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Itty Bitty Bible Study – Habakkuk 2

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

IBBS Habakkuk Introduction
IBBS Habakkuk 1

Habakkuk 2

In IBBS Habakkuk 1, we discussed that sometimes bad things happen to discipline us. that is not always the case.

Sometimes, it’s to test us…(though we are told not to blame God for our temptations!

James 1:12-15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 A man who endures trials[a] is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God[b] has promised to those who love Him.

13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil,[c] and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

There are those that fall because of their own lusts…and they need Psalm 38

The truth is, that there are those that are refined by the fire, and that refining has a higher purpose!

Habakkuk is not happy with the answers by God in the first chapter…

Habakkuk 1:13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil,
and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous?
Why are You silent
while one[a] who is wicked swallows up
one[b] who is more righteous than himself?

He decides to:

Habakkuk 2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response
2 I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on the lookout tower.
I will watch to see what He will say to me
and what I should[a] reply about my complaint.

Here’s a few of the clarifications that God gives in Chapter 2, for what His purposes are:

Habakkuk 2
8 Since you have plundered many nations,
all the peoples who remain will plunder you—
because of human bloodshed
and violence against lands, cities,
and all who live in them.

11 For the stones will cry out from the wall,
and the rafters will answer them
from the woodwork.

13-14 Is it not from the Lord of Hosts
that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire
and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory,
as the waters cover the sea.

16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory.
You also—drink,
and expose your uncircumcision![i]
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will come around to you,
and utter disgrace will cover your glory.

Bottom Line?

Habakkuk 2:20 But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let everyone on earth
be silent in His presence.

God sees us, even in the midst of darkness!
Here’s some examples:

Daniel and the Three Hebrew Children

Daniel 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Among them, from the descendants of Judah, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them other names: he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.

Daniel and the three Hebrew children and many others were taken away in Babylon and they were made eunuchs, which to be very graphic and specific means they were neutered. Everything that they understood from their religion was taken away from them and they had a reason to cry out like Habakkuk!

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Daniel 3

The three Hebrew children were thrown into the fiery furnace, because they would not bow down and choose fleshly comforts in exchange their lives.

Daniel 3 – their declaration of faith.
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question.
17 If the God we serve exists,[f] then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king.
18 But even if He does not rescue us,[g] we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

The rest of the story is that they were not delivered from the fiery furnace, but another walked with them who was like the son of God. later in the Bible we find out it was the pre incarnate Christ that walked with them and protected them from the fire while they were in the furnace. Those that were unrighteous and had been trying to destroy the righteous Hebrew children, thought they had one, and those that cranked up the fire were actually swallowed with the heat. The three Hebrew children were pulled out. When they were not consumed, Nebuchadnezzar declared praises to their God, and freedoms to serve their own God!

Dan 3
28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel[m] and rescued His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I issue a decree that anyone of any people, nation, or language who says anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and his house made a garbage dump. For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.” 30 Then the king rewarded Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Would that have happened if the Three men had not endured this fire?

Daniel in the Lions den.
Daniel 6
Daniel was recognized as being a very gifted leader, and he actually served under a couple of the leaders of his day. And then there were those people that set him up that he should not pray to any God other than Darius. Not only did he continue to pray, it says he opened his window, and knelt by his window to pray to God. Daniel didn’t go into hiding!

It horrified the king that he had been duped to put this law into effect and he worried about Daniel being thrown into the lions den. The rest of that story is the unrighteous thought they were winning the day as they threw Daniel in, but God sent the angel of the Lord to keep the Lions from eating Daniel. So the righteous was pulled out of the Lion’s Den and the unrighteous were thrown in afterwards.

The end of this chapter has Darius, not a Hebrew, God worshiper, giving God, Yahweh, YHWH, Jehovah, praise!
Daniel 6:25-28

Would that have happened if Daniel had not endured this trial?

Jesus and Judas

Judas was one of Jesus’s top 12. Judas was given the responsibilities of finances. He went out with the others and apparently was able to do the same Miracles that the others. If he didn’t, whoever he was sent out with would come back and say

“yeah well whenever we go with Judas he just can’t do anything! I have to do all the work!”

The thing about the story at the Last Supper was that no one had any idea that it was Judas that was going to turn in Jesus.
So we have the Last Supper and then some very ugly days of thinking everything has gone wrong and that the wicked have won!
We, as Christians, know that the rest of the story is that on that third day Jesus rose from the dead and some days after that He rose to sit beside his father and to intervene, and to pray on our behalf. They didn’t have this Bible from which to draw strength!

If Judas had not betrayed Christ, there wouldn’t have been the crucifixion and there would not have been the days where everyone questioned their loyalty to Christ.

There are others!

Moses on the back side of the desert – or he would not have experienced the burning bush!
Paul in prison – Purposes for his suffering were to spread the gospel!

I’ve shared this testimony before and some of my stories specifically in IBBS Jonah, but it fits here as well.

My life was rough, but there’s many who had lives worse than mine. I had a very, very difficult ability in pushing for things or believing things that I believed were God’s call for me because I had no one in my life that actually was hearing God’s call and following it. I didn’t know how to embrace God’s calling!

So when I was told to go to Ohio State University for art and music and English, because of varying scholarships for the different schools, I told God He didn’t know what he was talking about, I wasn’t good enough for college. I joined the Navy. I want to get this very clear. I joined the United States Navy in direct opposition to what I knew God wanted me to do. At the time, I was attending churches, I was attending youth groups, I was attending Bible study. My life had gotten very rough in my senior year of high school, and I could not see any way that I could go to college. So I decided (I DECIDED) that I should go in the Navy to get an education and to learn a trade and to serve my country. Also to be clear, I don’t think the serving my country was where I was wrong. Where I was wrong was knowing God’s direction for me, and having probably half a dozen Bibles and even more Bible studies available to me to tell me how to hear God’s voice, and I told God no. I TOLD GOD NO! that is the error, the mistake, the sin. In Jonah, I talk about what happened.

If you look at Moses and the burning bush and God telling him that he is being sent to deliver his people, Moses says “I can’t speak send somebody else!”

If we look at Jonah, which I did in itty bitty Bible study about Jonah, Jonah said “no I’m not going to Nineveh!”

In both of these guys’ lives, God used some very interesting techniques to get their attention. We all know Jonah was thrown over the side of the boat and was swallowed by a fish and was spit up on the shores of Nineveh.

What did God use for Moses? Well for one his brother Aaron showed up having walked all the way across the desert and he finds Moses whom the Pharaoh wanted Dead! There’s also the little thing where Moses is almost being killed on his way back and God speaks to Zipporah who circumcises her sons and throws the foreskins at Moses and says “a bloody husband out art.”

If there was any doubt of the seriousness of God’s call for Moses or Jonah, that would get their attention.
Me, well, I ended up paralyzed from the waist down after a fall the third day of boot camp. I still struggle with the physical ramifications of that choice! Kind of like Jacob walking with a limp because he wrestled with God.

There is a history book that we had when our children were being homeschooled that shared how history when looked at from above from the big picture, can be seen as the varying ways God uses the wicked to orchestrate his greater plan.

Providential History
disclaimer – I do not get any benefit for sharing an amazon link.

One such example is Nazi Germany and the extermination of Jews.
If there had not been such a horrid Event that was documented by photographs and newsreels, the global mentality would not have been such that they would have the outcry to create the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel being reestablished is a crucial point in the Fulfillment of the end time prophecies. The whole aspect of what was done to the Jews was horrific. I don’t know what the spiritual status was of the Jews in the way that we know by God’s word back in the time of Saul and David and Solomon and Josiah and Hezekiah. But I do know that this one event caused sympathy for this one nationality and everyone agreed to the creation of the nation of Israel.

Why does God allow evil? Rabi Ravi Zacharias explains this so well in his answer to Gun violence.

Another of his messages is How could an all-powerful, all-loving God allow evil to exist?

For me, there are two key verses…

Habakkuk 2:4 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 Look, his ego is inflated;[a]
he is without integrity.
But the righteous one will live by his faith.[b]

and

Habakkuk 2:20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
20 But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let everyone on earth
be silent in His presence.
But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let everyone on earth
be silent in His presence.

In honor of the three Hebrew children, I’m going to put Even If by Mercy Me here again.

And this is a reminder for us!

The history of this hymn story is huge.

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Habakkuk 1

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

IBBS Habakkuk Introduction

Habakkuk 1

Habakkuk 1:1-4 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.

Habakkuk’s First Prayer
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help
and You do not listen
or cry out to You about violence
and You do not save?
3 Why do You force me to look at injustice?
Why do You tolerate[a] wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
4 This is why the law is ineffective
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous;
therefore, justice comes out perverted.

Does this sound familiar? (read in a whining voice…or just a very sad, discouraged, or defeated voice, all are appropriate)
HOW LONG LORD????
WHY????
accusations about his tolerating wickedness….violence…oppression…strife and conflict.
“THIS IS WHY” as if we need to teach God a lesson! Uh huh.

I want to start this with worship….because tough topics need to have the promises included!

https://youtu.be/FUzx4oEmnxQ

Why does God let good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people?

Maybe part of the question is who does God consider bad and who does God consider good?

Let’s look at Job. He’s one of the guys that God says was good…and had some troubles!
Job 1

Job 1:8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.”

First, you get backstage view of God and the enemy and how the enemy goes around trying to cause trouble for those who love God. God specifically points out his servant job who is perfect in all his ways. Now – this is key! God didn’t point out all the folks that were upsetting God…but he points out a man of perfect integrity!

The devil says “hahaha! it’s because you take care of him!”
So long and short of the story:
Satan is given permission to take things away from Job, and Job does not deny God or renounce him.
Satan is given permission to touch Job’s flesh but not to take his life, and Job continues to refuse to denounce God.
Job does get into depression, what I consider a suicidal depression because he wishes he was never born.
consider adding to this that he lost his children at that first testing. Just for clarity, he knew his children were not necessarily walking with the Lord or he wouldn’t be waking up everyday after their parties and trying to do sacrifices on their behalf. Still, these were his children! All gone in ONE event!

So, Job has lost all of his Earthly possessions, he’s lost all of his children, he has lost his health, and his wife is telling him curse God and die.

I’m thinking Job was in a position very similar to Habakkuk saying why are the wicked prospering!? What do you think?

Job 21
7 Why do the wicked continue to live,
growing old and becoming powerful?
8 Their children are established while they are still alive,[a]
and their descendants, before their eyes.
9 Their homes are secure and free of fear;
no rod from God strikes them.

A young friend, Elihu, speaks up:
Job 33
But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man.
13 Why do you take Him to court
for not answering anything a person asks?[c]

Elihu clearly spelled it out:

Job 33 and I’m posting starting at 22:
22 He draws near to the Pit,
and his life to the executioners.
23 If there is an angel on his side,
one mediator out of a thousand,
to tell a person what is right for him[h]
24 and to be gracious to him and say,
“Spare him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a ransom,”
25 then his flesh will be healthier[i] than in his youth,
and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor.
26 He will pray to God, and God will delight in him.
That man will see His face with a shout of joy,
and God will restore his righteousness to him.
27 He will look at men and say,
“I have sinned and perverted what was right;
yet I did not get what I deserved.[j]
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
and I will continue to see the light.”

Elihu is speaking of all the times that the Lord allows things in order to bring us back from the pit!

Then, he speaks of Repentance:

Job 34
31 Suppose someone says to God,
“I have endured my punishment;
I will no longer act wickedly.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;
if I have done wrong, I won’t do it again.”
33 Should God repay you on your terms
when you have rejected His?
You must choose, not I!
So declare what you know.

The main point of Elihu’s discourse is that God is God…who are we to argue?
Then, God speaks out of the whirlwind…saying..where were you????

Job 40 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
40 The Lord answered Job:
2 Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
Let him who argues with God give an answer.[a]
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 I am so insignificant. How can I answer You?
I place my hand over my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not reply;
twice, but now I can add nothing.

The last bit of Job has God reprimanding everyone but Elihu for how they keep telling Job that this is because of some sin. On the other hand, once Job hears completely what God has to say, Job repents of being proud and humbled himself before God. And then God blesses Job by multiplying all that he has before. Job 42

Why am I talking about Job in the book of Habakkuk?
First, as I said in the introduction, it is commonly misunderstood that God did not speak to man in the Old Testament.
Job is considered the earliest book – though Moses’ books do tell history prior to Job.
Elihu has a very clear picture of God’s purposes for man and for what HE does or allows to man.
There are those that consider Elihu a preincarnate Christ…but, whatever. His words are clarifying to the rest of Habakkuk 1!

Back to Habakkuk:

Habakkuk 1:5-6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
God’s First Answer
5 Look at the nations[a] and observe—
be utterly astounded!
For something is taking place in your days
that you will not believe
when you hear about it.
6 Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans,[b]
that bitter, impetuous nation
that marches across the earth’s open spaces
to seize territories not its own.

Habakkuk is not happy with this answer….

Habakkuk 1:12-13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Habakkuk’s Second Prayer
12 Are You not from eternity, Yahweh my God?
My Holy One, You[a] will not die.
Lord, You appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock, You destined them to punish us.
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil,
and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous?
Why are You silent
while one[b] who is wicked swallows up
one[c] who is more righteous than himself?

I’m not sure, but if Job would have responded similarly to Elihu had God not jumped in. In fact, you can read in Job all the times that Job argued!
Have you ever heard of folks saying that “You have the patience of Job” as if he was so patient? Read his book! In several versions! He’s not even in the Heroes of Faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11! Yet, Job was REAL – transparent – and he repented of his sin, and allowed God to restore him.

Habakkuk is making the determination who is righteous…or holier than others.

Are there others?
Joseph
Joseph is the favorite of his father, and has some sort of spiritual connection in that he gets dreams that are prophetic. Now as a teenager, he does not quite get when and where are the appropriate times to share these dreams, besides that nobody else is getting these dreams! Now, Joseph’s father, dreamed again, and hears from God at Bethel in Genesis 28. He also wrestled with God the night before he went to meet his brother Esau in Genesis 32. Joseph father, Jacob, had been used to hearing from God in several ways in order to be led as to what he should do. In fact, that situation where Jacob wrestled with the angel of God, his hip was affected in such a way that he limped for the rest of his life. Face-to-face interaction with God changes you!

Joseph had dreams AFTER the above interaction Jacob had with God! Genesis 37
Why didn’t Jacob believe that Joseph was actually having dreams from God? I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that if Joseph’s brothers’ unrighteous behavior had not happened, if Potiphar’s wife lies about Joseph had not occurred, Joseph would not have been in the prison with the Pharaoh’s servants and would not have been able to rise to the number two position, and save many from famine. Not to mention saving his own family. Which of course, was the whole point of those dreams when he was a teenager. Gen 42

One of the outcomes of Joseph bringing his family to Egypt to survive the famine was that eventually they forgot who Joseph was and the Hebrews were enslaved. Over and over and over in the Old Testament God delivers the Hebrews, the Israelites, the children of God. After a while, they become comfortable and they forget the god Who delivered them.

Even after years of being slaves to the Egyptians, and being miraculously delivered, when the going got a little bit tough, they accused Moses of bringing them out into the desert to let them die. Actually they were accusing God of bringing them out into the desert to let them die.

Over and over, when you read through 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings and 1st and 2nd Chronicles, you see how God raises up a people who love him and obey Him. Then the next generation or at most two generations later, He is forgotten and they go back to the Pagan ways. Prophets cry out to them the simple words of God, because they are the people of the words of God. They hear the word of God every week in the synagogue. But, it takes suffering for them to actually, personally, cry out to God, to recognize their sins, and to repent so that he will turn around and heal their land

2 Chronicles 7:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 and My people who are called by My name
humble themselves,
pray and
seek My face, and
turn from their evil ways,
then
I will hear from heaven,
forgive their sin, and
heal their land.

This is written to THOSE WHO ARE CALLED BY THE NAME OF GOD! not to the wicked.
Why would the people of God need to call out…or need healing in their land?
They are not walking with the Lord.

 

This image comes from Spiritual Inspirations, from their Bible Verses for Sunday. Psalm 91:14-16.  God gives us promises.  We cannot let go of that hope!

Just to be clear, not all that suffer are needing to be disciplined. In the next article, we will look at:
The Hebrews in Egypt…and the plagues that prepared them for the Exodus.(ok,yeah, they needed an attitude check)

Daniel and the Three Hebrew Children

Daniel 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Among them, from the descendants of Judah, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them other names: he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.

Paul in Prison – various texts

Jesus Crucified and the three days of thinking all was lost!

I’ve also written some things that might give you more things to think about.
IBBS Joel 1 call to repentance
IBBS Jonah into and Jonah 1 saying no to good and being disciplined(including my testimony of saying no)
IBBS Nahum intro about generation revival and the tendency for following generations to fall away

The key is that none is good –

Romans 3:10-12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 as it is written:[a]
There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away;
all alike have become useless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.[b]

IBBS Ephesians 2:1-10 talks about the situation that we are in, and what God has done to remedy it. If there is any extra blog that you read, read this one! It talks about our victory by God through Christ Jesus!

If you have cried out to God in anguish, You are not alone!

I have sung this song…and here is the most amazing story behind it by the author.

Sometimes it takes a mountain by Gaither vocal Band

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Habakkuk Introduction

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

Habakkuk 1

Wikipedea on Habakkuk

International Bible Society introduction to Habakkuk

The introduction in summary is that this is a dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and Yahweh, Jehovah, YHWH, or The God of creation. For simplification, I’m going to just say “God”.

My first thoughts are that this is an amazing book from the Old Testament.
The basic concept of the OT is that God was not approachable.

The Bible does not bear that thought out.

  • Adam and Eve Talked with God.
  • Job talked with God.
  • Abraham talked with God.
  • Moses talked with God.
  • Samuel talked with God.
  • David talked with God.
  • Daniel talked with God.
  • the whole concept of the prophets, both major and minor was that the all spoke with God!

And I’m not including those that HEARD from God!

The interesting thing here is that even though there was a separation because of sin, if the person had performed the proper sacrifices and had a heart towards knowing Father God, they were in communication.

Hebrews 11 talks about many in the Old Testament who, by faith, believed in God the Father, and in His promises.

Psalm 102:25-28 King James Version (KJV)
25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

Hebrews 13:8 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

To me, the beauty is that the same God that created the beautiful garden for ‘man’ to enjoy,

    • is the same God that continues to love us enough to discipline us,
    • is the same God who will guide us in the way in which we should go,
    • is the same God that planned for our salvation, and gave himself for us.

This God loved us so much from before the time we were born, that HE planned our salvation so that we could enter into HIS presence with thanksgiving!
And, this God is big enough for us to ask Him the hard questions…which is what Habakkuk does.

The other theme that I see is that of why do the wicked prosper?
Why does God allow pain and suffering? We’ll get into that!

If you do a search for timeline of the prophets, there are many options out there!

Nahum is mostly considered Habakkuk’s contemporary.
IBBS Nahum 1:2b and IBBS Nahum 1:2-15 discusses why some bad things happen.

Obadiah is earlier, or later, depending on what timeline, but still gives us insight.
IBBS Obadiah 1:1-9 and IBBS Obadiah 1:10-21 discuss the seriousness of a nation’s sin.

Habakkuk 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.

Habakkuk’s First Prayer
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help
and You do not listen
or cry out to You about violence
and You do not save?
3 Why do You force me to look at injustice?
Why do You tolerate[a] wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
4 This is why the law is ineffective
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous;
therefore, justice comes out perverted.

Total transparency…here’s my How Long Jesus cry!

Habakkuk is wondering about the current affairs of his world.

Here’s another timeline from RevDr Brian. His site comes with the warning…THE WORDS OF A VERY MINOR PROPHET May contain coarse language and some nudity… so, if you go looking around other than this image, be forewarned. I haven’t checke out the site…though I greatly appreciate this image!

The other thing that these timelines show is that our bible is not set up chronologically!

Did anyone else not know that the Prophet books are out of order?
I didn’t realize it until I started doing these more in depth studies rather than just reading the books. As I’ve been looking into the current events of the writers, it’s been very interesting that things are not in order! This is very disturbing to my OCD mind!

For the record – Bible verses Chronology – taken from the Bible table of contents and the two images I’ve provided, Bible Contents is the first one.

  1. Hosea ……Amos……Obadiah
  2. Joel ……….Joel……….Joel
  3. Amos…….Hosea……..Jonah
  4. Obadiah….Jonah……Amos
  5. Jonah…….Micah…….Hosea
  6. Micah……Nahum……..Micah
  7. Nahum….Zephaniah….Nahum
  8. Habak…..Habakkuk….Zephaniah
  9. Zeph…….Obadiah…….Habakkuk
  10. Haggai
  11. Zechariah
  12. Malachi.

The Bible and the image that includes these agree with the last three.
Poor Obadiah…he’s in three different spaces!
For the most part, they agree on the timing of Habakkuk…and what’s going on at that time.

Do you ever wonder if there is any way to really know if the information that you are finding is true? I mean, the historical information, the timeline, the Arabic, Hebrew and Greek words?
I do.
Sometimes, I just feel very dumb, when it comes to bible study, when I listen to some preachers.
Sometimes, I just feel very stupid when it comes to those word studies, and all that interesting current events information that some folks provide.
Here’s how I deal with it.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God
and is profitable for teaching,
for rebuking,
for correcting,
for training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be complete,
equipped for every good work.

Here’s my favorite version(remember, for copyright purposes, I have to include the footnotes and such):

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Amplified Bible (AMP)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration]
and is profitable for instruction,
for conviction [of sin],
for correction [of error and restoration to obedience],
for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will,
both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage];
17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Footnotes:
2 Timothy 3:17 I.e. all believers whether man, woman, or child.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

Notice this doesn’t say anything about the history, the timelines, the extra-biblical books or word studies?
If God was so concerned about us knowing that, he would have made sure that we had a timeline included in our bibles…and I don’t mean the ones that are after Revelation!
If God was so concerned about us knowing the word meanings, he would have made sure that the Bible was written in other languages…Oh wait! He did and He has!

If God is so capable of making sure that His word to us has been preserved against all odds of people and enemies trying to rid it…I think he’s capable of making sure that everyone can understand enough to be applicable.

Salvation and reconciliation with God is the main point for the Bible.
John 3:16 is pretty understandable in any version.
The 10 commandments are pretty clear in any language.
The sermon on the mount is pretty convicting in any version.
Ephesians 5:22-23 and 1 Corinthians 13 are great examples of life goals in any language.

What is my point?

I want to focus on what’s important.
Well, for housekeeping purposes, I mostly use Holman here because of their copyright permissions for when I publish these for ebook purposes. The others are very clear that only 20% of the writing can be their passage, or you start paying royalties. that could be why so many bible study books have a lot of opinion verses a lot of Bible. It’s the legality.
Why not KJV?
I love KJV, but as others around the world start to read, KJV is not public domain in the UK…the Queen owns it.
And, there are those that have difficulty with KJV, for reading.

I am just saying that there are so many things that we can argue about when it comes to Bible study.
Version.
Timeline.
What the latest speaker has said the bible says.

Here’s my point.
Read the bible.
Don’t take my word for it.
Ask The Holy spirit to guide your reading, and give you what YOU need from YOUR relationship with Jesus Christ.
I believe that God is big enough to speak to each of us, personally.
And I believe that God is big enough to hear us cry out, in pain, in frustration, in fear, in need of the Creator God to speak into our lives.

That is Habakkuk.
That is ME!
This is GOD!
He will speak to us!

Here are a few articles about hearing God’s voice:
The voice of God
Jesus is calling

Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

IBBS Ephesians 2: 20-22 part two

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

For review – here is IBBS Ephesians 2:1-10 and IBBS Ephesians 2:11-19

 

A review from IBBS Ephesians 2:20-22, which you can skip if you are up to date:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The truth is, we are slaves.
BUT WE GET TO CHOOSE TO WHOM!!!

and then, the most beautiful thing happens when we choose Christ:
Galatians 4

Galatians 4:6-7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

If that’s not special enough, Jesus said, in John 15:15:

I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father.

There is an understanding that a son of someone can represent their father, for good and for bad.

Ambassadors represent the nations for which they are elected. for good and for bad.
The same is true for us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How can we be good representatives, or witnesses, to Christ? Is it even expected?

James 2:14-26 discusses how we are to make evidence our faith. Here’s two excerpts:

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Jesus  tells us that we can be known by our love, as Christians.

John 13:35 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

How do they know there is love? They can SEE it.
Paul explains love in 1 Corinthians 13.

We show of what spirit we are by how we love. These are evidences of our faith in Jesus Christ and the finished work on the cross. These are evidences of our gratitude for being brought our of darkness into the Kingdom of His dear son. These are evidences of Who is our Father.

Have you ever heard the stories of people that said their father’s told them that “insert name of family” does not act like that?

Acts 11:26 says that the followers of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch.
2 Chronicles 7:14 is written to those who are called by HIS name!

God does have expectations for how we will represent his name!

In the same way as the flesh/spirit discussion in IBBS Ephesians 2:11-19, there is a comparison to how we can show that we are NOT children of God.

John 8:44-45 King James Version (KJV)
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Disbelief is a serious sin.

Hebrews 11:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

There are many lists of the sins of the flesh, but let me look at one aspect, and let me know if you think this applies.

1st Corinthians 6:17-18 talks about sexual sins.

Paul is telling us that there is a difference with sexual sins. If you go deeper into scripture you will see sexual sins of all types have the seriousness of binding two Spirits together. That is why fornication, adultery and all other sexual sins leading up to divorce and such things cause intense divisions and pain and wounds.

We are married to Jesus Christ when we receive Him as our bridegroom and we agreed to be His bride. Our Spirits are united. There is another aspect of sin that is horribly grievous and that is committing adultery towards the Lord Jesus Christ. You can go to the first four Commandments in Exodus 20

  1. I am the Lord your God which brought the out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage, and you shall have no other gods before me
  2. you shall not make any Graven image or likeness or bow down to it because I am the Lord am a jealous God
  3. you should not take the name of the Lord in vain for the Lord will not hold him Guiltless to take it his name in vain
  4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy it is the Sabbath of the Lord

4 of the 10 Commandments point to our relationship with God.
It’s serious! 4/10, or 40%!
The king(Saul) rejected the Lord, and this is what God told the prophet to say:

1 Samuel 15:23 KJV
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Being stubborn is equal to idolatry – because we make ourselves god.
Rebellion is as witchcraft – because we have placed another’s guidance over God’s in our lives.
Does anyone question that witchcraft and idolatry are grievous sins to the Lord?

One of the Ten Commandments is how we should respect our parents, or Honor them.
The other five of The Ten Commandments are how we should treat our fellow man.
One of those five or 1/10 of the Ten Commandments or 1/5 of the five how to treat other people is do not commit adultery.

Adultery is idolatry in a marriage
Putting another person between YOU and your covenant partner.

Idolatry is adultery in the Christian faith.
Placing another between YOU and your covenant God.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Ephesians 5:22-32 explains how the marriage of man and woman is the example of Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:32 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.

We need to remember the 10 virgins, and be prepared, and make sure we have oil in our lamps as we await our coming bridegroom! (Matthew 25)
We need to make sure that our garments are without blemish or spot.(Ephesians 5:26-27)
We need to be Christ to the world, and show them WHY we have committed our lives to God, in Christ with an eternal covenant!

We do not want to commit adultery with God by idolatry!
If we could could see idolatry as serious as adultery, or witchcraft, we might make different choices.

Now that I’ve gotten this far, I just want to point out Paul doesn’t keep us guessing in Ephesians 2 about our responsibility once we receive the gift of God.

Remember 1st Corinthians 6: 19-20: know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which he have of God and you are not your own? For your bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are gods. (1 John 3:24 and 1 John 4:13)

Remember Ephesians 2: 18-22 are talking about how we are built into being a part of the temple of God, being made into a habitation of God through Christ.

Remember Ephesians 2:10 says for we are his workmanship, created in Christ unto good works, which God have planned before time that we should walk in them.

We are not saved by our works so that we cannot boast, but we were created for good works for God’s glory!

This is the difference between legalism and graceful gratitude to God!

Ephesians 4 goes into how we should walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called.

Ephesians 4:1-3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ
4 Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting[a] one another in love, 3 diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us.

Ephesians 4:17-24

Ephesians 4:22 …that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt cording to deceitful us

Ephesians 4:24 …and that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness

Between those two versus is a very important verse

Ephesians 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

How can we be renewed in the spirit of our mind? By washing ourselves with the water of the word daily(Ephesians 5:26).  By immersing ourselves in the word of God which tells us what is righteousness.  The world will not tell us what is righteousness. The more that we yield our minds to the worldly carnal mind the more we lose our focus on the new Godly mind. The more we focus on the Word of God, and let that guide us, the more we will walk like Christ.

Colossians 3:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

  • Remember what Christ has done for us!
  • Live a life full of grace-filled gratitude!
  • Feed the nature(old or new) you want to win!

For review – here previous sections for chapter 2:

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ephesians 2:11- 19 flesh and spirit

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

For review – here is IBBS Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:11-17

Ephesians 2:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands.

 

REMEMBER!
Lent day 11 we are called to remember what Christ did for us. This blog talks about the importance that God gives to remembering. Here we are, being told to remember something again!

What is Paul telling us to remember here in Ephesians?
That we have two natures.
That we are delivered from the old one, into the new one.
That we have responsibilities because of this great gift.

Romans 5:12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Death through Adam and Life through Christ
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things[a] have come.

Galatians 5:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Spirit versus the Flesh
16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.

I want to try to compare the flesh to the spirit.

flesh is  Adam….. spirit is Christ Romans 5:12

flesh is Judas (Lent day 9 and Lent day 15 )…..spirit is Peter (Lent Day 16)

flesh is worldly and old….. spirit is Christ and new 2 Corinthians 5:17

flesh loves not….. spirit loves 1 John 4:7-8

flesh listens to the world….spirit listens to the Word 1st John 4 5 & 6

flesh is of below and has died…..spirit is from above and is alive Colossians 3:1-3

flesh is  an Earthly nature(Colossians 3:5-11) ….. spirit is we put on new clothing of the Spirit (Colossians 3:12- 17)

flesh is baptized into death….. spirit walks in New Life Romans 6:1-4

flesh is Laws and death….. spirit is life with no condemnation Romans 8:1-2

flesh desires fleshly desires….. spirit desires spiritual desires Romans 8:5

flesh is death and carnally minded….. spirit is life and peace Romans 8:6

flesh is hostile to God, …..by implication the spirit is not Romans 8:7
 
flesh cannot please God….. spirit is in Christ   Romans 8:8-9 and Hebrews 11:6

flesh is dead and sin…..spirit is life and righteousness Romans 8:10

Romans 8:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

THIS IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP AND PRAISE!!!

THIS IS THE MIRACLE OF SALVATION! we who were dead in our sins…which is everyone ever…when we ask the Lord Jesus into our lives, we are raised from the death of sin into the life of righteousness! HALLELUJAH!!!

Ephesians 2:12-15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.
14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh,
15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.

Here is the huge result of God’s gift to us through Christ:
The separation from the garden has been removed!
Our sinful selves have been brought near!
Our old dead flesh has been made new and alive!

HE BOUGHT US PEACE WITH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS!
HOW CAN WE NOT BE GRATEFUL AND FULL OF WORSHIP????

Ephesians 2:15-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.
16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.
17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

This is how God repaired the separation in the garden!

Ephesians 2:18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

This is how God brought us into his family!

Ephesians 2:19 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,

And this is how God created the body of Christ

Ephesians 2:20-22 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
21 The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.
22 You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

LIVING STONES! stones are dead until God breathes life into them!

1 Peter 2:4-6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it is contained in Scripture:

Look! I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and honored[a] cornerstone,[b]
and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame![c][d]

At the beginning of this passage we are told to remember! What are we supposed to remember? On the one side, we’re supposed to remember the we are nothing special apart from God. Apart from God we can do no good thing(John 15). In God we can do all things(Phil 4:13).

As we discussed in Chapter 2: 8 – 9 it’s by grace that we are saved through faith and that not of ourselves but it’s the gift of God! Not of Works lest any man should boast. (IBBS Ephesians 2:1-10) We cannot do anything to earn our salvation except to put our hands out and believe and receive from the hands of God!

What else is this that he’s talking about?

  • That we are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens that we are of the household of God.
  • That we are living stones.
  • That we are built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets that Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone.
  • We’re being built together into a holy Temple unto the Lord

Ephesians 2:22 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
22 You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit! I’m going to go into that more about those last few verses in the next blog!

To conclude this blog, we have two natures that fight, and we need to choose which one will win.
There is a story about a native american father:

A fight is going on inside me,” said an old man to his son. “It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you.” The son thought about it for a minute and then asked, “Which wolf will win?” The old man replied simply, “The one you feed.

In the next blog, we’ll also talk more about how to feed the spirit within us! Psalm 37 will give you a heads up!

but for now…let’s remember that God has given us power to make this choice!

For review – here are the previous sections:

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Nahum chapters 2&3

Nahum

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The conversation starts Monday, August 20.


Nahum 2 and 3 are all of the ways that God is going to destroy and wipe out Nineveh and Assyria.

God gives a warning….

Nahum 2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Attack against Nineveh
2 One who scatters is coming up against you.
Man the fortifications!
Watch the road!
Brace[a] yourself!
Summon all your strength!

I like it better in the NIV

An attacker advances against you, Nineveh.
Guard the fortress,
watch the road,
brace yourselves,
marshal all your strength!

I have seriously considered that these two chapters also describe, not on purpose, the destruction that will occur when Christ returns after the tribulation. That is the interesting aspect of the books of the prophets, they often have meaning in different timelines! In the end, this whole earth will be destroyed…and a new heaven and a new earth will be created. Revelation 21

I have created a summary of Revelation, from the end to the beginning. Nahum has really reminded me of the end times!

Back to Nahum:

Nahum 2:2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
2 For the Lord will restore the majesty of Jacob,
yes,[a] the majesty of Israel,
though ravagers have ravaged them
and ruined their vine branches.

Read Nahum 2:2 on the Bible hub….there are so many words describing ‘majesty’!

  • splendor
  • honor
  • excellency
  • glory
  • pride

All we need to know about how a slave feels we can read in the writings of so many. I think the earliest would be Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The King and I is a statement against enslaving people. Do a google search – and you can see how huge a topic this is, just in case you have been living under a rock! These qualities are stolen from slaves.

The Jews were slaves.

After years of crying out…some repentance…God heard their cry and set them free.
The American slaves related to the Jewish slaves…and made songs about being set free.
Go down Moses
Wade in the Water
For more Songs of the Underground, Wikipedia is a great source, of course.
The Harriet Tubman Historical Society has much information.

We were slaves to Sin…before we let Jesus in!

Romans 6
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

God promises to restore the glory, the honor, the pride, the excellency and splendor that being a slave stole from the people of Judah. He promises the same to us, when we are set free from sin, and the enemy! We must choose!

Dante’s Divine Comedy describes Hell, Purgatory and Paradise.
CS Lewis wrote about heaven and hell in The Great Divorce.

The point being that we have a choice. We KNOW the options, and we have a choice.
Nineveh had been warned.
She was warned by Jonah, repented and was delivered.
As is human, I wonder if they thought, oh, he preached hell and damnation, and it didn’t happen…why believe it again?
Children do that, don’t they?
We do that, don’t we?

As I said in IBBS Nahum 1:2b-15
Some judgments we see here on earth…some, at a future time.

Romans 2:5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
5 But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.

We can store up the wrath of God…because we continue in hardness and unrepentant hearts. Are we even aware of this storing up? If not, our consciences are seared, and that’s a very sad situation.  Until then, it’s our choice.

I choose repentance!
And I choose to believe that it is an ongoing effort to maintain my heart right before God.
It is MY choice.
It is MY effort.
It is MY sacrifice on behalf of Him who sacrificed His live for me.
To be clear, I’m not talking about works here…I’m talking about relationship.

In IBBS Jonah 1 I shared part of my story, when I did NOT do what God wanted me to do…and I believe that I put myself in the path of judgement. To be honest, I’m glad that I did not have to wait for years and years and generations to see the hand of discipline upon me, and to help to turn my head back around. And this also speaks to the difference between judgement and discipline.

Hebrews 12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart. 4 In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:
My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly
or faint when you are reproved by Him,
6 for the Lord disciplines the one He loves
and punishes every son He receives.

There is a struggle against sin…
There is a struggle to believe that the future prophecies will come to pass.
But God has given us several examples in the old testament to prepare us to not grow weary!

And God promises to restore “that which the canker-worm has eaten”… read Joel 2.
God will fight for his people, and restore the blessings to them/us.
In IBBS Joel 2, I shared my concerns for our world/country right now. This is an application for NOW.

Back to Nahum:
Nahum 2:3-15

This is something to read, holding in your heart that this what God does to His enemies, and to those that enslave his children. Think of this as God’s wrath against the devil and his fallen angels.

Nahum 3

4 Because of the continual prostitution of the prostitute,
the attractive mistress of sorcery,
who betrays nations by her prostitution
and clans by her witchcraft,

This sounds very much like

Revelation 21:8 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 But the cowards, unbelievers,[a] vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

For the history,from a ‘unbiased’ view, I give you Wikipedia!
Nineveh
Assyria
Sennacherib

In Exodus, we see how God delivered judgement upon the pharaoh that enslaved the Hebrews.
I’ve done a little bit of research. If you don’t believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God, then, you might believe the archaeological studies that say that there’s no way that the Exodus happened.

For completion…Wikipedia shares two pages
The Book of Exodus
Exodus

The archaeologists say that there is no evidence.
That’s what they said for years about Nineveh in Assyria.

Archaeology is starting to confirm the Bible, but faith does not need that.
Hebrews 11:1

I’m going to place my faith in God!
And, in the unbelievable possibility that it is a parable for us, I still choose not to be enslaved to sin!
BTW, Jesus spoke of Moses…I believe Jesus!

Could you comment about how this speaks to you? How do you see Nahum applying to your life?

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

A Revelation Summary, the end to the beginning

Because the study I did was in the NIV Bible from Bible.com, via my Youversion app, I need to post this permission:

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

This is from the end to the beginning…this is not the usual way to read through any book.  Some read the end of mysteries first, which I do not understand. On the other hand, I do not want anyone to be mystified about what will happen at the end of the world…so, I start from the end, and move towards the beginning.  I only mention the letters to the churches, as those are pretty clear.

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
Revelation 22:12 New International Version (NIV)

John and the Angel
6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”
7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
Revelation 22:6-7 New International Version (NIV)

What will not enter heaven:
Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21:27 NIV

Those that don’t get in
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Revelation 21:8 NIV

Who are not the Friends of God?
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15 NIV

For what shall we be judged
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
Revelation 20:12 NIV

The enemy
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:2 NIV

Jesus, the warrior king
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
Revelation 19:11‭-‬13 NIV

The celebration
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
Revelation 19:9 NIV

The why
In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
Revelation 18:24 NIV

Another call to repentance
Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “ ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
Revelation 18:4‭-‬5 NIV

Unrepentant – refused to repent
They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
Revelation 16:9 NIV

God is just
Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”
Revelation 16:5‭-‬7 NIV

Warning even in the end
He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” A second angel followed and said, “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
Revelation 14:7‭-‬10 NIV

Characteristics of the enemy
It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
Revelation 13:6‭-‬7 NIV

The plan of the enemy
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Revelation 12:17 NIV

The enemy
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
Revelation 12:10 NIV

Unbelievers are angry
The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
Revelation 11:18 NIV

It’s God’s right
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”
Revelation 11:15 NIV

To his prophets
And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
Revelation 10:6‭-‬7 NIV

Lack of repentance
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Revelation 9:20‭-‬21 NIV

Breastplates red
The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.
Revelation 9:17 NIV

Who is permitted to be tortured
They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Revelation 9:4 NIV

The bride
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
Revelation 7:9 NIV

Who can stand
They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”
Revelation 6:16‭-‬17 NIV

How long
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.
Revelation 6:9‭-‬11 NIV

Now, a quick cover of the first books of Revelation.

Revelation chapter 5 talks about Christ is Worthy
9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign[b] on the earth.”

Revelation chapter 4 is John’s vision of heaven.
11“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

Revelation chapters 2, & 3 are the letters to the churches.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 1 is the introduction, and John’s vision of the glorified Christ.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

The end is coming, but we can begin at the beginning.
Those that have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ are part of the Bride of Christ.

Revelation 22:14
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

Ephesians 5:22-33
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Revelation is not to be scary, but to be a warning.
Revelation is an invitation.

Revelation 22:16-17
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

COME!

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Nahum – Introduction

Nahum

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The conversation starts Monday, August 20.

Nahum is preaching destruction to Nineveh.

Where have we heard that before? Oh, right…Jonah!
So, did God want to redeem Nineveh or not?

Here’s a couple things that I’ve learned looking at Nineveh…

It was the capital of Assyria.

Our prophet Jonah was told to go and preach to them…to give them the opportunity to repent…and they did…and he got angry.

According to my research, Nahum prophesied between 600 and 740 BC.
Jonah was written in the 8th century BC.

There could be 200 years between Jonah and Nahum!
Just look at the effect 200 years has had on the United States in our focus on faith.

The First Great Awakening was in the mid 1700’s.

Second Great Awakening was in the 1800’s

Then, the third great awakening….1900’s

And the latest was the Pentecostal Awakening:

The most recent Great Awakening (1904 onwards) had its roots in the holiness movement which had developed in the late 19th century. The Pentecostal revival movement began, out of a passion for more power and a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In 1902 the American evangelists Reuben Archer Torrey and Charles McCallon Alexander conducted meetings in Melbourne, Australia, resulting in more than 8,000 converts. News of this revival travelled fast, igniting a passion for prayer and an expectation that God would work in similar ways elsewhere.

Torrey and Alexander were involved in the beginnings of the great Welsh revival (1904).

In 1906 the modern Pentecostal movement was born in Azusa Street, in Los Angeles.

I have to mention the Brownsville Revival – Because it has effected many…though I’m not sure it has had the effect on calling to Godliness that the previous awakenings did. What I mean by this, is that this revival did not have an effect on the culture of our society in the way that the previous awakenings did.

My point for discussing these, is not for a history lesson, but for comparison.

2018 back 200 years is 1818 – the second great awakening, the camp meetings.
This was the time of Charles Finney

Then we look at the 50’s, the 60’s…and the downward spiral of our social culture towards what even the writers of our constitution expected as the moral code of the common man.

Here’s some other information about Nineveh, and Assyria…if you look at that Wikipedia link above, you will see that Nineveh was where current Mosul is now. Mosul is in Northern Iraq…and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant destroyed much of the history of this city in 2010s and the Iraqi military recovered this city in 2017.

ISIL is a very cruel group.
The responses of the then current allies of Nineveh were very casual towards Nineveh’s destruction…because of the cruelty.

In Itty Bitty Bible Study – Jonah, I talk about Jonah having prophesied during a time when the Hebrews were under extreme curel oppression.

2 Kings 14:25-26 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
25 He restored Israel’s border from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word the Lord, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant, the prophet Jonah son of Amittai from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel, neither bond nor free.

In the introduction to Jonah, some of the theories to which I link mentioned that Jonah may have been a victim of the cruelty of Sennacherib.

Whatever the truth is about the timing of Jonah, we do have a historical evidence that there was a great fall!

Wikipedea on Nineveh

Biblical:
The Prophet Jonah before the Walls of Nineveh, drawing by Rembrandt, c. 1655
Nineveh was the flourishing capital of the Assyrian Empire[28] and was the home of King Sennacherib, King of Assyria, during the Biblical reign of King Hezekiah (יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ) and the lifetime of Judean prophet Isaiah (ישעיה). As recorded in Hebrew scripture, Nineveh was also the place where Sennacherib died at the hands of his two sons, who then fled to the vassal land of `rrt Urartu.[29] The book of the prophet Nahum is almost exclusively taken up with prophetic denunciations against Nineveh. Its ruin and utter desolation are foretold.[30][31] Its end was strange, sudden, and tragic.[32] According to the Bible, it was God’s doing, His judgment on Assyria’s pride (Isaiah 10:5–19). In fulfillment of prophecy, God made “an utter end of the place”. It became a “desolation”. The prophet Zephaniah also[33] predicts its destruction along with the fall of the empire of which it was the capital. Nineveh is also the setting of the Book of Tobit.

Historical
After Ashurbanipal
Nineveh’s greatness was short-lived. In around 627 BC, after the death of its last great king Ashurbanipal, the Neo-Assyrian empire began to unravel through a series of bitter civil wars between rival claimants for the throne, and in 616 BC Assyria was attacked by its own former vassals, the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Medes, Persians, Scythians and Cimmerians. In about 616 BC Kalhu was sacked, the allied forces eventually reached Nineveh, besieging and sacking the city in 612 BC, following bitter house-to-house fighting, after which it was razed. Most of the people in the city who could not escape to the last Assyrian strongholds in the north and west were either massacred or deported out of the city and into the countryside where they founded new settlements. Many unburied skeletons were found by the archaeologists at the site. The Assyrian empire then came to an end by 605 BC, the Medes and Babylonians dividing its colonies between themselves.

My point is that even the pagans were given a chance to repent(via Jonah), and centuries later, their repentance was not in evidence in their children’s children.

My story….
I was a United States Sailor.
When I watched the towers fall, I KNEW it would be war…and I demanded it…from my military heart, while my spiritual heart was praying for those I knew in the area, and even for those I didn’t.
I grieved for those that went into eternity that day, not knowing Jesus.
and I wanted revenge.

Recently, we received a letter from one of our old pastors, that he and his wife were being brought into a ministry to share the gospel with Muslims that were coming into our country. I am disgusted and ashamed of my initial reaction…they are the enemy, and ….well, at that point, thank God, my Christian heart stopped me!

What I realized was that I would have difficulty committing to a ministry with this sole focus.
Yes, I have shared with Muslims that God has brought into my life…because, I share one on one with anyone.
Jim took a photo of me talking, and serving water to runners with a Muslim woman whose son was running.
I have never had any negative reaction to anyone based on their evident, or even nonevident faith, when I’ve met them.
I have sat and spoken with every type of faith, sharing what we believe, and finding common ground.
This is who I am…I don’t even think about it.
I’m not saying this to be prideful…I’m saying this to share how I thought I had my heart in a good place…until the possibility of going to Muslim Immigrants was presented…and ugliness in my heart reared up! It was racist, and whatever judging someone by the actions performed by their people group is called. I was stereotyping all and I hated seeing that in my heart!

That is what Jonah was feeling! All in Nineveh deserved to die for the atrocities. And yet, God gave them the grace to repent.
Years later, Nahum preaches the destruction…and there is no repentance as a nation/city/area.

As we, as Christians, know, God does not see people groups…He sees hearts…and there is a revival within Muslim peoples…I guess it’s not a revival if it’s recognition of Jesus as Lord for the first time. Their lives are at stake when they choose Christ. They must count the cost. God is giving the Muslims the opportunity to repent, and to believe, and who am I to stand in His way> (as if I could…duh!)

I could also talk about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah here…as Abraham was a prophet, and the angels that were to destroy those cities spoke to him before hand, and Abraham interceded for those cities…more clearly, for the righteous within them. His concern WAS his nephew, who had left his guidance and moved to this area.

Genesis 18 and Genesis 19.

Abraham prays for the deliverance of the cities for 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10 righteous men.
When the angels get there, they don’t even find 10.
Lot recognizes the angels, invites them in…and then, the angels have to PULL him from the city!
His wife turns to look back…an indication of her heart?…and she is destroyed.
His daughters have some crazy concepts about what they should do…and become pregnant by their father…and they birth the Moabites and Ammonites…two groups that cause problems for years to the Hebrew people! There is no evidence of repentance in this family, just that they were saved because of God’s promise to care for Abraham’s nephew – based  upon Abraham’s faith!

Given a chance to repent, in the midst of seeing everything they knew destroyed…and, possibily, because of being raised in such a deplorable place, the girls created children that would be written about throughout the Bible!

There were sins in Nineveh.
There were sins in Sodom and Gomorrah.
There are sins in the United States of America.
And God has called out man times for us to repent.

God promised Noah that he would never destroy the earth with a flood again.

Yet, we have Jesus letting us know that there is another judgement coming…and Peter writs about it. And we need to be aware!

2 Peter 3:3-7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 First, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days to scoff, living according to their own desires, 4 saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” 5 They willfully ignore this: Long ago the heavens and the earth were brought about from water and through water by the word of God. 6 Through these waters the world of that time perished when it was flooded. 7 But by the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

The churches around the world are having revival in huge numbers.
The churches in the United States are not showing the power of the end time age.
I confess, I am not walking in the power of the end time age!

The main thing that Nahum is speaking to me is that, in light of the opportunities we are given as Christians to repent…do we? Do we get lazy?

There’s also the point of view of the Hebrews…God has decided that they have suffered enough, and He brings judgement upon their enemies, and speaks life to Judah.

another bit from Wikipedia:

Hezekiah (/ˌhɛzɪˈkaɪ.ə/)[a] was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the son of Ahaz and the 13th king of Judah.[1] Edwin Thiele has concluded that his reign was between c. 715 and 686 BC.[2] He is considered a very righteous king by the author of the Books of Kings.[3] He is also one of the most prominent kings of Judah mentioned in the Bible and is one of the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.[4]

According to the Bible, Hezekiah witnessed the destruction of the northern Kingdom of Israel by Sargon’s Assyrians in c. 722 BC and was king of Judah during the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib in 701 BC.[5] Hezekiah enacted sweeping religious reforms, including a strict mandate for the sole worship of Yahweh and a prohibition on venerating other deities within the Temple of Jerusalem.[1] Isaiah and Micah prophesied during his reign.[1]

Hezekiah brought spiritual reform to Judah…repentance, and a change of their hearts.
God heard, and answered.

We can be ministers of peace, by preaching repentance…but only if we are repentant and not lazy about our walk with Christ.

Philippians 2:12 King James Version (KJV)
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

The warnings of Jonah, and the promises of Nahum are to help us to be more like Christ in our world.

Isaiah 50 gives us a picture of Christ…but also, some instruction for our own lives, to be like Christ.

Isaiah 50:4 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Obedient Servant
4 The Lord God has given Me
the tongue of those who are instructed
to know how to sustain the weary with a word.
He awakens Me each morning;
He awakens My ear to listen like those being instructed.

This is why I study the Bible.
This is why I share what the Lord speaks to me, through His word and prayer, and study guides, and yes, even Wikipedia!

I want to make sure that I, and anyone who reads this, prepare our hearts, and that we have the blessing of the Lord fighting for us…not the curse of being destroyed for being an enemy of God!

I hope you will join me for Nahum!

 
Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Surgery Scuttlebutt, part six – surgery and recovery

I’m home! It’s been over two weeks since I’ve shared anything…and I wanted to share the update! Surgery was July 17th. I was in the hospital for 7 days.

If you don’t know what scuttlebutt is, please check out

Intro, part one, part two, part three and part four

If you want a great book to help you prepare for, and recover with, please check out Healing and Hope by Christine Carter. Tell her Christi sent you!

I finally got to Chapter 7. Adjust your lens.

The day before surgery, Jim took me to a very unique hotel, the Tudor Arms in Cleveland, Ohio…just down the road from the Cleveland Clinic.

I wanted to have a restful evening with my husband, and that is exactly what we did.

The outside of the hotel is beautiful.

The history of the hotel is amazing.

The entry was intriguing!


We loved the room.

We had a great supper,


And then we went exploring.
In the rooms that were for banquets and balls, there were details that were amazing, but when you stepped back, you could see the whole picture! Go to the website and look at the beautiful weddings!





 

The next day would be my surgery. This whole surgery scuttlebutt series has been how I could be focused upon the minutia of the issue, but instead, I have been encouraged to widen my focus to see the larger picture, and in that larger picture, I have seen the hand of God.

When I widen my focus, then, when I narrow down into the details, I can see God’s hand, even in the little things.
I was unaware of doing this, until I read chapter 7 – Adjust your lens.

Christine had been encouraging me to be intentional in my healing…via the book.

We must be intentional with our thoughts and expand our vision to include the full scenery we are leaving out.

Here are a few of the things that happened while in the hospital:

  • Our daughter Faith was able to be at the hospital with me because of a scheduling boon with her mother-in-law, making it possible to have the children babysat. She braided my hair after the surgery. Big Picture? LOVE!
  • A dear friend came to visit – and one night, it was so perfect because Jim was exhausted and he felt free to go to the hotel, since our friend Suzanne was there with me! The Big Picture? God will provide for our needs!
  • Jim’s cancer treatment got messed up and he had to have some medicine shipped, and it arrived the day after my surgery. Jim and I had forgotten my CPAP for recovery in the hospital. The day of the surgery, our daughter Faith had been asked to bring it, but she forgot. We were able to not make this detail a bit thing. God took these details, and the big picture was that Jim drove back home for the CPAP, was able to pick up his medicine and continue his treatment while staying at the hotel near the hospital! The Big Picture? God had it under control, with all of our frailties in mind, and the possibility that Jim would not have driven home for the medicine except that he needed to pick up the CPAP!
  • My first roommate was apparently a very angry person. I barely remember. Jim remembers her well. He was trying to figure out how he was going to get me transferred so that I was not with her yelling angry presence. She decided to get up, pack, and leave AMA – he says she walked out of the room, yelling, someone get here and take this IV out of my arm…I’m going home! Big Picture? I know that I felt bad for her, and was praying in my drugged state, but God had already made sure that I would have a peaceful room…the woman made her own choice to leave.
  • I had two other roommates during the 7 days, and as they were preparing to leave, they came over to my bedside and sat down and visited with me. I was drugged, so I have no idea why they became so friendly. the Big Picture? When you pray that you will be Christ like, sharing Christ’s love no matter what, people are drawn to you. Jim says that my character was gracious, compassionate and apologetic for bothering the nurses, even drugged.

From Help and Hope:

I finally discovered that if you can broaden your view – expanding the moments when your vision seems stuck – a massive shift in perspective happens.

When I think about my view, I think about this little house that God has provided us.
Out my bedroom window

Out the bay window….

On the swing and from the swing!

There are parks, and places that I can go to immerse myself in beauty. (these were taken on our 38th anniversary, less than one mile from our home!)

There are many other beautiful views…
My grandchildren, who love to come and say hi.
My friends on the internet that check on me daily, from all over the world.
I just have to look outside of myself – see the big picture, and then, I can drill down the focus and see the beauty of a butterfly, a vine ripe tomato plucked by my grandson, or a marigold that he brings me to cheer me up.

Looking at the big picture reminds me that

  • Even though there is pain…there is no infection.
  • Even though there is pain, there is no cancer.
  • Even though there is limited mobility, THERE IS MOBILITY!

The choice is to be grateful, to acknowledge my blessings, and then, my heart is content!

Isn’t that like looking at the stars and seeing HIS handiwork….

Psalm 19:1 King James Version (KJV)
19 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

and after reading the whole of Psalm 19, I drill down to MY response:

Psalm 19:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Part of adjusting my lens also deals with my mental illnesses – depression, PTSD, and anxiety. When I am in a ‘normal’ state, I feel – MUCH.
But I have been drugged…to help me not feel the pain.
I appreciate the “not feeling” pain, as much as the meds were able to help, but this also effects my emotional state, which is tied to the mental illnesses.

One of the concerns for this journey has been the chemical upset that the various medications will cause to my mental health. Even if one didn’t have mental illnesses, the normal mental person would have struggles with depression and being homebound and such. Therefore, we took measures to insure that I would not succumb to the enemy of my mind.

Just the other day, I read a blog by a dear lady that is also struggling with mental illnesses, and writes about her struggle. She opened my eyes to one of the things that I was experiencing…numbness. What is normal for us is to FEEL – BIG. Take that away, and we don’t feel alive. This can bring in some other issues, for me, such as cutting and bingeing…just to feel. These are some of my enemies.

Katie wrote Wait in the Middle, that so clearly explains this strange situation that effects those of us with emotional issues. I encourage you to go read this!

Back to the book, Help and Hope …I prepared.
I saw the big picture – I have illnesses that need medication.
I saw the big problem – without addressing it, I could relapse into suicidal depression.
I made small, detailed plans – meds were laid out for three weeks, photos of joy were put into photo albums, music to encourage was downloaded, a cd player was set up in my bedroom, and my medical providers were aware of the situation.

Have I had thoughts? not of suicide, Praise God – but I’ve started to have a pity party or two…and by being prepared, I was able to stop that party!
Have I gotten down? yes – and I started counting my blessings, because they were all around me…so the enemy couldn’t lie!
Have I had pain? Yes, and I was able to quote verse as things were being taken care of…to mentally handle the pain.

No matter where you find yourself in this journey, there are those that are willing to help!
In Surgery Scuttlebutt, part two, I talked about how I was afraid I’d be alone…and I have not been!

I hope that you have found something in my story to help you in yours. I have one more blog to share with you the various other things that I have learned…please stay tuned!

 
Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Introducing BlackWaterFalls Testimony – a book in progress

Why write a book about my past? is it relevant?
The purpose of this book is to shine a light on Darkness that is in our midst. Children are sexually abused every single day and it is ignored. Currently there’s even political people saying that it is okay for an adult to have sex with a child if a child is consenting. This absolutely blows my mind. How can a 12 month old, 18 month old, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 year old(for me, to age 12) actually know what they’re consenting to in the realm of sexual interactions.?

Think the church is safe? I tried to hide out in the church! Protect my children in the church!

And then there’s the church. Because the church is spotless and pure obviously there is no childhood sexual abuse within here! At least that was the false believe until we saw the Catholic Church go through serious problems with priests and nuns, and then the various Protestant churches, and then even in a group that we were part of that was very very intent on keeping girls and boys apart until marriage, it was exposed that the leader and his brother had had sexual situations with secretaries and children who were entrusted to him in his ministry.

What is my purpose? What is my goal?

I hope that my story can be used to take what has been whispered in Dark Places, in secret and shout it from the rooftops to bring truth and light into that darkness. It is because of knowing this truth and bringing this truth and shining the light of God’s word onto it in my life that I have been able to overcome. I hope, and I pray, that this book will help others to seek out the truth, release themselves from the guilt and shame, and even get to the point that they can forgive their abuser so that they are completely released from the chains of Darkness.

The break through came while I was hospitalized when the memories resurfaced.  Yes, there was a memory there for years, like one of those little tags at the back of the shirt that is irritating, but you ignore it.

For those that may wonder – the memories were confirmed by 6 different people – all of whom have gone on to their eternal reward.  

Here’s the Summary – created for a writing conference:

My Blackwater Falls Testimony, by M. Christine Wildman

The painting “Blackwater Falls” illustrates the river of my life journey.  The river journeys from hidden abuses, to a chaotic childhood and Christian confusion crashing me about in rock strewn rapids of teenage responsibility.  I am placed into a precarious life as a woman, with five children, and a marriage on the rocks, and I am propelled towards the waterfall plummet that ends in a violent crash.     The onslaught of repressed memories, the rejection from the church and family, and repeated self abuse issues threaten my ability to survive to serve God again.

How does a child handle 13 years of sexual abuse? What does that do to a teen as she looks forward to a future? Can a marriage make it with millions of IEDs lying in wait to destroy every tenet of trust? Can a human being learn to trust a God that allowed such things to happen?  And can a suicidal, mentally ill person become whole again?

As I learned to apply scripture to my situations, I learned to be still in the storms, embrace the storms, and even dive into the storms to obtain the nourishment for my recovery.  On the other side of the valley of the shadow of death, God is setting up a table for me in the presence of my enemies. It’s my job to walk with Him in the valley, so that I can get to the party!

Here is the painting that came out of me, and helped to set me free:

I’ll make a page to link the updates for this book…and I’d love to have your input!

 
Hi! Thanks for coming!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.