Tag Archives: Itty Bitty Bible Study

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: 20-22 living stones and the temple

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 2:11-19, which you can skip if you are up to date:

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

This section brings to mind the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” and “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand”.

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 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!

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

How is this temple built?

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.

What does this mean for us, and how do we apply it?
1st Corinthians 3 talks about the foundation and he who Waters and he who plants and he who harvests.

1 Corinthians 3:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.

Then it goes on to talk about building with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and stubble and that every man’s work will be judged by fire.

THIS IS NOT SALVATION BUT EVIDENCE OF OUR LIFE COMMITMENT TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

1st Corinthians 3:16 know ye not that ye are the temple of God and the spirit of God dwells in you

That makes a very pretty little song but here is the second half, it’s following in our previous contrast and compare of the Flesh and the spirit

1 Corinthians 3:17 King James Version (KJV)
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

To know how serious God is about his dwelling place, just read the old testament about the tabernacle, the temple, or for that matter, his response to ones who touched the ark of the covenant that were not qualified. Jehovah God takes his dwelling place very seriously. Life and death seriously.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 King James Version (KJV)
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

If you read 1st Corinthians 6 Paul’s talking to us about making sure that we walk sanctified and that we should walk in righteousness. He talks about what will be in the kingdom and what won’t be in the Kingdom. He’s also talking that there’s a difference between what you eat as in legalism and the actual sins of the heart and the spirit if you start in verse

12 “Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is helpful.
“Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything.
13 “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will do away with both of them.
The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
15 Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?
So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not!
16 Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.
17 But anyone joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

I’m not talking about legalism and rules.
I’m talking about glorifying God in our bodies!
This is NOT Old Testament laws…this is new testament response!

Ephesians 2:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

Remember that we are bought with a price…we OWE HIM EVERYTHING!!!
We owe him our lives!

Our choices can link us to God or the enemy.
Our choices indicate flesh or spirit guidance.
Our choices can bring us life or death!

Proverbs 18:21 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
21 Life and death are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

James 3:6 KJV
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 New International Version (NIV)
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Back to the garden…they had a choice to choose life or death!

Genesis 2:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat[a] from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

Jeremiah 21 speaks judgement to Zedekiah, and yet, God gives the people a choice – life or death.

Jeremiah 21:8 Holman Christian Standard Bible
“But you must say to this people, ‘This is what the LORD says: Look, I am presenting to you the way of life and the way of death.

It’s all about choosing life or death, flesh or spirit!

Romans 6 talks about the fact that we are slaves to whomever we bind ourselves to…BUT IT’S A CHOICE!

Romans 6:16-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone[a] as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred[b] to, 18 and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

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.

I’m trying to keep these shorter…so, I’ll talk about the HOW in the next section. For now, let’s worship!

For review – here 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 – 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 – Ephesians 2:1-10 The situation

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

For review – here are the chapter 1 sections:

In the IBBS Ephesians Introduction, I shared my thoughts on Ephesians 1:1-2.
And here are the others up to this point:
IBBS Ephesians 1:3-6
IBBS Ephesians 1:7-14
IBBS Ephesians 1:7-14

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 1 is all about God’s love for us. At least, that is what Ephesians 1 speaks to me.
Ephesians 2 speaks to me of Grace. First, though, we need to see WHY we need Grace!

Ephesians 2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins
2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

  • Dead
  • trespasses
  • sins
  • ways of the world
  • according to…well, the devil

Who did we begin as dead in our sins??? In order to understand the greatness of God’s grace, we have to understand the WHY about the need.

We have to begin at the beginning, which is Genesis.
I wrote about this in Advent #6

For good measure, let’s start with Genesis chapter 2

  • God created a garden and it was good
  • God created man and he was good, except that it was not good that he was alone…
  • so God created woman, and she was good.
  • God created tress in the garden, and they were good…because the garden was good, creation was good, etc., etc.

There were two special trees…knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life.
One they were not to eat of…the knowledge of good and evil, because in that day they would die. Only ONE rule.

Genesis 2:10-17
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat[g] from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

They knew no shame or guilt:

25 Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.

Then came the enemy:
Genesis Chapter 3

There was ONLY one rule, ONLY one requirement, and everything else was paradise. Yet, their flesh got in the way!
Ephesians tells us that this applies to us as well.

Ephesians 2:3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

So does the rest of the Bible. The bible agrees with itself.

Romans 3:23 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the[a] glory of God.

Isaiah 64:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 All of us have become like something unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like a polluted[a] garment;
all of us wither like a leaf,
and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Genesis is the Old Testament. In the New Testament in Romans 5, we have at the example of how this applies to us today. read verse 1-11 for hope, then, here’s how God planned it.

Romans 5:12 through one man came sin through one man came salvation

Romans 5:12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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.

This is the problem – this is how genesis 3 applies to us!

Romans 5:14 through one man death reigned and through the other we have life
Adam was the protype of Christ

Romans 5:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype[a] of the Coming One.

Romans 5:15 in the transgression of the one, many died but the free gift from the One is Grace to many
Romans 5:16 out of the transgression of one came condemnation and judgement, but because of the transgression of many, through Christ and his obedience we have the resulting justification – the gift.
Romans 5:17 from the transgression of one, death reigned. From the gift of Grace of One, Jesus Christ, we reign in life
Romans 5:18 through transgression of one came condemnation for many, but through the righteousness of the One came justification for everyone.
Romans 5:19 through Disobedience of one many were made sinners but through the obedience of the ONE many were made righteous

There will be an account made, and paid.

2 Corinthians 5:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.

Romans 3:4-5 let God be true and every man a liar. God has a right to pronounce judgement!

The Gift of God

Ephesians 2:4-10

Ephesians 2:4-5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,[a] 5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

Ephesians 2:8-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—
9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

The judgement is real.
The effect is real.
The gift is real.
Simply put, there are “buts” to this situation!

Romans 5:8 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Romans 6:23 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13 for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

How do we obtain this gift of God?

Some thoughts on choice from Lent day eight
Thoughts on Repentance from Jonah chapter 3
and, here’s one of my confessions as an example!

Now, I want to worship!
Grace by the Martins
Grace that is Greater than all our sins by Don Moen
Your grace still amazes me Phillip, Craig and Dean
and my favorite:

Ephesians 2:11-22 will touch on our two natures, and why we cannot do it, and why the gift of god is infinite in it’s worth

Josh Groban sings this…and many faith’s have put their own spin on this, but for me…this is my song of thanks to God, through Jesus Christ…because without Him, I am nothing!

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.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Nahum 1:2- 15

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 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Nahum 1:2
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance
and is fierce in wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance against His foes;
He is furious with His enemies.

I talked in IBBS Nahum 1:2 about God being a Jealous God.
I talked about God being an Avenging God in IBBS Nahum 2b.

Now, I will attempt to understand how the rest of Nahum applies to us in 2018.

Nahum 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
1 The oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance
and is fierce in wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance against His foes;
He is furious with His enemies.

This explains with whom God is angry, and to whom he focuses his wrath!

Deuteronomy 7:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 But He directly pays back[a] and destroys those who hate Him. He will not hesitate to directly pay back[b] the one who hates Him.

Yet the following gives us a picture of God on the believer’s behalf, and the reason that we want to be RIGHT WITH GOD:

Nahum 1:3
3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;

IT IS FOLLOWED BY A WARNING!:

the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished.‘

Nahum seems to be quoting:

Numbers 14:18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
18 The Lord is slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children to the third and fourth generation.

THIS IS GOD!

  • slow to anger
  • rich in faithful love
  • forgiving wrong doing and rebellion

THIS IS ALSO GOD!

  • will not leave guilty unpunished
  • bring consequences….of the fathers sins on the children…to the third and fourth generation.

Deuteronomy 5:9 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
9 You must not bow down to them or worship them, because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

There is a requirement for God’s blessing….

John 3:36 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life,
but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

It’s all about our choice! Which side do we want to find ourselves on? Back in Nahum 1:2b, we talked about the Lord takes vengeance against his foes…furious with his enemies. I don’t want to be found to be an enemy of God!

Romans 8:7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.

To be more clear:

Romans 8:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

The carnal mind, the flesh serving and focused mind is an enemy to God – but only because it CANNOT turn to God…which is WHY we need to become new creatures!

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.

God made a way so that we could choose NOT to be his enemy!

Our God is an AWESOME God…and we need to know both sides of him! We need to understand WHY there is a requirement to believe, to obey, to honor, to worship….why we need a relationship with God through Jesus Christ!

Romans 6:23 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That says it in a nutshell…it’s the plan of salvation, but more importantly, the NEED for salvation.

Nahum 1:3-5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3…His path is in the whirlwind and storm,
and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
4 He rebukes the sea so that it dries up,
and He makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither;
even the flower of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before Him,
and the hills melt;
the earth trembles at His presence—
the world and all who live in it.

Worship break!
Our God is an Awesome God!

many forget this part of this song!

Once we see part of the awesomeness of God…
Then, the warning!!!

Nahum 1:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Who can withstand His indignation?
Who can endure His burning anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
even rocks are shattered before Him.

As I said above, we do NOT want to be his enemies…and I’m trying to make it clear how we can become his enemies, and how can be part of his family!

Psalm 2:12 King James Version (KJV)
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Nehemiah 9:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 But our ancestors acted arrogantly;
they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands.
17 They refused to listen
and did not remember Your wonders
You performed among them.
They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader
to return to their slavery in Egypt.[a]
But You are a forgiving God,
gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love,
and You did not abandon them.

Even in the midst of His people being rebellious, He still offers forgiveness…for repentance!

2 Chronicles 7:14 speaks to people that are CALLED BY HIS NAME! on the Bible hub link, you can read it in ANY version you would like!

I prefer Amplified:

2 Chronicles 7:14 Amplified Bible (AMP)
14 and My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.

Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

THIS IS WRITTEN TO GOD’S PEOPLE…NOT THE UNBELIEVERS!!!!
This is OUR responsibility! Not just to ourselves, but to our communities, our families, our churches, our states, our nations and our world! We are the change that God places in this world!

Back to Nahum.
Even in the midst of describing the destruction of Nineveh, it’s as if God doesn’t want us overwhelmed by His vengeance, He wants us to remember the other side of Him! The side that HIS children enjoy!

Nahum 1:7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
7 The Lord is good,
a stronghold in a day of distress;
He cares for those who take refuge in Him.

We can look at Psalm 91 – and remember specifically verses 1-2

Psalm 91:1-2 King James Version (KJV)
91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

We can read Psalm 46 starting with verse 1!

Psalm 46:1-2 King James Version (KJV)
46 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Back to Nahum:

Nahum 1:8-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 But He will completely destroy Nineveh[d]
with an overwhelming flood,
and He will chase His enemies into darkness.
9 Whatever you plot against the Lord,
He will bring it to complete destruction;
oppression will not rise up a second time.
10 For they will be consumed
like entangled thorns,
like the drink of a drunkard
and like straw that is fully dry.

God is in control…We who believe KNOW this.
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.

KJV says “hardness and impenitent hearts”
one says “unwillingness to change.”
many others say “stubbornness.”
This concerns me because of THIS verse:

1 Samuel 15:23 King James Version (KJV)
23 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.

Bible Hub gives you other versions in which to read 1 Samuel 15:23 – but the warning is still very similar!

  • Hard hearts
  • Stubborn hearts
  • impenitent hearts
  • rebellious hearts

IT’S A HEART ISSUE!

Let’s compare Egypt, Nahum’s prophecy of deliverance for Judah, and Salvation:

Enslaved

  • Exodus – enslaved to Pharoah
  • Nahum – enslaved to Sennecharib and Assyria
  • Salvation – enslaved to Sin

Cruelty

  • Exodus – forced to work in labor camps
  • Nahum – Sennecharib was hated for his cruelty, even by his allies
  • Salvation – we are cruelly kept from peace, hope, and joy, used for his purposes

In Darkness

  • Exodus – the plague of darkness descended, but they were in darkness of hopelessness
  • Nahum – The darkness of the constant fear
  • Salvation – rescued out of the darkness Colossians 1:13

Warnings

  • Exodus – the 10 plagues
  • Nahum – Nineveh warned by Jonah(you can read about Jonah starting with IBBS Jonah Introduction)
  • Salvation – Pricks of conscience – Like Saul/Paul in Acts 9:5

Sacrifice

  • Exodus – First born of all, and the Passover lamb
  • Nahum – Sennacherib – his sons killed him(Wikipedia)
  • Salvation – God’s son, Jesus(I wrote a bit about Jesus being the Passover Lamb in Advent day 12 and the New Covenant

Slavery Broken – Shackles broken

  • Exodus – they left!
  • Nahum – Judah delivered – Nahum 1:13
  • Salvation – whom the son sets free is fee indeed! John 8:36

Worship Break!

Repentance

Light

  • Exodus – Light in the darkness during the plague of darkness
  • Nahum – the promises from the prophets
  • Salvation – called out of darkness into HIS wonderful light – 1 Peter 2:9

Separated from the Enemy

  • Exodus – splitting of the red sea – enemies destroyed
  • Nahum – Civil war caused the Assyrians to be weakened(from Wikipedia)
  • Salvation – old has passed, all things made new 2 Corinthians 5:17

Responsibility

What is my point in all of this?
The Bible is ONE story – the story about how God created us to enjoy HIS presence, we messed up, like a parent he has to discipline us, but he calls us back to HIM! and when we cannot make it, which none of us can, HE made the way!

Let’s finish up chapter one.

Nahum 1:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 One has gone out from you,[a]
who plots evil against Yahweh,
and is a wicked counselor.

Not all counselors are good ones…some are wolves in sheep’s clothing….

Nahum 1:12-13
12 This is what the Lord says:
Though they are strong[h] and numerous,
they will still be mowed down,
and he[i] will pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,[j]
I will afflict you no longer.
13 For I will now break off his yoke from you
and tear off your shackles.

The Promise of deliverance in the midst of an overwhelming enemy!

Nahum 1:14
14 The Lord has issued an order concerning you:
There will be no offspring
to carry on your name.[k]
I will eliminate the carved idol and cast image
from the house of your gods;
I will prepare your grave,
for you are contemptible.

Complete annihilation of the enemy…makes me think of Revelation!!!

Nahum 1:15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 [l]Look to the mountains—
the feet of one bringing good news
and proclaiming peace!
Celebrate your festivals, Judah;
fulfill your vows.
For the wicked one will never again
march through you;
he will be entirely wiped out.

2 Chronicles 20:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Read Exodus 14:14 in all of it’s versions…the LORD will fight for US! for ME! for YOU!

Psalm 46:10 King James Version (KJV)
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

No matter what a mess we have made of our lives, God can straighten it out.
No matter how big the enemy, God can take them down.
No matter how long the trial, God can see us through!

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 1:2b

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 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Nahum 1:2
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance
and is fierce in wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance against His foes;
He is furious with His enemies.

I talked in IBBS Nahum 1:2 about God being a Jealous God.

Now I want to look at Avenging God.

Websters defines it as:
: seeking or gaining vengeance an avenging angel

Strongs, from Blue Letter Bible, defines it as such:
naw-kam’; a primitive root; to grudge, i.e. avenge or punish:—avenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self),

What does that mean for us? I decided to study some cross references via Bible Hub, based on the avenging part of Nahum 1:2.

Deuteronomy 32:35 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
35 Vengeance[a] belongs to Me; I will repay.[b]
In time their foot will slip,
for their day of disaster is near,
and their doom is coming quickly.”

Why does God say this?
Back to a parent perspective.

  • You mess with my child, and you have to mess with me! A few teachers found out that I am able to write convincing letters to authorities when they overstepped their boudnaries!
  • You mess with my brother, you mess with me! well, until my little brother grew bigger and stronger than me.
  • You mess with my husband, and you mess with me. There have been a few ladies, and some family members that have faced my wrath in this area!
  • I guess you could even say you mess with my country, and I will remember my oath as a United States Navy sailor.
  • As a Christian, when the enemy messes with my church – I will go into spiritual warfare and fight until the battle is over, or I am relieved by the Captain of the Heavenly Army.

If this is how a parent, sister, wife and Child of God responds to the enemy coming against their family, HOW MUCH MORE WILL GOD GO TO BATTLE ON OUR BEHALF?

Hebrews 10:30 KJV
For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

Deuteronomy 32:35 ESV
Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’

Romans 10:19 HCSB
Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.

Proverbs 20:22 HCSB
Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will rescue you.

In the previous blog about a jealous God, Webster’s definition, number 3 was
3 : vigilant in guarding a possession

This is WHY God is vengeful…on our BEHALF!
The truth is, in the Old Testament, He fought for us, because we could not…please read the full chapter of Isaiah 58, linked below, but here is an excerpt:

Isaiah 59:15-20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 Truth is missing,
and whoever turns from evil is plundered.
The Lord saw that there was no justice,
and He was offended.
16 He saw that there was no man—
He was amazed that there was no one interceding;
so His own arm brought salvation,
and His own righteousness supported Him.

Psalm 42 speaks of the pre-incarnate Christ, and God not sharing His glory with another(back to those idols that get in the way) and Him fighting his enemies.

Isaiah 42:12-13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 Let them give glory to the Lord
and declare His praise in the islands.
13 The Lord advances like a warrior;
He stirs up His zeal like a soldier.
He shouts, He roars aloud,
He prevails over His enemies.

There is so much more I could write about God fighting for us.

  • In Job, we can read about how God has control over what the enemy can do to us…and HE will come out of the whirlwind to deliver us!
  • In Ephesians, we learn about OUR part, through the blood bought price of Jesus Christ, to stand before the enemy, In Jesus’ name, and to do battle…to be intercessors on behalf of others.
  • In James we learn about the prayer of the righteous man or woman availing much.

But, who are God’s enemies?
The Devil, obviously.

Let’s look at Adam and Eve.
They sinned, they were separated from God by their guilt…so, he killed an animal to cover them.
Eve was spoken to by the enemy. Adam just fell to his fleshly desires.

On the other hand, He is also dealing with our evil/base nature. These were not tempted specifically by the enemy as Eve had been.

  • Cain and Abel – God tried to reach Cain, and instead, Cain killed Abel.
  • Jacob and Esau – when Jacob returned, God gave him wisdom to soften Esau’s heart.
  • Moses and Pharoah – when God was done with the pain caused to the Israelites, He sent plagues and caused Pharoah to let His people Go.
  • All the battles in the Old Testament – Jericho, Gideon, David’s mighty men…God went before them, and they knew it! sometimes, the failure was because of their own sins.

The ultimate battle on our behalf – Jesus and the Devil. We could not fight off our sinful nature, nor pay the price, therefore, God sent his son to die on the cross, and pay our price. The ultimate battle on our behalf!

Psalm 91 is the ultimate promise for protection in battle.

Psalm 91 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Psalm 91
The Protection of the Most High
1 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High
dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say[a] to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

9 Because you have made the Lord—my refuge,
the Most High—your dwelling place,
10 no harm will come to you;
no plague will come near your tent.

14 Because he is lovingly devoted to Me,
I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he knows My name.
15 When he calls out to Me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble.
I will rescue him and give him honor.
16 I will satisfy him with a long life
and show him My salvation.

This vengeance by God  on behalf of us is because of a relationship!

Deuteronomy 28

When Moses was teaching the people how to understand God, he taught them the words that if we hear, and obey, we are blessed. If we do not, we live under a curse…which to me means that the blessings are removed, or cannot fall upon us.

Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good,
a stronghold in a day of distress;
He cares for those who take refuge in Him.

Jeremiah 1:19 New International Version (NIV)
19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

There are many sermons preached about our victory in Jesus.
The point is, the victory was purchased and won BY JESUS – and we have to be IN HIM to dwell in victory.

There is definitely a flip side.
Matthew 25 gives the prophecy of Jesus’s return, and how he will separate the sheep from the goats.

Some think they are sheep, but this is what Jesus says:

Matthew 7:21-23 King James Version (KJV)
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Malachi 3 talks about God bringing judgement into the house of the Lord.

1 Peter 4:17 King James Version (KJV)
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Proverbs 26:2 King James Version (KJV)
2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

or to be more clear:

Proverbs 26:2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
2 Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow,
an undeserved curse goes nowhere.

To be clear – we bring the curses upon ourselves…just as Adam and Eve did.
I even believe that it is NOT GOD that sends people to hell, but their choices. He has done everything that He could do to open the way! I want to make my choice JESUS!

I want God to fight for me, whatever the battle! Here is the promise:

John 10:28-30 King James Version (KJV)
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.

Here are the warnings:

Luke 9:26 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.

Matthew 10:33 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

Here is our call!

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.

Our relationship with Jehovah/Yaweh Creator God is based on his son, Jesus.
Our relationship with Jesus Christ is a personal one.
It must be based on the Bible truths if we want to believe in the Bible blessings.
If we believe in the Bible Blessings, we must also believe in the Bible curses…the removal of blessings.


What Jesus has me do in the way of obedience may look different than what he asks you to do, but the basics for salvation are the same. Denying Christ is the key to not being with Christ.

Many have read John 3:16, but what about verses 17-18, or 19-20?

John 3:16-20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 “For God loved the world in this way:[a] He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

19 “This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it,[b] so that his deeds may not be exposed.

Wouldn’t it be awful to die and stand before Jesus and hear him say “depart from me, I never knew you”? I don’t want that for anyone!


I’m going to leave some links here so that you can make sure that you have a biblical basis for your profession of faith, and then, I encourage you to go back to the verses about being ashamed…denying…and robbing…as well as the basics of the 10 commandments, which I touched on in the previous Itty Bitty Bible Study – Nahum 1:2a.

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 – 1:2a

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 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
1 The oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

God’s Vengeance
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance
and is fierce in[a] wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance against His foes;
He is furious with His enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;
the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished.
His path is in the whirlwind and storm,
and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
4 He rebukes the sea so that it dries up,
and He makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither;
even the flower of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before Him,
and the hills melt;
the earth trembles[b][c] at His presence—
the world and all who live in it.
6 Who can withstand His indignation?
Who can endure His burning anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
even rocks are shattered before Him

One of the basic things I see missing in Christians lives is the KNOWING of WHO God is.
Nahum starts out this prophecy telling us!

NOTE – I am using Blue Letter Bible to do the work research….I could do it in a Strong’s, but then I don’t have a nice link, and I have to type it all in! Therefore, I’m giving them credit, and sharing one of my Bible Study tools with you!

Jealous

Exodus 34:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 You are never to bow down to another god because Yahweh, being jealous by nature,[a] is a jealous God.

Here’s the Amplified version of Exodus 20:5 – the 10 commandments…this is the second commandment.

Exodus 20:5 Amplified Bible (AMP)
5 You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [[a]demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Footnotes:
Exodus 20:5 God does not tolerate the transfer of the honor and worship that is due Him to any other being or object.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Exodus 20:5 in all English translations

The full commandment goes like this:

4 “You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship].
5 You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [[a]demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing graciousness and steadfast lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

The Strong’s definition isn’t much help…H7072 – qannow = jealous or angry.

Webster’s defines Jealous this way:
Definition of jealous
1 : hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage : envious His success made his old friends jealous. They were jealous of his success.
2 a : intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness
jealous of the slightest interference in household management —Havelock Ellis
b : disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness a jealous husband
3 : vigilant in guarding a possession
new colonies were jealous of their new independence —Scott Buchanan

The Book of Joshua gives us a bit more insight…

Joshua 24:19 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
19 But Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to worship Yahweh, because He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not remove your transgressions and sins.

This is where Joshua was calling them out to follow God again…to repent…read the whole chapter for context. They cry out that they will follow the Lord…Joshua 24

For what is God jealous?
I don’t believe it’s for HIS respect and honor and glory..though he totally deserves it all.
He’s intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness (Webster’s)
God doesn’t want to share his creation with, well, created creation!

Even more to the point, I think, is that God knows how desperate we are for a god to serve….and we will do anything to create one we can see.

I have found this list of scriptures about idols…I don’t know about this site, I just know this is a great list. It was in this list I found the verse I was remembering:

Psalm 135:15-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 The idols of the nations are of silver and gold,
made by human hands.
16 They have mouths but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears but cannot hear;
indeed, there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.

How many idols do we have in our lives? You may not have a statue of some deity on our shelf, but what is an idol?

Yesterday, during service, my pastor, Keith Brunner, defined idols as:

anything we trust more than God.

Pretty simple, right?

Here’s my story from my recent struggles.

I know the Lord, I have Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
I know the Word of God, and I continue to fill my mind with it.
I know I have the Holy Spirit residing in me, and it is my prayer that I don’t grieve Him.

BUT
When the pain comes…I hear the words of fear…that I am not going to make it, that I’m going to get an infection, that I’m going to be in more pain than ever before.

So, what did I do?
Sometimes, I quoted scripture, and prayed and turned on the worship music.
Other times, I whined.
I cried.
I called the doctors and said why do I have this pain….
and then got mad when they said if the pain is so bad go to the emergency room!
I wrote about my struggle in Pain/Peace.

So, where is my little “g” god?
I cried to the doctor FIRST.
I leaned on the emotional eating…and I did this often…even yesterday.
I put more pressure on my husband to pray for me…as if his prayers were better than mine. (this is not to say that you cannot join together, or ask for prayer…I’m confessing my focus)

I’ve put more trust in a car than God at times.
I’ve put more trust in our finances than God at times.
I’ve put more trust in food than God for comfort.
I have put my husband and my family before God before.

and, the ultimate idolatry, I put myself, and my decisions before God when I attempted suicide.

Some folks may have difficulty with alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, lifestyles…
The question is…would you give it up if God asked you to?
If it was all taken away today, would you serve God tomorrow?
That is how I check my heart.

Jesus said:(Matthew 10)

37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow[b] Me is not worthy of Me.
39 Anyone finding[c] his life will lose it, and anyone losing[d] his life because of Me will find it.

Jesus also said

Matthew 22:34-40 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Primary Commands
34 When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”[a]
37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.[b] 38 This is the greatest and most important[c] command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend[e] on these two commands.”

Luke 10:27 says it this way:

He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.

What happened that God had to tell us this?
The fall.
Eve and the serpent.
Adam and the serpent….
choosing to believe someone OTHER THAN God….

You can read about that in Genesis 3.

In Genesis 2, we get the description of the Garden that God created for mankind.

As an artist, I put a lot of my heart and soul, as well as mental and physical energy into a painting.
As a writer, I put a lot of myself into what I write.
God is so much MORE than I am.
As I am connected to my creation, so HE is MORE connected.
As I love my creation despite it’s faults, so HE is so much MORE loving with HIS creation.
As I see a mistake, and find ways to correct it, which may change the original plan, but makes that piece more unique, God looks at our mistakes and has a plan to bring about the good HE planned for us, in spite of our mistakes.

God created this perfect world, with beauty we cannot comprehend, and gave ONLY ONE RULE… ONLY ONE!
And Eve put the words of the serpent over the words that she had heard daily, while walking in the garden with GOD!
Adam put the words of Eve, the lust of his flesh, the lust of his eyes and the pride of life over the beautiful relationship he had with God, walking daily in the garden.

Now, let’s say you and I have a special relationship with someone…like a child that we have brought into this world, given blood sweat and tears to raise them up…and they go to others and call them mother or father.
They put their confidence in the other people, instead of you. Those others that do not know the story of the early years, the struggles, the joys, the costs paid, the tears shed…they just know the results of the years of relationship, and benefit from all that went before without paying the cost.
What if, that child chose to spend more time with the others than to be with the ones that held them when they were sick, carried them when they were weak, prayed for them when there were fevers, and unexplained illnesses, and broken hearts and outside wounds from others. What if they broke off relations with you entirely?
What if they denied the good that they had been given to fulfill their desires.
The parents would struggle with jealousy.

God gave Adam and Eve Good…so much good it was excellent beyond our comprehension.
Eve chose a fruit, THE ONLY FRUIT that was forbidden – because it was more beautiful than the ones she had, to have wisdom and to be ‘like God’.
I do wonder about Adam…since it doesn’t say that he was beguiled by the serpent…he just took it and ate!
He’d been with God longer than Eve(ok, not much longer…she was created the same day).

Here we have the two most perfect humans, other than Christ, living in the most perfect environment, having a personal relationship with God by walking with him daily…talking with him daily…AND THEY CHOSE SOMETHING OTHER!

Yes – God would be jealous.

But, that is a human emotion.
And I think that God’s jealousy is even more holy than we, as humans can imagine.
He sees that HIS beautiful creation just chose to die.
He sees that HIS beautiful creation just chose confusion over peace.
He sees that HIS beautiful creation just chose struggle over contentment.
He sees that HIS beautiful creation just chose guilt and fear over relationship.

HE COULD SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THESE CHOICES!
And, He knew he’d send His son to pay this price.

1 Corinthians 6:20 King James Version (KJV)
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Ephesians 2:8-9 King James Version (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Why is God a jealous God?
I believe it goes back to the third definitions of jealousy by Webster:
vigilant in guarding a possession.

If you are a parent…how do you look at your child?
I don’t mean as a possession…I mean, in the face of possible danger?
Children are taken away and sold into slavery every day. The sex trade is huge here in Ohio, unfortunately, this is a hub.
I was vigilant in watching out for my children.
I made rules for them when we were out in public.

One of my daughters tells folks that if they mess with her, they’ll have to deal with her mom.
While she makes it sound like I’ll come and beat them up…she knows that I will pray, I will fight, I will turn every stone to make sure my daughter is safe…even today.
I hate those that harm my children…so I have to pray for them…and heal my heart.
I hate those that have pulled my children away from the one true God…so again, I have to pray, and work on MY heart.

I have found that vigilance has returned now that I am around my grandchildren.

Why do I feel so passionate about my children and children’s children?
Because I love them more than life itself.

That is why God is a jealous God…because he is a good good father, and wants the best for us.
This says it very well!

and a Capella:

I’ve written much here about God and jealousy.
Nahum can be read to put God in a horrible light.
We need to read it with the eyes of the New Testament – and understand what Nahum is saying.
I’ll be talking about the rest of this chapter all of this week!

I also pointed to the 10 commandments. I have a help that I have found:

If you are interested in memorizing the 10 commandments, Beyond Today has some ideas.

If you need to catch up…Nahum – introduction
Thanks for joining me!

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.