convinced his other brothers to sell him to a company of Ishmaelites as a slave was now willing to intercede for his youngest brother, Benjamin.  In fact, he was not only willing to intercede, he was willing to take his place and become a slave so Benjamin could return to His father.  Are you getting the beautiful picture that is being painted here?

Judah whose name means Praise...from whose descendants the Messiah would come....was not only willing to intercede for Benjamin...He was willing to take his place and become a slave.  What a beautiful picture of what Christ does for us.  He took our sin and the penalty for our sin upon Himself...died in our place so that we could return to our Father in heaven.

What's more...Judah is a picture of a changed life.  He started off foolishly...see chapters 37 and 38 of Genesis, but by God's grace marked a new beginning here.  I think the actual change occurred back in Genesis 43 where Judah told his father that he would be surety for Benjamin.


Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.  I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.  For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.” 

Truly it was a new and changed Judah that stood before Joseph.  This should be an encouragement to each of us today.  God, by His grace, can give you new life.  He can restore the years that locusts have eaten.  He can work all things that have occurred in your life together for good.  Your only job is to believe and trust Him to do the work  That is what faith can do...and that is the only work of God...to believe. Judah saw his sin...he saw his need and humbled himself before God, his father and his brother, Joseph. God's response is seen in the blessing that comes to the entire world through the descendants of Judah...the Messiah.  I love how Chuck Smith puts it:  "God's Grace Changes Everything."

Love
Mom

Love Does No Harm to a Neighbor...

Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”

But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?”  And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.--Luke 6:1-11

To My Precious Daughters: Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla


Jesus gets to the heart of the issue in this verse.

Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?”

What is the heart of the issue.  The heart is that it is NEVER okay to put laws, traditions and regulations ahead of human need.  The law of love is the key here. Romans 13:8 says this:

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 


If we are owing no one God has placed in our loves anything but love then we are fulfilling the law.  Romans 13 continues:


For the commandments, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," "YOU SHALL NOT MURDER," "YOU SHALL NOT STEAL," "YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS," "YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.


Did you get that last part?  Love does no harm to a neighbor...if you are loving the people in your life with the love that God has shed abroad in your heart then you will always be fulfilling the law.  Love is the perfect bond of perfection.  Love is an adhesive!  It is the bond of unity.  Love encompasses all of God's commands concerning human relationships.  If we truly love our neighbor...and our neighbor is the person whom God has placed in our line of sight at the moment...we will consider his needs as we consider our own. We will care for him as we care for ourselves and we will only do what is in his best interests. Do you see the enormity of what God requires...none of us can fulfill the law...we can't even come close to loving others this way unless the Spirit of God does the work.


Examine your own life through this lens...remember love in each and every situation and circumstance. Truly,  love never fails. 



Love
Mom

Stepping on God's Mercy...

But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.--1 Corinthians 10:5

To My Girls,

I have been studying this one verse for the past several days using The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge to cross reference each part.  My study has taken me to Numbers, Deuteronomy, the Psalms, Hebrews and finally to the book of Jude.

Here is what I read in Numbers 14 that stopped me cold.

According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.  I the LORD have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.' " 


Now these verses were not new to me.  I have read them many times before.  As I draw nearer and nearer to God, however, I understand more and more the preciousness of His presence in my life.  Truly...I cannot imagine living here on this earth for a nano second without Him anymore.  The thought of His rejection is intolerable and immediately makes anything else I might face in this life light affliction.  It reminds me of the last line from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness that I studied in high school.  "The horror, the horror!"


Murmuring and complaining, stepping on God's mercy, and ultimately unbelief...Psalm 78 tells the story of the children of Israel.  Here is a portion....it is easy reading.

They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them. Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.  He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap. In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers.  But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy. Yes, they spoke against God: They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?  Behold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?" Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel,  Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation. Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven, Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven. Men ate angels' food; He sent them food to the full. He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind.  He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings. So they ate and were well filled, For He gave them their own desire. They were not deprived of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths,The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel. In spite of this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works. Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear.  When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God. Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue; For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.  But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;  For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again.  How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!

The Israelites repeatedly and willfully broke the law of the Lord their God.  They forgot His wonderful works...they forgot His goodness and His kindness to them.  They turned away to idols.  They lusted after things of the world and were never satisfied.  They turned back when He brought judgment upon them but it was all form and no substance..their hearts were not in it.  God's response to them was always tempered with His mercy.  He knew their frame...that they were dust.  But in spite of all the proofs of His love their hearts were still cold to Him.  Now the Lord heard their murmurings, just like He hears ours and was greatly displeased. Many of their hearts were so hard that they were not broken by his judgments nor softened by His mercies.  It is important I think to note that God expressed His displeasure with them by giving them their own way.  Numbers 14: 1-2  says this:

So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!

and then 14:28-29

Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. 


This is the wrath of abandonment.  Proverbs chapter 1 verses 24 to 31 says this:  

Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,  Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD, They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.  Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
 
Uh oh...They're going to get exactly what they wanted with no restraint. God is stepping back and leaving them to the consequences of their own sinful choices.  They will be filled with their own way and their sin will be their ruin.  Genesis 6:3 tells us that God's Spirit will not strive with us forever. The price for the Israelites as well as for us was/is staggering.  

There are many times as I walk through the trials of this life that I feel that even with His presence it is all too much!  But I can endure because He does the enduring.  He performs all things for me and perfects all things that concern me.  His plan for me here out of His heart of love.  He works all together in my life for my good and His glory.   I cannot fathom journeying through life here on earth without Him. He is my rock, my hope and my joy unending.  It is in Him that I live and it is Him that I live unto.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Nothing can separate me from His love.  Not even me.

I do not lose heart because He is always with me!  My work is not in vain, and  my hope is sure,

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. --Isaiah 40:28-31

Love
Mom

Christophobia: When the Lord Breaks You Down

Christophobia: When the Lord Breaks You Down: And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the...

A SERMON OF JESUS

<sup>May these words from Luke Chapter 6 renew your mind today as you meditate on them. 


20</sup> Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:


      “ Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
       ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
      Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
       ²² Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
       ²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

Jesus Pronounces Woes

    ²⁴ “ But woe to you who are rich,
For you have received your consolation.
       ²⁵ Woe to you who are full,
For you shall hunger.
      Woe to you who laugh now,
For you shall mourn and weep.
       ²⁶ Woe to you^[e] when all^[f] men speak well of you,
For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Love Your Enemies

 
²⁷ “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. ²⁹ To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. ³¹ And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
³² “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. ³⁶ Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Do Not Judge

 
³⁷ “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
³⁹ And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? ⁴⁰ A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. ⁴¹ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? ⁴² Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

 
⁴³ “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build on the Rock

 
⁴⁶ “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? ⁴⁷ Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸ He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. ⁴⁹ But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.^[i] And the ruin of that house was great.”

Notes: Revelation Chapter 6.

The women's study I attend at my church is back from summer break and will be studying Chapter 6 in the Book of Revelation this week.  You can do a search on this blog for Chapters 1-5 by typing Revelation in the search column. 

NOTES:  CHAPTER 6

Rev 6:1  Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see."


In Chapter 5, Christ was the only One found worthy to open this scroll, which most bible commentators agree, is the title deed to the earth.  Here we find Christ, the Lamb opening the first seal.  This scroll contains 7 seals...all the judgments of God that will bring about the end of human history.  The seventh seal contain the seven trumpet judgments and the seventh trumpet contains the seven bowl judgments.   With the opening of the first seal the beginning of God's judgment on mankind begins.


The First Seal:  False Peace


Rev 6:2  And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 

The first four seals involve horsemen and riders...the four horses of the Apocalypse.  The first horse, the white one, brings a false peace.  Before the onslaught of real tribulation begins then, the world will be lulled into a deceptive peace.  The world desires security and safety....this desire will play right into the hands of the Antichrist.  The victory of this peace will not involve bloodshed.  He will not conquer by military force but by deceit. 

2Th 2:9  The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 2Th 2:10  and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2Th 2:11  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,



Daniel 9:27 says it will be a peace brought about by agreement or covenant.  The world will honor him and elevate him to a supreme leadership position because of what he has accomplished.

The Second Seal:  War

Rev 6:3  When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." Rev 6:4  Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. 

Red is the color of blood...war and judgment has come to the earth.  It is important to note here the words John uses..."and it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.  It is clear that it is God who is in control here...it is God who is bringing about these judgments.  The use of a great sword indicates the extent and magnitude of the war.  The antichrist will obviously figure largely here to preserve his power.  Daniel 8:23-24 says this:

"And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
 
God's people will be among those with whom he makes war. And this is only the beginning of sorrows. 

The Third Seal: Famine

Rev 6:5  When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.  Rev 6:6  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." 

Famine...worldwide war is destroying the food supplies The extent and magnitude of the famine is seen in the price of both wheat and barley and in the protection and preservation of other cooking supplies.  This is bad but still only the beginning...


The Fourth Seal: Death

Rev 6:7  When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." Rev 6:8  So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

1/4 of the earth's population through war, famine and pestilence or by the beasts of the earth will be destroyed!   

The Fifth Seal: The Prayers of the Saints...Divine Judgment is coming.

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
 
The prayers of the saints.   The persecution of believers begins very shortly after the tribulation starts and intensifies here at the midpoint of the tribulation after the antichrist sets himself up as God.  Scripture literally says he makes war with them.  Why are they slain...They are slain for the word of God and their testimony.  The martyrs spoke God's truth to the unbelieving world in hopes of saving some from eternal destruction despite what it meant for their own continued existence.  Their testimony to Jesus was loyalty demonstrated through their courage in speaking His word to others. 

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? This reminds me so much of the psalms and David crying out to His Lord and asking Him how long would evil continue without the hand of judgment.  If the heart truly wants what is right and not vengeance for their own purposes, there is nothing wrong with these kind of prayers.  The prayers of the saints here are in alignment with God's will and His purpose.  AND GOD RESPONDS...


He gives them a white robe to symbolize their eternal righteousness in Him and then tells them to rest until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was complete.  Aaah...enjoy your rest...your prayers have been heard and will be answered without delay.

The Sixth Seal:  Physical Destruction

I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.



The prayers of the saints are heard and God acts to bring divine judgment upon the world....shaking both the earth and the heavens and causing the sun to become black and the moon like blood!  This seal is so devastating and so terrifying that it can only be attributed to God.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.--Joel 2:31

Sadly, even as they acknowledge God's hand in the judgement, the reaction of the unbelieving world is not repentance but fear....overwhelming fear.  They would rather die than face the wrath of the Lamb.   All that was needed was an acknowledgement of their sin and need for God but their hearts had hardened.

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. --2nd Thessalonians 2:9-12
 
Next is the seventh seal...within the seventh seal are the seven trumpet judgments...the last trumpet judgment contains the 7  bowl judgments.  The worst is yet to come...John ends chapter 6 by rightly asking the question, "who is able to stand?"  NO ONE.  I cannot help but be reminded of Jonathan Edward's sermon...Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God or of Hebrews 10:31...It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

ADDENDUM

In reading different commentaries I discovered that Jesus end time message in Matthew 24 seems to fit well with the seven seal judgments described here. The following chart is from John MacArthur.

Matthew 24:4-5 - false peace - 1st seal
Matthew 24:6-7 - worldwide war - 2nd seal
Matthew 24:7 - Famine - 3rd seal
Matthew 24:7 - Earthquakes, death - 4th seal
Matthew 24:9 - Divine judgment - 5th seal
Matthew 24:29 - Cosmic darkness - physical destruction - 6th seal
Matthew 24:37 - Cataclysmic events (the seven trumpets) - 7th seal

Christophobia: By Means of Death

Christophobia: By Means of Death: And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first cove...

ABANDONED BY GOD?

Where is the certificate of your mother's divorce, whom I have put away?  Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you?  For your iniquities you have sold yourselves, and for your transgressions your mother has been put away.  Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness;--Isaiah 50:1-2


To My Sweet Daughters:

Wait a minute, says God.  I have not abandoned you nor have I put you away.  You have sold yourselves.  I have not deprived you of anything but your sin.  So often we accuse God of not being there for us or abandoning us.  We wallow in self pity,  and point the finger at everyone else except us. Truly, we have no one to blame but ourselves for our own miseries.  God calls on us to leave our sin and prevent our own ruin.  He calls to us, but we do not answer.  He desires fellowship with us, wants to deliver us and show us pathways of joy....but we ignore Him.  Why?  Do we think that He is unable or unwilling to save us???   No, beloved...God is willing...He has not abandoned you nor has He cast you off.  He died for you when you were His enemy.  He does not forget His people.  His desire is that all be saved and come to eternal life in Him.  It is you who have abandoned your God and His ways.  It is you who have loved your sin more than you have loved your God.  Answer Him when He calls.  In Him and in Him alone is fullness of joy.  Return.

"Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.--Isaiah 46:3-4

'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.--Isaiah 45:2-3


For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.--Isaiah 52:12


But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; --Isaiah 43:1-3

Love
Mom

Eyes to See...

So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" --Luke 5:1-8



To My Daughters,

Peter humored Jesus by launching out into the deep and letting down his nets...Put yourself in Peter's place for a moment.  He had just finished an entire night of fishing where he had caught nothing.  The text tells us that he had already cleaned his nets.  Peter was, I am sure, ready to go home and get some sleep!  Instead, he does what Jesus tells him.

This is the moment that Peter saw Jesus for who He really was...the Messiah of Israel...the Son of God!  Here is the verse that spoke to my heart ...When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

Peter  "saw" Jesus that day.  I remember when I first "saw" Jesus.  It was kind of like the day I was able to "see" those 3D puzzles...it was like I got new eyes.  Psalm 36:9 says For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. Peter was now seeing things through the right lenses and in seeing Jesus for who He really was Peter saw himself for who he really was.  A SINFUL MAN.  The light of Jesus brought conviction to Peter's soul.  If we really see Jesus, we will also see ourselves for who we really are and truly understand our need for a Savior and a Lord. 

Ask God for the eyes to see Him this way each and every day.  Peter had already seen many miracles.  For some reason, however, a fish filled net is what opened his eyes.  I think it is because it became personal...He saw that Jesus cared personally for him...his day to day existence...his day to day needs.  This is still what touches my heart and opens my eyes daily as I remember how Jesus pulled me up from the miry clay, set my feet upon a rock and gave me not only eternal life but opened my eyes to understand His word which has enabled me to walk with His wisdom and grow in His grace.  I was at the end of myself when I asked the Lord into my heart. I was tired of trying to run my life.  Nothing I did worked.  The rules and philosophy of the world kept changing...I had no solid ground....all I did well was to "sink".   I knew as Psalm 94:11 says that my own thoughts were futile.   His truth at that point became the treasure I sought daily whose light I have coveted to guide my life...I end this devotional as I ended yesterday's...

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

Scripture is God-breathed... it is our armory...it is our haven....we need nothing more.  In its light we see HIM!

Love
Mom 

The Answer

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,  being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written:


      ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,
      To keep you,’
  and,

      ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up,
      Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”
Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.


Dear Girls

Jesus answered each one of His temptations by quoting a passage from Deuteronomy.  He OBVIOUSLY knew the word and used it as a defensive weapon.  The man who makes the word of God His delight is blessed.  Many many churches today are weak when it comes to the teaching of the word and because of this the sheep of their fold are weak and do not reproduce.  They feed on sensation, feelings and methods and consequently, are blown about by every wind of doctrine.   What the people of God need is a methodical verse by verse teaching of His word.  This is what will enable them to grow in wisdom and grace. This is how they will become rooted and grounded in Him and begin to understand the depth, width and breadth of His love. This is how they will draw near unto God.  Knowing the word of God is foundational to a fruit-producing, stable walk with the Lord.

Going to church and hearing the word taught once or twice a week is great but much more is needed.  Your relationship with God is individual and personal.  He wants YOU to seek Him with your whole heart.  He wants YOU to meditate on and study His word.  The secret things of the Lord and the treasures of darkness in the hidden places will be found by those who seek Him diligently and daily.

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season,  Whose leaf also shall not wither;  And whatever he does shall prosper. 

The meditation and study of His word is what will bring stability to your walk with the Lord.  It is what will deepen your relationship with Him and thereby increase your dependence on Him.  Knowing His word will enable you to be strong and to stand..  You may wonder why you can't stand against temptation...or why you can't stand in trials...or why you have no peace...or why you are not hearing from the Lord.  The answer is because you have not made it a practice in your life to read, study and abide in His Word.  

The Word is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword...it is alive...it buries itself in our hearts and changes us from the inside out. James tells us to receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save our souls.  It is not only able to save our souls, it is able to make us stand against the trials of this life and the wiles of the enemy.  Colossians tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.  We study the word to become rich in our understanding and knowledge of God....to grow in His grace and be transformed into His likeness.  Out of the abundance of the heart your mouth will speak.  If the word of God is filling you, then your mouth will speak psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to those around you. Second Corinthians 3:18 says this:

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.


The Spirit of God uses the word of God to transform us in the same image as our Lord.  Romans 12 says this:


And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The word of God is the agent of that change....ask God to make His word your delight.  Allow Him to do that work in your heart so that you put the study and meditation of His word first in your life.  It is what will bring you into His presence. It is where you will find the resources and strength you need to endure to the end.  Our resources and strength are limited...His are without end.  Rely on Him.  Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the bible and is filled with meditations on the excellencies of the Word of God.  Read it...pray through it asking God to give you the kind of desire that David had.  2nd Timothy says it all...

But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.--2nd Timothy 3:14-17

Love
Mom

Cast Your Cares Upon God

Spurgeon...

The Lord sends hard times.  "You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness,  in the depths.  Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and You have afflicted me" (Psalm 88:6-7).

The Lord sends good times.  His is the sun that cheers and the frost that chills.  His is the deep calm and the fierce tornado.  To dwell on second causes is frequently frivolous.  The world says, "It might have been prevented if..."  Why conjecture about what would have been different if this or that had happened?  This is folly.

As long as I trace my pain to accident, my bereavement to mistake, my loss to another's wrong, or my discomfort to an enemy, I am earthy and shall break my teeth with gravel (Lam 3:6).  Yet when I rise to my God and see His hand at work, I grow calm and stop complaining.  "I did not open my mouth, because it was You who did it" (Psalm 39:9).

David preferred to fall into God's hands, and all believers know that they are safest and happiest in divine hands.  Raising objections with man is poor work.  Pleading with God brings help and comfort.  "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).  This is a precept that will be easy to practice when you see that the burden came originally from God.

Don't Take My Word for It...

Psalm 34:8  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!


You really cannot know the Lord or spiritual things unless you actually take that step of faith and experience it for yourself.  Grace is accessed by faith...You will not know the peace, love and joy that comes from a life submitted to God in an intimate relationship unless you yourself take that first step. 

I can tell you how wonderful it is...I can speak of His goodness and grace, but sadly you will only hear the words and not have any understanding of the depth that is behind them...the unfathomable depth of God.  You cannot appreciate it because you have know first hand, "hands on" experience.  You may even say aloud that you believe, but if your actions are not following your words than your heart is not there and Jesus wants your heart.  Give Him your heart today!  Taste and see that He is good today.  Don't just take my word for it...experience it for yourself.   Today is the day of salvation. 

I Believe God.

Spurgeon...

:I believe God."  This is a grand thing, to believe God when the winds are wild, to believe God when the waves howl like wild beasts seeking to devour you. 

"I believe God."  Faith that can stand a storm is faith's genuine breed.  The common run of faith is fair-weather faith, which loves to see its beautiful image mirrored in a calm sea.  But fair-weather faith is far away when the storm clouds are marshaling for battle.  The faith of God's elect is a faith that can see in the dark, a faith that is calm in the chaos, and a faith that is brightest when everything is dark as midnight.  Paul said, "I believe God," when he had nothing else to believe in. 

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved" (Ps 62:5-6) .

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling" (Psalm 46:1-3):

God liveth still!

Trust, my soul, and fear no ill: 

Heaven's huge vault may cleave asunder, 

Earth's round globe in ruins bursts;

Devil's fullest rage may hinder,

Death and hell may spend their worst;

Then will God keep safe and surely; 

Wherefore, then, my soul despair? 

Mid the shipwreck, God is there.

Numbering Our Days

The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. --Psalm 90:10-12

Our time here on earth is so limited.  We get older, our children get older.  None of us know what we will face tomorrow.  That thought in itself is frightening.  Yet, I watch so many live their lives as if death was not even a possibility...no less on the horizon.  They are careless and at times ruthless with not only their time but also with the precious gifts that God has blessed them with.  Evaluate NOW, how you spend your time before it is too late.  Take a hard look.  It may not be pretty.  It will say volumes about who and what you think is important.  Make the changes where they are needed today.  The way we spend each and every moment requires a decision.  Many of us don't even think about it anymore.  We just move through each of them doing the things we have always done. STOP for a "moment" and really "see" where your time is being spent.  Change the course of your life now...

The biblical response to this question is to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all else will be added to you.  Amen!  Doing anything else is vanity...it is like trying to grasp water with your hand.  For me, His daughter, it is to abide daily under the shelter of His wing...to spend much time in His precious Word.  I know how frail I am...I know that any moment could be my last.  It is painful to live with this knowledge.  It makes the moment beautiful but oh so poignant.  It makes my dependence on Him so much greater and more complete the more I understand this and yes, courageously contemplate it.    Do not be under any delusions about your mortality.  We all know that death is coming someday...but most of us really do not expect it to happen soon. This thinking enables us to put off the important things in life...thinking we have time.  In the light of eternity our time here is nothing!  Life is short from this perspective no matter how long you live.   Get right with God now.  Spend time in His word daily.  Abide in His love.  Live in the moment with your loved ones now.   Live in His mercy, His forgiveness and His love.  Live in the beauty of the moment that He has blessed you with.  You may not have another opportunity.  Leave a legacy of Jesus...leave a legacy of love. 



LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them.  "And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. --Psalm 39:4-7

Whoever Calls.

 by Spurgeon...

Acts 2:21

I speak to some whom I know are under a severe trial.  You seem to have given up, but I beg you to call on the name of the Lord.  You cannot perish praying; no one ever has.  If you perished praying, you would be a new wonder in the universe.  A praying soul in hell is an utter impossibility.

A person calling on God and being rejected, impossible!  The supposition is not to be entertained.  "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21).  God cannot lie.  He must quit His nature, forfeit His claim to mercy, and destroy His character of love if He refuses to hear a sinner who calls on His name.  there will come a day when He will say, "When I called, you did not answer" (Isaiah 65:12), but that is not today.  Where there is life, there is hope.  "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:15).  Call on God at once.

This warrant of grace runs through all the regions of life:  "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

NO WHERE TO RUN...NO WHERE TO HIDE.

 To My Daughters:


 "And every one of you came near to me and said, 'Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.'  "The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe. And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, 'It is a good land which the LORD our God is giving us.'"Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; Deuteronomy 1:22-26

Here are the Israelites doing something we all do...looking before we leap.  I think Moses misread their motives here thinking that they were going into the land to figure out the best way, practically speaking, to enter and conquer the land.  I do not read, however, that Moses prayed and asked for God's confirmation.  Judging from the "fruit" of the expedition the true motive of the children of Israel in going into the land and searching it out was to determine whether to go in at all...not where to enter as Moses might have thought.  God's word was not enough for them...they needed to check things out for themselves.

Instead of coming back exhuberant with all the Lord's blessings, most of the 12 spies came back with a litany of reasons as to why they should not go in and conquer as God had commanded.  Uh oh...they were walking by sight here...not faith.  Remember Moses words to them...

Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.'


SIGH! Their unbelief cost them much!  Many years that could have been spent in the promised land were spent wandering in the wilderness.

The children of Israel "forgot"  all that God had already done and all that He had promised and focused on the obstacles and difficulties rather than on God's faithfulness!  They looked at the situation they found themselves in, searched it out  and evaluated it based on human vision and perception rather than trusting God's word to them.  Trials truly show US where the foundation of our trust is.  Despite all God had done for them, the majority of those who left Egypt had not truly placed their trust in Him.  We can say we believe with our mouth, but our actions will tell the real story.  The real story here is that the children of Israel trusted what they saw rather than what their God said. 

And you complained in your tents, and said, 'Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, "The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there." --Deuteronomy 1:27-28


Murmuring and complaining is so contagious!  How different it might have been had the children of Israel chosen to speak words of faith to one another rather than words of discouragement.  Bring you lack of faith to Him.  Lay it all out before Him.  Wait on Him and He will strengthen your heart.  Do not share it with your husband, your wife, your child or your neighbor.  BRING IT TO HIM!  Now I am not saying to speak words of faith and encouragement to others that you do not feel..that would be a lie.   I am, however, saying that if you have nothing encouraging to say...don't say anything until you can speak words of faith from your heart that the Lord has placed there.  Focusing on the negatives rather than God's faithfulness to complete the good work He started (see 1 Thessalonians 5:24) increases fear and decreases the likelihood of moving ahead in faith.  Do not let discouragement take up residence in your heart or in your home.  Bring your fears to God and allow Him to shore up your faith!

"Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.' --Deuteronomy 1:29-31

It is so clear to me who had the true relationship with the Lord.  Trials truly reveal where we are placing our trust.  Moses, Caleb and Joshua's trust was in their God.  Their relationship with Him was daily, intimate and strong.  They did not doubt that God would make short work of the giants in the land.  They knew it was Him who carried them through their journey here on earth and it was Him that would see them victorious in what lay ahead. 

Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God, who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day. --Deuteronomy 1:32-33

This is where I will end...do you see my last point?  The children of Israel did not have to go into the land and search it out beforehand...their God had already done that.   He went before them always and prepared their path...He even searched out a place ahead of time for them to pitch their tents. He does the same for us today.  There is nowhere you can go in this life where He has not gone before and prepared for you. There is no where we can go from His Spirit or flee from His presence.  THAT IS SUCH A GOOD THING!   May His mercy and grace follow and fill your every step as you walk with Him by faith.  Read Psalm 139 through and be blessed!

¹ O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
 ² You know my sitting down and my rising up;
         You understand my thought afar off.
 ³ You comprehend my path and my lying down,
         And are acquainted with all my ways.
 ⁴ For there is not a word on my tongue,
         But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
 ⁵ You have hedged me behind and before,
         And laid Your hand upon me.
 ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
         It is high, I cannot attain it.
      
 ⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
         Or where can I flee from Your presence?
 ⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
         If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
 ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning,
         And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
 ¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me,
         And Your right hand shall hold me.
 ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall^[a] on me,”
         Even the night shall be light about me;
 ¹² Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
         But the night shines as the day;
         The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
      
 ¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
         You covered me in my mother’s womb.
 ¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;^[b]
         Marvelous are Your works,
         And that my soul knows very well.
 ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You,
         When I was made in secret,
         And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
 ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
         And in Your book they all were written,
         The days fashioned for me,
         When as yet there were none of them.
      
 ¹⁷ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
         How great is the sum of them!
 ¹⁸ If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
         When I awake, I am still with You.
      
 ¹⁹ Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
         Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
 ²⁰ For they speak against You wickedly;
         Your enemies take Your name in vain.^[c]
 21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
         And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
 ²² I hate them with perfect hatred;
         I count them my enemies.
      
 ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
         Try me, and know my anxieties;
 ²⁴ And see if there is any wicked way in me,
         And lead me in the way everlasting.

Love
Mom

FACING FEAR AND DISCOURAGEMENT

To My Daughters:

Some thoughts on  Deuteronomy Chapter 1:6-8;19-21

So we departed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, as the LORD our God had commanded us. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea. And I said to you, 'You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.' --Deuteronomy 1:19-21




This section of Scripture is a review of the period from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab. Most of this is covered in detail in the Book of Numbers. In verses 6-8 here in Chapter 1 of Deuteronomy, God commands them to go into the land promised and possess it.

The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: 'You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.'


God set the land before them...He told them to go in and possess it.  Moses reiterates this in verse 21 and tells them not to be fearful or discouraged...

Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.' 

It is fearful to step out in faith...to move out of your comfort zone.  The children of Israel had seen God's power in Egypt...they had seen the parting of the Red Sea and yet they were still fearful.  This is so very human.  God knows our weakness...He wants us to cry out to Him in it and trust Him.  Sadly, the children of Israel allowed their fear of the giants in the land to consume them.  The promise of the land was delayed 40 years until all but two of that generation (Joshua and Caleb) died in the wilderness.

My own personal experience with fear has been that it creeps in when I am not walking by faith...when I lack the courage to move ahead according to God's plan for me.  I have experienced much grief and upheaval in my life over the past two years...there have been times when I have been surprised by fear. Searching my heart carefully I realized that it stems from a lack of trust in God.  I look at the snapshot of my past...a past I can no longer return to and into a view of the future which is shrouded in fog.  It feels much safer to stay in that no man's land in between rather than forge ahead.  As believers, however, we remember that our faith is not in people or in circumstances...it is in God.  It is in Him that we live and move and have our being.  He is faithful...He will surround you like a shield and you will find His grace, goodness and mercy filling every step of faith that you take!

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; --Philippians 1:6
 
Love
Mom

The Triumph of the Truth....by Rebecca

“Save me, O God, by Your name,
         And vindicate me by Your strength.
Hear my prayer, O God;
         Give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers have risen up against me,
         And oppressors have sought after my life;
         They have not set God before them.  Selah 
Behold, God is my helper;
         The Lord is with those who uphold my life.
He will repay my enemies for their evil.
         Cut them off in Your truth.
I will freely sacrifice to You;
         I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
         And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.” – Psalm 54:1-7
By God’s design, the notation above this particular psalm reveals to us exactly what prompted David to – once again – pour out his heart before the Lord.  The notation reads, “To the Chief Musician.  With stringed instruments.  A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, ‘Is David not hiding with us?’”

David knew all about betrayal.  His life almost seems to be riddled with it, from Saul, to Michal, to Absalom, to Ahithophel, to Joab, and others.  First Samuel 23:14-28 explains where the Ziphites come into the picture, saying, “And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph.  Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.  So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life.  And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.  Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.  And he said to him, ‘Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you.  You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you.  Even my father Saul knows that.’  So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD.  And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.  Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, ‘Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?  Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.’  And Saul said, ‘Blessed are you of the LORD, for you have compassion on me.  Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there.  For I am told he is very crafty.  See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you.  And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah.’  So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul.  But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.  When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David.  Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon.  And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.  Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain.  So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them.  But a messenger came to Saul, saying, ‘Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!’  Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape.”

David was not only forced to flee from the king he loved and had once gladly served; he also had to deal with many of his countrymen (whom he had faithfully defended as a captain of Israel) who were only too glad to sell him out to his enemies.  Those years he spent as a fugitive were years of intense trial and trouble.  Man betrayed him, his own efforts failed him, and his circumstances were against him.  But if there was one thing the Lord used those years, and indeed, David’s entire life, to teach him, it was this: “Trust Me.”  Not man.  Not self.  Not what we would call luck.  Trust God – Yahweh – and Yahweh alone.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart,” David’s son Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:5-6, “and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

When the Ziphites went to Saul, it was the Lord to whom David turned for help.  “Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength.  Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.  For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them.”  (Vs. 1-3)

David lays it all out before the Lord, unreservedly and unconditionally.  He makes no attempt to bargain for God’s aid or wheedle help from Him against His will, knowing full well that such efforts would not only be laughably futile.  David casts himself at the Lord’s feet, committing himself to His mercy and trusting His gracious and loving nature.  But it goes beyond that.  God is not only merciful and gracious; He is also faithful.  As Jonathan affirmed to his beloved friend in the forest of Ziph, this faithful God had already promised David the kingdom.  God’s word is immutable and inviolable.  David, praying this psalm in the anguish and fear of his heart, prayed it in the knowledge that God is to be trusted.  God was going to keep His promise to David and bring it to fulfillment.  He keeps all His promises, and brings them all to fulfillment.  Man lies and man fails and man betrays; God cannot lie, cannot fail, and will never betray.  It was in Him that David placed his trust.

“Behold, God is my helper,” he writes in verses 4-5.  “The Lord is with those who uphold my life.  He will repay my enemies for their evil.  Cut them off in Your truth.”

Pilate asked, “What is truth?”  He failed to comprehend that Truth stood before him, right before him, in the person of Jesus Christ.  David pleads that his enemies be cut off in the truth.  How so?

Truth is what is.  God is truth.  He defines truth; He embodies truth; He equals truth.  His word is truth.  His word is law.  By His word the worlds were framed, and not one jot or tittle will pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.  Truth, by definition, cannot be messed with.  We understand this easily enough when it comes to the natural laws of our universe.  However much a lunatic may decry the law of gravity, if he attempts to defy it by jumping off a building, he will be cut off in the truth: that gravity exists.  Likewise, if another lunatic declares that water is not wet, and he jumps in a pool to prove it, he also will be cut off in the truth: that water is wet (and so is he).  We use these natural laws to develop technology and profit ourselves thereby.  Whether we realize it or not, our second-by-second lives are not only rife with constants, absolutes, and rules – Truth – but those constants, absolutes, and rules are also essential to our very existence.  David’s enemies?  They were not defying God’s natural laws, but they were defying His equally inviolable spiritual laws.  Sooner or later, those rebels would be cut off in the truth.  Gravity pulls, water wets, and God IS.  To disobey Him is to dig your own grave.

Fact: God promised David the kingdom of Israel.  Fact: Saul and the Ziphites defied God’s promise.  Fact: God’s promise cannot be broken.  Result: David was saved from the hand of Saul and the Ziphites, and later became king of Israel.

God is to be trusted.  His promises are to be trusted, treasured, and acted upon.  Over and over again, to David, to Israel, to the world, He has proved His faithfulness.  By trusting his God, David found comfort, strength, and peace in the day of evil.  So can we.

Truth: Jesus died on the cross to win my salvation.
Corollary: I am freed from the bondage of sin and death, and I will live forever in Heaven.

Truth: Jesus died for me because He loves me with a love that is infinitely great.
Corollary: I have value and I am cherished and I am cared for.

Truth: Jesus is the Almighty Creator God.
Corollary: I have been redeemed and loved by Sovereign of All Things, and He thus has my best interests at heart; therefore, I lack nothing, I need fear nothing, and I need be anxious for nothing.

Truth: Jesus has me in this world for a purpose.
Corollary: Since Jesus loves me, that purpose is good and beneficial; since He is righteous, omnipotent, and omniscient, that purpose and plan for me is also perfect in every way.  Any suffering I face in this life is thus from His love and intended for good.

Truth: Jesus promises to never leave me nor forsake me.
Corollary: I am never alone and I will never be given up on.  My best Friend, my Brother, my Father, my Husband, my Savior, my Refuge, my fellow Laborer, my Strength, my Rock, my Anchor, my Advocate, my Protector, my Comforter, my Peacemaker, my Shield, my Reward, my King, and my Becoming One is with me always.

Truth: Jesus is coming back for me.
Corollary: I rest and rejoice in the assurance of His faithfulness and in the coming fulfillment of His promises, and I am spurred on to further depths and heights in my relationship with Him and my service to Him.

They saw knowledge is power.  They’re close.  Actually, because God is truth, truth is triumph.  “More than conquerors,” Paul calls believers in Romans 8.  But do we live that way?  Do we live in power of the truth that has been revealed to us by the love of God?  Do we, as His children in the faith, actually live our lives trusting Him?  Do we let the truth of His promises revolutionize our hearts?  Imagine!  Imagine how radically different our feelings, behavior, and choices would be if they were driven by faith alone!

“I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.  For He has delivered me out of all trouble; and my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.”  (Vs. 6-7)

David was not perfect in faith.  He feared, he doubted, and on many occasions, he fell.  He was a sinner just as we all are.  None of us will be made perfect in this life; I expect that David sinned up until the moment he took his last breath.  But because the faith he did have was genuine, he caught glimpses of the glorious triumph that awaits those who have been justified by faith.  How God’s children long for those glimpses!  How we love them!  How we desire them to expand and deepen and stabilize!  And if even the glimpses are precious…how much more their fulfillment!

The triumph of the truth is coming.  There will come a day when in our flesh, we will see God – and sin will be no more.  The doubts and the lies and the fears that plague our spirits will be gone forever.  What glory will be revealed in us then!  What everlasting joy will be ours!  How freely our love for the Lord will flow, and how eternally our love will increase!  “And behold, I am coming quickly,” Jesus testifies in Revelation 22:12, “and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”

So let the truth begin to triumph today.  The culmination of its triumph is set for another day in another world, but it starts in this life, and on this earth.  Every day is a day we have been given to stretch our capacity for the Lord and experience more of His goodness.  Every day is a day we have been given to shine His light in this world that needs Him so desperately.  Every day is a day we have been given to serve Him and store up eternal reward in heaven.  Every day is a day we have been given to use to please Him, glorify Him, and bless His heart.  Every day is a day we have been given to “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 3:14) knowing that He is our all in all.  Every day is a day that we have been given to let truth conquer another piece of our hearts for Him.

May we allow it to be so!

DETOURED...

These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.  Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him as commandments to them,  after he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei.--Deuteronomy 1:1-4

To My Daughters...

Did you catch the part that I am going to emphasize?  As the Book of Deuteronomy begins, we find the Israelites on the Plains of Moab.  The journey from Horeb which is Sinai by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea at the entrance to the promised land should have taken 11 days.  Here they were, however,  40 years later and only now poised to enter the land!  That was quite a detour!  



An eleven day journey was stretched into 40 years because of disobedience and unbelief!  Wow....

An entire generation lost because of  fear and a lack of faith.  The bible tells us that only two of the original group of those who were 20 years of age and older that left Egypt with Moses entered the Promised land...Joshua and Caleb.  These were men who walked by faith and not by sight. 

This was both a warning and an encouragement to me as I read it last night.  I want to possess ALL the Lord has for me both here and in eternity.  I want to walk as Caleb and Joshua did by faith and not by sight.  I do not want to waste a second of my time here living in fear, living for me or wandering around in disobedience in the wilderness of sin.  I want to follow close behind my Lord, fully committing myself into His hands and allowing Him to lead me, guide me and be my rock of refuge. 

1 Corinthians 10 speaks to these Old Testament examples and reminds us in verse 11 that all these things were written for our learning. 

Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 

May we learn from the children of Israel's examples...may we heed the warnings!  The Israelites were given many marvelous privileges but with most of them God was not pleased for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.  All of Israel may have professed God with their mouths, but sadly that was all it was.  There hearts were far from Him.  They accepted the physical deliverance from bondage but still wanted their own way.  Only two of all the people 20 years old and older who left Egypt entered the promised land.  Only two won the prize.  The carcasses of the others were scattered in the wilderness...a pretty clear proof of God's displeasure.  


The following verses from 1 Corinthians 10 gave me much to contemplate...


 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,  all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,  all ate the same spiritual food,  and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.  But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;  nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.  Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.--1 Corinthians 10:1-11

Love
Mom

HIS COMPASSION FAILS NOT!!

By E.M. Bounds

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy.

What a comfort and what hope there is to fill our hearts when we think of One in heaven who ever lives to intercede for us, because "His compassion fails not!"

Jesus Christ was altogether man.  While He was the divine Son of God yet at the same time, He was the human Son of God. Christ had a preeminently human side, and, here, compassion reigned.  He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin.  At one time how the flesh seems to have weakened under the fearful strain upon Him, and how He must have inwardly shrunk under the pain and pull!  Looking up to heaven, He prays, "Father, save Me from this hour."  Only He can solve the mystery who has followed his Lord in straits and gloom and pain, and realized that the "spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."

All this but fitted our Lord to be a compassionate Savior.  It is no sin to feel the pain and realize the darkness on the path into which God leads.  It is only human to cry out against the pain, the terror, and desolation of that hour.  It is divine to cry out to God in that hour, even while shrinking and sinking down.  "For this cause came I unto this hour."  Shall I fail through weakness of the flesh? No.  "Father, glorify thy name."  How strong it makes us, and how true, to have one pole star to guide us to the glory of God!

From E. M. Bounds -  The Essentials of Prayer, Chapter 10.