Introduction into the Faith Driven Life

Introduction to The Faith Driven Life

While many elements of the Purpose-Driven Life comes from the Bible, the composition of these elements in the Purpose Driven paradigm was not divinely inspired but was composed according to Rick Warren imagination. There is a Biblical paradigm for how to live. In this paradigm not only are the individual elements of God but the composition of these elements are divinely arranged.This paradigm I call The Faith Driven Life.

Another way of saying that the Faith Driven Life is of God as a system is that God intervened in history in such a way that His people became Faith Driven thinkers. The Faith Driven Life is seen in the Bible from cover to cover. The Faith Driven paradigm was in fact the model of thinking of the saints of old, and remains the model of thinking of saints today. We are instructed to live the Faith Driven Life

Hab 2:2-4 KJV And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (3) For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. (4) Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Rom 1:16-17 KJV For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Gal 3:10-12 KJV For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (12) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

Heb 10:35-39 KJV Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. (36) For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (37) For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (38) Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. (39) But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

We are to live by faith.Living by faith means living on the basis of faith or living according to faith. faith is to be the foundation,the core- that which drives or motivates everything we do. We are to live faith driven lives.

In Heb 11 we can read about the Hall of Faith.It becomes clear from reading this chapter that the saints of old lived faith driven lives. In verse 1 we see two components of the Faith Driven Life

Heb 11:1-2 KJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (2) For by it the elders obtained a good report.

There are two things that faith is:First, It is sound doctrine and facts that evidence what God will is and what He plans to do. Faith is also God’s vision that gives substance to hope.

The Faith Driven Life-Doctrine is essential.
Faith is first of all based on the evidence of things unseen. There are facts and principles that God has revealed so that we can know what He is doing and what kinds of things are consistent with His will. We know, for example that God will not bless the extramarital sexual misadventures being undertaken by so many today. We know this because it is written in Scripture “Do not commit adultery”. Sound doctrine gives us information about how God reasons, what His priorities and moral commands are, and His vision for both the future of the world and His people.

The Scriptures are the standard- the reference guide for doctrine and life. It is the Scriptures that are used to train us to live the Faith Driven Life.

2Ti 3:14-17 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (15) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The Scriptures give us correction and instruction in righteousness. the Scriptures teach us how to live the Faith Driven Life. This passage tell us that the proper use of the Scriptures-the Bible can thoroughly furnish or equip the child of God for every good work. Without sound doctrine we cannot understand the meaning of the story or discern God’s purposes for our lives

The Faith Driven Life-Vision becomes supersized.
While faith is based on evidence from God’s word of things unseen it also provides substantiation for things hoped for. Hope is related to vision. When we believe God gives us a vision. when God enters into us We nor only receive instruction on the boundaries and the fundamental doctrine but we are stirred up to receive a vision and hope for our lives. God will give an impossible dream. His Words provide substance to that vision.

Rom 10:8-17 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (14) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Rom 5:1-10 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope: (5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (6) For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

When God’s Word penetrates our hearts. We believe that God seeks to be glorified through us. God will use trails and tribulations to produce hope. We have a great Hope rooted in the fact that God loves and therefore will seek our best welfare. If God loves us enough to send Christ die for us while we were enemies of God how much will He seek to love us now that we are reconciled to Him. It is this assurance that enables us to persist in tribulations.

Continued in Living the Faith Driven Life.

Introduction into the Faith Driven Life

Worship/Through It All by Nikita

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Euphrates River Drying Up

According to the New York Times, The Euphrates started drying up two years ago. Here is a quote from that article:

The Euphrates is drying up. Strangled by the water policies of Iraq’s neighbors, Turkey and Syria; a two-year drought; and years of misuse by Iraq and its farmers, the river is significantly smaller than it was just a few years ago. Some officials worry that it could soon be half of what it is now.


The shrinking of the Euphrates, a river so crucial to the birth of civilization that the Book of Revelation prophesied its drying up as a sign of the end times, has decimated farms along its banks, has left fishermen impoverished and has depleted riverside towns as farmers flee to the cities looking for work...

...The drought is widespread in Iraq. The area sown with wheat and barley in the rain-fed north is down roughly 95 percent from the usual, and the date palm and citrus orchards of the east are parched. For two years rainfall has been far below normal, leaving the reservoirs dry, and American officials predict that wheat and barley output will be a little over half of what it was two years ago.

The Euphrates is half of what it was in 2009, when it started escalating. On the basis of the information in this article, it appears that the Euphrates is drying up at an exponential rate. The Euphrates is shrinking to half its size once every two years. If this trend continues, then between the years 2023 and  2025 the Euphrates will become passable by land transportation. The table below illustrates the progressive shrinking of the Euphrates. all numbers are in feet:

Year	Depth	Width
2009	750	1200
2011	375	600
2013	188	300
2015	94	150
2017	47	75
2019	23	38
2021	12	19
2023	6	9
2025	3	5

If the drying up of the Euphrates is for the purpose and the current drying is the beginning of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, then by 2025 armies will be able to cross the Euphrates using foot soldiers and land vehicles.  The Battle of Amrgeddon may come sooner than we think?

Digital Logical Abstraction - Smoking Gun for Intelligent Design

How did the universe reach its current level or order and complexity? Was it an accident or by design? William Paley put forward an argument for the existence of God by appealing to evidences of design. Paley used numerous analogies for design. His favorites were the structure and function of bird wings and the complexities of the eye.

Paley’s analogical argument for design was persuasive with many before the advent of Darwin’s theory of evolution. Looking at the design of the human eye, for example, one finds it difficult to think such intricate detail could be accomplished by accident. The evolution of complex systems, such as the eye, is   highly improbable. Darwin introduced the idea of slow, gradual change over millions and even billions of years. The introduction of such time frames makes even the most improbable outcomes plausible.

The study of analogical complexity has been around for a long time. Analogical complexity exists because a designer or designers create analogous structures and analogous architecture by arranging things in a physical order than is compatible with the logical order that was set in the mind. Analogical design is always based on the physical properties of the elements of the design. For example, the design of a stopwatch is based on the physical relationship between the tension of the spring, the size of the gears, and the speed the gears move. Watchmakers used that relationship to calculate the time. Examples of analog computers include abacuses, telescopes, hourglasses, etc.

Atheists dismiss the improbably of analogous design occurring by chance or random processes. Analogous design renders the development of complex structure and even architectures of structures highly improbable, but not absolutely impossible. However, we are discovering evidence of digital design. Whereas analog design is marked by direct physical relationship between the conceptual design and physical components, digital design is marked by segregation of logical and physical components.

In computer technology, the physical components that are relevant to data storage and transmission are electrical impulses. Electrical impulses are on or off. The one logical component that has a relationship with the physical is the binary code. One corresponds to on and zero corresponds to off.  There exists, however, no analogous relationship between characters and binary code. A convention called ASCII assigns each character a unique ASCII code, which is a number 1 and 255 that translates to an eight digit binary code between 00000000 and 11111111. The ASCII code is an arbitrary convention. Any number could be assigned to any character.  ASCII code is a building block in multiple layers of a logical structure that has no physical analogy. The logical structure has connection to the physical world if and only if the logical structure is created by a mind with logical categories that correspond with the physical world.

In the human mind, we discover no analogy between symbols used in language and the real world objects they signify. No physical relationship between the letters G-O-D and reality of God. We could have referred to God as D-O-G or O-D-G or E-L-O-H-I-Y-M or A-L-L-A-H. People form symbols in language based on whatever convention they choose. Language is an effective tool in thinking and communicating with the real world if and only if the language is created by a mind with logical categories that correspond with categories in the real world.

Digital logical abstraction   as a way of processing and interacting with the real analog world is possible because there is a mind with categories that corresponds with categories in the real world. How is it possible that the categories of a human mind correspond to the categories of the external world? The human mind did not create the external world. 

The initial answer is that the mind has the categories it has because the brain has the cognitive structure/information architecture necessary to support language. Atheist linguistic expert Noam Chomsky refers to this as a universal grammar. But this merely pushes the question back. Where did the brain get its cognitive structure? It got it from instructions in DNA. DNA preceded not only human minds but of any living physical creature, so man did not create DNA. Any evidence of design in DNA is evidence of a Supernatural designer.

One of the most revolutionary discoveries in recent scientific discovery is that DNA is a digital program. It is composed of quaternary, rather than binary, digital code. The chemistry of DNA is radically different from conventional chemistry. The outcomes of chemical reaction involving DNA are based not on the chemical properties, but the physical sequence or arrangement of the pairs. The chemistry of DNA behaves like that of text or digital code. It is the arrangement of characters/bits/base pairs defines the logic and function of digital code rather than physical or chemical properties of the components.

If DNA is a digital code, then digital logical abstraction occurs in the natural universe. If digital logical abstraction occurs in nature, and it can occur if and only if there is a Mind to encode/decode for the abstraction, then the creation/evolution of DNA is the architecture of a mind or minds.

Summary
Digital logical abstraction is proof of the existence of mind because it is impossible to evolve properties of physical elements. This is no unbroken analogy between perceptions/concepts and chemical impulses in the brain. There is no broken analogy between electrical impulses and advanced software platforms. There is no unbroken analogy between WHY a particular DNA sequence yields a particular function. In each of these cases, there is a mind to mediate these relationships. A logical and digital abstraction is performed by the mind.

In computers, the abstraction that is performed by the Operating System using a Hardware Abstraction Layer succeeds because there existed minds beyond that of that which was embedded in the operating system that created the architecture that allowed the abstraction to occur. Likewise, the human mind can perform abstraction only because there is an Architect that created an architecture that gave the human mind both a cognitive structure compatible with the real world and the capability to engage in logical digital abstraction.

Basic Bible Study on Spiritual Warfare

I have posted a basic Bible study on spiritual warfare. It can be found here.

Green Lantern Review- A Lesson in Courage.

When I was growing up, my favorite cartoon was the Superfriends. In spite of the corny dialogue and unrealistic scenarios that abounded in the show, it taught me the value of pursuing justice and righteousness- of always striving to do the right thing. In recent years this element has been missing in many of the Superhero tales. In Batman, for example, it was difficult to figure out at time if Batman was a hero or villain. In Ironman, Tony stark is essentially a playboy devoid of moral guidance who stumbles into the role of Ironman. The Hulk is an angry man who coincidentally does good deeds.

Last Night I watched Green Lantern. I would rate it among the top three superhero movies ever made. Green Lantern has a moral lesson much needed today. It is the story of Hal Jordan, the man without fear. It is a story of how he found his courage. Hal Jordan became Green Lantern because the ring choose him, seeing in him courage that Jordan didn't know he had. The story of Hal Jordan was of how he faced his fears and overcame them to become a courageous man and the Greatest of the Green Lanterns. He first overcame his fear and then defeated Parallax, which was fear personified.

The lesson of courage is one that is much needed today.

Courage is an essential virtue in living and promoting the gospel. It took courage for the early Christians to face the wrath of Rome, the wrath of persecution of priests and kings throughout history, and the wrath of Communist and Islamist persecutors today. Without this courage, the gospel, with its positive fruits, would not have flourished. This is why the Bible condemns fear so much.

Courage is an essential virtue in gaining and keeping our freedom. It took courage for soldiers to sacrifice their lives to fight the enemies of freedom. It takes courage for citizens to stand up to their own government when it is out of control. When those in power seek to exploit to destroy the freedom of the people, the power they wield to bring harm to those who oppose them can be a frightening thing. It takes courage to risk loss of reputation, confiscation of wealth, imprisonment, and even death. In order to beat the forces of oppression it takes strong convictions. The conviction must be backed by strong faith and enough love for the ideal to risk personal sacrifice to advance it.

The message of courage is desperately needed in the culture of fear that currently dominates. We have a culture of fear because there are many powerful people who have vested motives in keeping people afraid. They use fear to paralyze the populace and persuade the people into surrendering their freedom to them. The greatest enemy of their schemes is a courageous people who will stand up to them at the risk of “their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor” I suspect that if any of these fear mongers were watching Green Lantern, they were rooting for Parallax. Let us be people of courage to stand up against evil.

The Apostasy and Restoration of Israel- A Commentary on Hosea 3-4

Hosea chapters 3-4 begins a prophesy the coming judgment and restoration on Israel and Judah. Ch 3 gives us the summary while 4 gives us some details. We see in these chapters that the ancient Israelites used relativism and spin as means to evade the truth so that they could pursue their selfish desires.

In chapter 3, God commands Hosea to buy back Gomer. She had committed harlotry, left Hosea, and ended up as a slave on the market. The history of Gomer parallels that of Israel. As Gomer left Hosea for a season, ended up in slavery and then was redeemed, so Israel would become dispossessed from the land, the temple, and her King for a season, and then become redeemed. Israel has twice been scattered from the land. The first was under the Babylonians and lasted only 70 years, the second was the Roman occupation. The temple was destroyed in 70 and in 135 most of the Jews were evicted from their land. There was no more Jewish state until 1948. Both times, God restored the Jews to the land He promised them.

Chapter 4 begins by laying out the issues that are the grounds for His judgments. These are developed into three layers: relativism, spin, and party-party. These are intertwined in a systematic rejection of the truth. (Isaiah 59;John 3:18-21; Romans 1:18-32)

We see in verses 1-3, the harbinger of moral relativism. The text reads “There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery they break all restraint ” They throw off moral norms by simply taking what they wanted, whether it by money or sex, and then using deception and murder to cover it up. The Ancient Israelites rejected the moral absolutes of God's Word to accommodate their selfish nature.

In verses 4-6, we see the spin cycle in full motion. God admonished no one to rebuke one another “For your people are like those who contend with the priest. ” Because ancient Israel rejected the “knowledge” of absolutes of God's Word (v6), they stumbled “Day” and “night” (vs5), and perished. God was going to reject them. This people's heart were set upon iniquity(vs8) to the degree that they actually fed off of it. The spin, the lies, and the harlotries was practiced by both the leaders and the people.

From verse 11 to the end of the chapter a dark picture is painted of people devoted to debauchery, from spiritual adultery to physical adultery to ritual sex. In verses 16, the Lord gives them over to a reprobate mind. “ He lets them “forage like a lamb in open country ”. He admonishes people to leave Ephraim alone, because he is “joined to idols.”

Stages of Persecution

As I am thinking this memorial day about the sacrifices that are made to protect our freedom, I was pondering how a free people can become enslaved. I am particularly following the growing attacks on the religious freedom of Christians. I have observed a seven step pattern of emerging persecution. Each of these phases are cumulative. Each phase continues to be manifest even as a culture moves into the next phase. (I.E they are still ridiculing even as they plot genocide.)

This article uses the plight of Evangelical Christians to illustrate how persecution develops, but it is applicable to the persecution of any group.The seven stages of persecution are:

1. Demonization Through Ridicule
2. Picking the Fight
3. Propagating Conspiracy Theories
4. Official Thuggery
5. Systematic Persecution
6. Extreme Systematic Persecution
7. Genocide

Demonization through Ridicule.

A conspiracy to disenfranchise a people-group first strives to create a negative perception of that group by ridiculing that group. Members of that group are subjected to negative stereotypes and made the butt of jokes. Although the disenfranchisement of Christians is the ultimate goal, at this point nothing is put out into the mainstream that argued for any restriction on rights. From the 1920's through the 1970's Evangelical Christians were often ridiculed.

Picking the Fight

In 1983, police raided and padlocked Faith Baptist Church in Louisville, Nebraska. The state maintained that it had a monopoly on education. The heavy handed tactics of the government galvanized Christians to stand up. Evangelicals believed the state to be a threat to religious liberty and organized politically to counter that threat. Group like thew Moral Majority proliferated. The Politicization of Evangelicalism became known as the Religious Right. The power of the Religious Right culminated with the candidacy of Pat Robertson for President in 1988.

Fights are picked in culture wars to test the waters. There was a huge outcry against the government intrusion into the church. The government backed down because they realized continued attacks would result in revolution. Those who wished to destroy the freedom of Evangelical Christians realized they must poisoned minds against Christians. During this phase, laws are twisted to create an atmosphere of hostility against Christians.

The purpose of picking a fight is so that the victim can be painted as an aggressor. It is similar to a bully picking a fight and his friends lying and saying the victim started it. If the victim is an despised individual or a member of a despised group, the victim is perceived to be a bully by the authorities and the surrounding culture. The true bully makes the victim look like the bully by propagating conspiracy theories.

Propagating Conspiracy Theories

Would be persecutors responded by denying that it was the state that was the threat. They argued instead that Evangelical Christians were a threat. In the 1990's Hillary Clinton began her conspiracy theories. She repeatedly asserted that there was a “vast right wing conspiracy.” She persisted in this to the point where she had her husband, President Clinton, commission an FBI investigation into whether there was a conspiracy to engage in abortion clinic violence. In spite of the exoneration of Evangelical Christians as the outcome of the investigation, conspiracy theories that allege that Evangelical Christians are out to set up a theocratic dictatorship abound.

At this point, there have only been isolated incidents of persecution. Mostly in the form of anti-Christian discrimination. While Christians at that time were rightly concerned about government attacks on religious freedom, the attacks were done primarily to provoke a fight so that the conspiracy theories could be launched. The purpose of the conspiracy theories is to change public perception about a group so that government attacks against that will not be seen as tyranny but as justified measures necessary to protect citizens. Paint the church as a bully, so when the church gets victimized no one will give them the sympathy due to victims, but will regard them as deserving the thuggery.

Official Thuggery

As public perception of a group become more negative, and particularly when that negative perception is accompanied with a growing feeling that the group is a threat, an environment is created that is favorable to official thuggery. This is where America is at concerning the persecutions of Christians. Police will routinely make illegal arrest in an attempt to stop Christian activity. The isolated attacks become more frequent, and part of a pervasive culture of hostility and Anti-Christian sentiment. I call this official thuggery because persecution of not systematically part of the law.

Systematic Persecution

Eventually Anti-Christian bias becomes part of the law of the land. A key difference between systematic persecution and official thuggery is that there is legal recourse against official thuggery. Official thuggery becomes systematic persecution when either the law is changed to take away those legal recourses or a society becomes so lawless that there is no rule of law. In Europe there is systematic persecution of Christians.

Systematic persecution can be with a velvet glove or with an iron fist. Velvet glove persecution target culturally undesirable activities of a persecuted group and uses political tools. This is where the European Union is right now. Christians are currently targeted only at the point where the Christian faith conflicts with the predominant culture. Punishment vary from discrimination to fines and imprisonment. Christians in Europe rarely suffer violence, and Christians who are willing to compromise their faith can get along in such a society temporarily.

Extreme Systematic Persecution

Systematic Persecution becomes more extreme in one or both of two ways. When persecution goes from political to violent, and when persecution targets not just culturally undesirable activities but also targets the very existence of a group. Communist and Islamist countries engage in extreme systematic persecution of Christian. Christians routinely suffer violence, and suffer regardless of attempts to fit into society. Christians are not targeted because of what they do, but who they are. This is what is typically thought of when the topic of persecution is brought up.

Genocide

The most extreme form of systematic persecution happens when the persecutors attempt to wipe out a group from off of the face of the earth. The seven phases of persecution are like various stages of life of a persecuting spirit. One inevitable leads to the other if the persecution is not confronted.

The Greatest Revival the World has Ever Known to Break out as Israel is Surrounded by the Nations

A slate of recent reports suggests that we are soon to enter into the time in history when Israel is surrounded by armies. Obama is shifting America's policy away from Israel and towards the Palestinians. This is coupled with revolutions in the Middle East that are resulting in the replacement of U.S. - friendly governments with more radical governments. Both of these developments are setting the stage for a major war where Israel is surrounded by a coalition of armies.

Psalm 118 gives some promises that apply to this time. He promises great revival and victory. The end-time revival occurs within the context of world war against Israel. It will involve both Jews and Christians. Great revival, the likes of which the world has never seen, will break out on the Temple Mount as Jews join with Christians in seeking God.

Both testimony of the enduring mercies of God and encouragement to testify to those mercies is given in verse 1-4. Both Israel and the House of Aaron are called upon to praise God. This is a universal call on all of God's people, both those who are God's people in Moses (The House of Aaron), and those who are grafted into Israel in Christ. Both the people and the priests are called.

In the remainder of the chapter, there is a call to prayer, praise, and proclamation. Psalm 118 is a special call to seek God during the time of greatest distress for God's people.

In verses 5-9, We see that God answers our cry for deliverance by “setting us in a large place” We are to trust in God and NOT in our political alliances with “princes.” During this time, God's people cease to trust in their political alliances and trust in the Lord. This trust results in assurance that God will strengthen us for the coming battle.

Verses 10-13 positively identify this as the end-time global war on God's people. Israel is surrounded by all nations. The global hostility to God's people extends to Christians as well. Jesus says in Matthew 24:7-9 that, among other things, that we will “hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”

There is confession of great victory in verses 14-18. We read repeatedly,”in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.” While God's people suffer much during this time, it is a time of victory. The people of God are militant about their faith in the face of war.

The remainder of the chapter is a call for God to “Open to me the gates of righteousness.” This is a call for God to open to pathway to His Presence. We will see that “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” Christ, who has been rejected by the Jews, will finally be recognized by the Jews as her rightful King. After almost 2000 years of rejecting Christ, the Jews finally call on them. When Christ departed from Israel, He told them in Matthew 23:38-39, “you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! ' ” Verse 26 contains that exact phrase. What Jesus is saying is that when God's people start to pray Psalm 118 in the time of global distress, then Christ will return.

Spiritual Adultery - Breaking God's Heart and Drawing His Wrath. A commentary on Hosea 1-2

Hosea commanded to take an unfaithful wife to illustrate spiritual adultery. Spiritual adultery is unfaithfulness to our allegiance and relationship to God. Whenever we look to something or someone else for those things we should look to God for. He is our King, Saviour, and provider, not the nations nor the corporations. Whenever we compromise ourselves spiritually or morally to get things from these worldly sources, we commit spiritual adultery

His adulterous wife, Gomer, has three children by Hosea:

1. Jezreel (verse 4) – “I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel”
2. Lo-Ruhammah (verse 6,7) - “For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away. Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the LORD their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen.”
3. Lo- Ammi (verse 8) - “For you are not My people, And I will not be your God.”

The cumulative effect is that Israel and Judah are judged, suffer disaster, and become disenfranchised from the rights that pertain to citizenship in the people of God. This disenfranchisement, however, is NOT permanent. Chapter 1 ends with a promise of restoration and regathering of Israel. In verse 10, we read that the very group that was labeled, “not my people”, are subsequently declared “sons of the living God.” When the nation of Israel is restored, they are no longer two nations as they were at the time of Hosea's writing but are once again one nation.

Chapter 2 begins with a command for the children to bring charges against their mother

In verse 1, the Lord is speaking to a select child or select children of Israel. He commands them to bring charges against their mother. This mother is Israel, but who are the children being addressed. To understand who the children are, we need to understand some other cross references to this imagery of Israel as mother.

Revelation 12 begins with the imagery of a woman clothed with the sun, standing on the moon and crowned with a crown of 12 stars. This is the image of faithful Israel. Her firstborn child is none other than Jesus Christ, who will rule all nations with a rod of iron. The story of the birth of Christ in Revelation 12 coincides with war in heaven. When Satan is cast out in defeat he wages war against the rest of her offspring which are those who have faith in Jesus Christ.

If the children of faithful Israel are Christ and those who have put their faith in Him, then these children are the same ones being addressed in Hosea 2. This passage is being addressed to us who believe in Christ. We are the children of the free woman described in Galatians 5:22-31.

In vss 24-25 of Galatians 5, however, we are told that there are two covenants and two Jerusalems: “the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.” The Jerusalem that is above corresponds with faithful Israel. The earthly Jerusalem who is in bondage is unfaithful Israel and is referring to those Jews who have rejected Christ.

The faithful children are to speak to the unfaithful children, both of the wannabe Christian and of Jews who have rejected Christ. The faithless Christians are in the same boat as the faithless Jews, having been brought into the family and then running away from the right ways of the Lord. The faithful children are to preach repentance so that the faithless do not suffer dire judgments which are briefly described in verses 3-5.

The charge being levied against unfaithful Israel, but also applies to the unfaithful church - is revealed in verses 5-7b and 9-12: She looks to her lovers for material things – spiritual adultery with the powers of the world. She prostitutes and compromises herself to worldly powers for wealth and power.

How many today make moral compromises on the job to get that promotion- whether it be lying, cheating, and stealing, or possibly literal prostitution where employees have sexual intercourse with their bosses?

How many people today make moral compromises by “voting for the lesser of two evils,” not realizing that caving in result in continued degradation of political norms towards the vile, the bloodthirsty, the corrupt, and the tyrannical? How many people buy into the political spin that lying politicians and their media bed partners feed them?

How many people today defile themselves with the abominations promoted by the media in their entertainment, not realizing the destruction that these debaucheries cause? Numerous marriages have been destroyed because idle minds were corrupted by so-called reality TV programs that paint a distorted picture of sex and relationships. Millions have indulged in pornography and, as a result, have fed the epidemic of sex trafficking and child rape.

How many millions have covered up their wickedness by going to the neighborhood abortionist and butchering the child that was conceived? We are in the midst of a holocaust that makes the Nazi holocaust look tame. Over 1 billion people have been slaughtered, mostly for convenience.

How many in the church or ministry have set their sights on building private empires, turning churches into self help centers rather than places to hear the gospel. How many pastors preach canned sermons that reak with worldly philosophy, psycho-babble and get-rich quick schemes rather than the true gospel? So many churches are ruined, preaching a Christ as a facilitator to help us live fulfilled lives rather a savior who brutally suffered to save us from the just judgment of God.

Why did Christ suffer? Because He loves us. He longs to have a relationship with us. Chapter 2, verse 14 gives  us a sad note “For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, And went after her lovers; But Me she forgot,” says the LORD” People have used God and dumped Him on the side of the road much the way a wayward wife dumps her husband to pursue her lovers who end up turning on her.

The primary reason God's judgment falls on His own people is that we have broken His heart. While He is angry at the abominations that His people have committed, He is mostly heartbroken over our rejection of Him to pursue worthless lovers. He would rather have us reconciled to Him than the do His duty as the Supreme Judge of the Universe. For those who will not repent, there is fierce wrath awaiting them.
The remainder of the chapter is about God wooing His people back. In verse 16, we read that God restores the spiritual marriage. He will take away the idolatry and iniquity and restore the relationship. He must first break down rebellious people before He can rebuild in a way that makes possible a spiritual marriage.

A Craving for the Presence by David Wilkerson - Part 1

Part 1 of a message from David Wilkerson. This message was presented sometime in 1998 around the time of the publication of his book, America's Last Call , which was published in 1998. God showed him the economic storm we are suffering today. He encourages to Crave for the Presence of God.

Israel Delivered by Her King- a commentary on Joel 3

In the previous chapter, we read about the dire predicament God's people were in, and the only hope for escape. If the people of God repent collectively in sacred assembly, then God will send revival and deliverance. This repentance followed by deliverance includes both the church and Israel. Joel 3 is a description of the final battle that is fought in Israel and how the Lord delivers her.

The Timing of  This Invasion
Vss 1-2 tells us the timing of this invasion of Israel by an international coalition. It happens “ in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will ALSO gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.” It happens in the same season that God returns the Jewish captives from the nations back to Israel. He also gather the Gentile nations to Israel to the battle of Armageddon.

Why does He gather together in Israel all of the Gentile nations? “And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land. ” The text says that all of these nations have divided the land and scattered the people. When has God both gathered the people back to Israel? When have ALL nations scattered the Israelites. The answer cannot be the Babylonian captivity, as only the nations within the Babylonian Empire participated in that dispersion. It cannot be the Roman occupation either, as only nations within the Roman Empire participated in that dispersion. It is only after the Jews reclaimed the land only to have it carved up through the so-called Middle East Peace Process that modern nations like Brazil, Japan, and the United States can incur guilt for dividing up the land and people of Israel.

Prophecy Against the Palestinians (verses 4-8)

There is a prophecy against the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, Philistia, and Edom. The prophecy is against the people who occupy these ancient land rather than the ancient people. Tyre and Sidon would include Lebanon and the Golan Heights, and Philistia would include both the West Bank and Gaza. Edom would include the West Bank and Eastern Jordan. These areas todays are the areas that have concentrated Palestinian populations.

God asks of them in verse 4 “Will you retaliate against Me? But if you retaliate against Me, Swiftly and speedily I will return your retaliation upon your own head;” The Palestinians are plotting to retaliate against God for bringing Jews back to the land. They are planning to disperse the Jews again. They are planning to sell the Jews “to the Greeks” (verse 6) At no time in history have the historic Philistines or Edomites sold them to the Greeks, but the term 'Greeks' is being used here as a reference to the Gentile nations. Modern day Palestinians are using propaganda and diplomatic tools to draw into their conflict with Israel the gentile powers who will carve up the land.

In verses 7-9, we see the judgment of the Palestinian people. They will become a dispossessed people. Because this battle is just before the Millennium, the Palestinians will be stateless people during the Millennium.

The Call to the Battle of Armageddon

Verses 9-21 is the call to the nations to the Battle of Armageddon. In this passages several signs accompany this battle to confirm that this war ends with the Battle of Armageddon. Each of these signs are also described in parallel passages that place these events near the time of Armageddon

1. In verse 13 we read a passage that parallels Revelation 14:14-20 : “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow”.
   
2. In verse 15 reads in a way that parallels several end-time passages: “The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness. ”
3. In verse 16, we read that the “The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.”, Paralleling several end-time passages.

In verses 18-21, there will be eternal blessings on Israel. There will be physical blessings on the restored Israel, and God will complete the process of restoration. God forgives Israel of blood-guilt not previously forgiven. Israel is chosen and restored not because she has merited it, but because of God's grace.