Hosea 2

Name changes in the future verse 1

Say you unto your brethren – Ammi

and to your sisters – Ruhamah

Change needs to happen in habits of bride verse 2- 5

Plead with your mother – plead

for she is not MY wife – neither am I her husband

let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight

and her adulteries from between her breasts

Lest I strip her naked – and set her as in the day that she was born

and make her as a wilderness – and set her like a dry land

and slay her with thirst

AND I will not have mercy upon her children

for they be the children of whoredoms

For their mother hath played the harlot

she that conceived them hath done shamefully

for she said – I will go after my lovers

that give me my bread

water – wool – flax – oil drink

LORD will cause a change of attitude verse 6- 8

THEREFORE behold – I will hedge up your way with thorns

and make a wall that she shall not find her paths

And she shall follow after her lovers – BUT she shall not overtake them

and she shall seek them – BUT shall not find them

THEN shall she say – I will go and return to my first husband

for then was it better with me than now

FOR she did not know that I gave her corn – wine – oil

and multiplied her silver and gold – which they prepared for Baal

LORD using tough love verse 9- 13

THEREFORE will I return – and take away MY corn

in the time thereof and MY wine in the season thereof

and will recover MY wool and MY flax given

to cover her nakedness

AND now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers

and none shall deliver her out of MINE hand

I will also cause all her mirth to cease – her feast days – new moons

Sabbaths – all her solemn feasts

I will destroy her vines and her fig trees – whereof she hath said

These are my rewards that my lovers have given me

and I will make them a forest

and the beasts of the field shall eat them

I will visit upon her the days of Baalim

wherein she burned incense to them

and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels

and she went after her lovers

and forgot me – say the LORD

Door of hope offered verse 14- 15

THEREFORE behold – I will allure her – and bring her into the wilderness

and speak comfortably unto her

And I will give her vineyards from thence

and the valley of Achor for a door of hope

and she shall sing there

as in the days of her youth

and as in the day when she came up

out the land of Egypt

End of worship of false gods verse 16- 17

AND it shall be at that day – says the LORD

that you shall call ME Ishi

and shall call ME no more Baali

FOR I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth

and they shall no more be remembered by their name

New covenant made with animal kingdom verse 18

And IN THAT DAY will I make a covenant for them

with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven

creeping things of the ground

and I will break the bow and the sword

and the battle out of the earth

and will make them to lie down safely

Israel to be wife forever verse 19- 20

And I will betroth you unto ME forever

YEA – I will betroth you unto ME in righteousness – judgment

loving- kindness – mercies

I will even betroth you unto ME in faithfulness

AND you shall know the LORD

Change of relationship verse 21- 23

AND it shall come to pass IN THAT DAY – I will hear

says the LORD

I will hear the heavens – and they shall hear the earth

AND the earth shall hear the corn – wine – oil

AND they shall hear Jezreel

AND I will sow her unto ME in the earth

and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy

and I will say to them which were not MY people

you are MY people

and they shall say – YOU are my God

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 7 She will chase her lovers, But not overtake them; Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better for me than now.

DEVOTION: Too often we are prone to wander. There are many songs that deal with the fact that we are a fickle people. We tend to think that that grass is greener on the other side of the fence. We look at what is happing in the lives of those around us and see that they don’t love the LORD and seem to be having a good time without HIM.

In the book of Hosea we find a wife thinking that worshiping the gods of this world is better than worshiping the TRUE God of the Bible. She thought it was her false gods that were giving her all she wanted in life. She had food, riches and friends that she thought were all she really needed in life.

However, the LORD took all these from her and she realized that she needed one thing only in life and that was a proper relationship with the LORD. She decided to return to her first husband or first love. She found out that it was far better.

We need to remember that the world looks very tempting on a regular basis. They seem to have all the fun, food and friends that we want. It is not true. The relationships are very shallow most of the time. Once the good times are over, no one is around to help.

We need to watch who we consider a true lover. The LORD loved us so much HE sent HIS Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and give us joy.

CHALLENGE: We need the joy that the LORD promises to provide even in tough times.

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: 8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. (6213 “prepared” [‘asah] means wrought, commit, make, manufacture, do, deal with, celebrate)

DEVOTION: One of the things that we sometimes don’t realize as we look at all our possessions is the fact of where they really came from. Most of the things that we received when we were children were given to us by our parents or grandparents. We think that things come from people most of the time.

As we get older we feel that the things we have come from us as we work for a paycheck and use our money to buy what we like to have in our life. We accumulate many things and think that we can enjoy them without giving credit to anyone else.

Gomer and the nation of Israel thought that what she received came from her friends or lovers. She thought she was earning a living by doing things that were displeasing to the LORD but she didn’t care as long as she was having fun and receiving gifts.

The LORD corrected her wrong thinking. HE took everything away from her to show her that it was HIS place to provide all that she needed. Sometimes the LORD will do this in our life to get our attention.

We need to not give our worship to the false god of possessions or selfishness and greed.

Don’t give your wealth to false gods. The LORD is the one who gives HIS children strength to be able to earn a living. Give your tithe or ten percent back to the LORD to show you understand everything is a gift from HIM.

CHALLENGE: The LORD is the source of all we own and we need to show our appreciation to HIM alone.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. (8615 “hope” [tiqvah] means cord, expectation, outcome, or looking forward to)

DEVOTION: Hosea tells his children to plead with their mother because of her sin. He says that his relationship with the children is at stake. He doesn’t claim Gomer as his wife. He doesn’t want to be remembered as her husband because of her unfaithfulness.

If she doesn’t listen to the children he is going to have to judge her. He will take all her possessions away and send her off to the wilderness. She thought that all her blessing was coming for her lovers when in reality they were coming from Hosea.

Remember that the relationship between Hosea and Gomer were an illustration of the relationship of the LORD and the children of Israel. Hosea was a prophet to the ten northern tribes that were very rebellious. They were going to be going into captivity soon. They were going to lose all the protection of the LORD that they had in the Promised Land.

The next part of the chapter informs us about all the LORD is going to do to the northern tribes because of their sins. HE lists their sins. They were supposed to be related to the LORD but were thinking that Baal was providing all they needed. They were going to lose everything because of their worship of false gods.

However, HE has Hosea tell them that all is not lost. There is a future expectation of restoration for them. When the children of Israel were coming out of Egypt they came to the Valley of Achor. In that valley was the place that Achan hid the things he had taken from the city of Jericho. Now there was going to be blessings in that same valley.

The people were going to be singing in that valley. The people were going to call upon the name of the LORD in that valley. The LORD was going to take away the names of all false gods from the mouths of the people. They were going to renew their vows with the LORD. The LORD was showing mercy to HIS people.

We are presently living in a world that is full of suffering. Even the children of God are suffering today. There might be more suffering before the LORD returns. I receive email almost daily of suffering in Africa. They don’t have enough of everything most of us take for granted. They are not only pleading for basic necessities but also for more Bibles in their own language.

Our responsibility is to realize that we have the expectation of the return of the LORD at any time. We have to be a witness to all those in our world. We have to spread the Good News in a world that needs good news. The LORD judges sin. HE has provided salvation.

Those who follow the LORD can look forward with the same expectation that HE gave Israel. We have heaven being prepared for our inheritance. Praise the LORD!!!

CHALLENGE: The LORD gives us the expectation of eternity in heaven. We need to give those around us the same expectation. We can even give them assistance in their daily battles through prayer. Prayer is a mighty weapon in the hands of the LORD’S people.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 19 And I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. (781 “betroth” [aras] means espouse, become engaged to, to make a spouse, or pledge to marriage.)

DEVOTION: In a perfect world those who marry each other will stay married until they die. Here we find Hosea married to a woman, Gomer as a type of marriage between Israel and the LORD.

The LORD gave instructions for Hosea to marry Gomer and have children by her but then she runs away after other lovers. These other lovers represent Israel running after false gods. They worshiped Baal and thought that it was this false god that provided all they needed to live. The LORD instructs them in the fact the HE is the one who provides all that Israel needs. HE will demonstrate this fact by taking away the basic necessities of life, so that, they will return to HIM rather than worship this false god. Once the famine hit, they thought it was better to return to the LORD.

In the future, the LORD is going to reestablish HIS relationship with Israel. They are going to be husband and wife in a proper relationship. HE is going to show HIS love through his four basic characteristics to them: righteousness, judgment, loving-kindness and mercy.

HE shows these characteristics in HIS relationship with us. We are espoused to Jesus Christ. We are HIS bride. HE is the bridegroom according to the New Testament. HE is coming for HIS bride in the future. The problem is that we act just like the children of Israel by thinking that we are providing all our needs by ourselves. We think at times that we don’t need to have a close relationship with the LORD because we can take care of ourselves. This is wrong and the LORD is going to show us that it is truly HIM that provides for our every need.

CHALLENGE: Do we truly realize that the LORD is the one who is providing all our needs? If not, watch out for HIS actions to show you that HE is the one you need to totally depend on DAILY for your basic needs.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Answered prayers verse 21

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

Mirth verse 11

Feast days verse 11

New moons verse 11

Sabbaths verse 11

Solemn feasts verse 11

Sing verse 15

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

I will not have mercy verse 4

I will hedge up your way with thorns verse 6

I gave her corn, wine, and oil and multiplied

her silver and gold verse 8

I will return and take away MY corn and

Wine and recover MY wool and

MY flax given to cover her nakedness verse 9

None shall deliver her out of MINE hand verse 10

I will cause all her mirth to cease

and her feast days, her new moons

and her sabbaths and all her solemn

feasts verse 11

I will destroy her vines and her fig trees verse 12

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 13, 16, 20, 21

Allure Israel verse 14

Speak comfortably to Israel verse 14

Give vineyards verse 15

Give door of hope verse 15

Call Ishi by Israel verse 16

I will take away the names of Baalim verse 17

I will make a covenant verse 18

Control of Animals verse 18

I will break the bow and the sword and the

battle out of the earth and make them

to lie down safely verse 18

I will betroth Israel to me forever

in righteousness, judgment,

lovingkindness, and mercy verse 19

I will betroth you to ME in faithfulness verse 20

Hear from Heaven verse 21

I will have mercy upon Israel verse 23

God’s people verse 23

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 23

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Land of Egypt verse 15

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Whoredoms verse 2, 4

Adulteries verse 2

Harlot verse 5

Done shamefully verse 5

Lovers verse 5, 7, 10, 12, 13

Worship of Baal verse 8, 17

Lewdness verse 10

Days of Baalim verse 13

Burned incense to false gods verse 13

Forgot God verse 13

Baali verse 16

Name of Baalim verse 16

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Plead verse 2

Mercies verse 4, 19, 23

Hope verse 15

Covenant verse 18

Safety verse 18

Righteousness verse 19

Judgment verse 19

Loving-kindness verse 19

Faithfulness verse 20

Know the LORD verse 20

LORD hears prayers verse 21, 22

Confession: You are my God verse 23

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Ammi verse 1

Ruhamah verse 1

Gomer verse 2- 13

Hosea verse 7

No more remembered by the names of Baalim verse 17

Shall know the LORD verse 20

Hear the LORD on earth verse 21

Earth shall bear corn, wine, oil verse 22

Hear Jezreel verse 22

God’s people verse 23

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

In that day verse 18, 21

Betroth Israel forever verse 19

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DONATIONS:

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QUOTES regarding passage

2:8 [2:10] The verbs here should be translated in the present tense. “She does not know that I am the one who gives her the grain and the wine and the fresh oil; / And I make her silver¹³⁹ increase, but she makes gold into Baal.” The point is that this is an ongoing activity that Yahweh must put a stop to; it is not some prior offense for which he must punish them. Yahweh is the true fertility God—not in the lecherous sense in which they perceived Baal to give fertility but in the sense that harvests, wealth, and indeed children come from the Lord. Year by year Yahweh gives them plenty, and year by year they attribute their fortune to Baal and honor him out of their prosperity. In the Feast of Harvest Israel was supposed to acknowledge that all the bounty of the land came from God (Lev 23:10–20; Deut 26:10–11). (Garrett, D. A. (1997). Hosea, Joel (Vol. 19A, p. 82). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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8 Here is the reason for Israel’s unfaithfulness: The people did not recognize God as the source of their benefits—grain, wine, oil (the staple food products), and silver and gold (the precious metals used in trade). They had used much silver and gold for idols of Baal. The name “Baal” probably stands for all the false gods, of which Baal himself was the most popular one. Jehu had done much to eliminate Baal worship (2 Kings 10:19–28), but it still persisted. (Wood, L. J. (1986). Hosea. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, p. 176). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

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2:8. Israel’s guilt was established as the basis for her punishment. She had failed to acknowledge the Lord as the Source of her produce and wealth. Instead she used silver and gold to manufacture Baal idols (cf. 8:4; 13:2), for it was this Canaanite deity to whom she attributed her agricultural (grain … new wine and oil) and economic prosperity (2:5, 12–13).

Baal was the Canaanite god who supposedly controlled storms and was responsible for both agricultural and human fertility. The Canaanite “Legend of Keret” associated Baal’s rain with agricultural blessing in the form of grain, bread, wine, and oil (cf. J.C.L. Gibson, Canaanite Myths and Legends. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1978, p. 98). By looking to Baal for these things Israel broke the first of the Ten Commandments (cf. Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7), rejecting one of the main principles of the Mosaic legislation. Moses taught that the Lord provided grain, wine, and oil (Deut. 7:13; 11:14). Each Israelite, when presenting his firstfruits in the harvest festival, was to recite the following words in the presence of the priest, “I bring the firstfruits of the soil that You, O Lord, have given me” (Deut. 26:10). (Chisholm, R. B., Jr. (1985). Hosea. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 1383–1384). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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Ingratitude (Hosea 2:5b–9). Instead of thanking the true God for His blessings of food, water, and clothing, the nation thanked the false gods and used those gifts to serve idols. What ingratitude! God provided rain for the land (Deut. 11:8–17), but the Israelites gave the credit to Baal, the rain god. Because it is God who gives us power to earn wealth (8:17–18) and enjoy the blessings of life (1 Tim. 6:17), we must thank Him and acknowledge His goodness. What wickedness it is to take the gifts of God and use them to worship false gods!

God had every right to abandon His people, but instead, He chose to discipline them. The nation would chase after false gods, but Jehovah would block their paths and confuse their plans so that they would stumble on the way. He would take back His gifts and leave the nation as naked as a newborn baby and as barren as a desert.

It’s remarkable how many times God’s people are admonished in Scripture to be thankful. I’ve noted at least fifteen places where we’re commanded to “give thanks to the Lord,” and Psalm 100:4 and Colossians 3:15 both admonish us to be thankful. Both Jesus and Paul set the example by giving thanks often to the Lord for His blessings. One of the first steps toward rebellion against God is a refusal to give God thanks for His mercies (Rom. 1:21). God will not allow us to enjoy His gifts and at the same time ignore the Giver, for this is the essence of idolatry. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (pp. 16–17). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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2:8 used for Baal. Baal (the Phoenician sun-god) worship, already present during the time of the judges (cf. Jdg 2:17; 3:3; 8:33), became established in Israel when King Ahab married Jezebel, who attempted to obliterate Israelite worship of the true God (cf. 1Ki 19). Offerings to Baal actually came from God’s dowry to Israel (cf. Eze 16:10–14). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ho 2:8). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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It is the same love and grace that every weary sinner and every failing saint is made to know when he seeks God’s face, confessing the sin and shame of his evil ways. No transgression is too great for Him to pardon, no evil-doing is too much for His mercy, if there be but a breaking-down before Him, and He be justified by the erring one, while the wrong-doer condemns himself.*

Touchingly Jehovah points out the insensibility of Israel as to the true source of all her past blessing. “She did not know,” He says, “that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal” (ver. 8). The treasures He bestowed with lavish hand she had poured out upon the altars of her shame! Therefore He would withhold His favor until she learned that her false gods could bring her no good, but only sorrow and want of all things. One by one, all she valued would be stripped from her till she should learn that in Jehovah, whom she had so dishonored, was all blessing to be found. His gifts she had attributed to her idols, saying, “These are my rewards that my lovers have given me” (ver. 12): but, bereft of all, she shall learn that she had been deluding herself and dishonoring Jehovah.* (Ironside, H. A. (1909). Notes on the Minor Prophets. (p. 21, 22). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)

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Ver. 8. For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, &c.] This is a reason, not of her resolution to return to her first husband, but to go after lovers, and of her ascribing these things to them, ver. 5 and why the Lord would behave towards her as he determined to do, ver. 6, 7. this ignorance was wilful and affected, and therefore blamable; she might have known, but she would not; she did not set her mind to know; she did not consider who gave her these things, nor behave as if she knew, as Jarchi: or she did not own and acknowledge God to be the author and giver of them, as she should have done; which was ingratitude rather than ignorance, and is a heinous sin, and to be resented; since all good things, temporal and spiritual, as daily bread, all the necessaries of life, signified by these things, so the word, and ordinances, and spiritual gifts, which they may be emblems of, come from God, and should be acknowledged; but the Jews, as in the times of Isaiah, did not know him, and acknowledge his benefits, Isa. 1:2, 3. so, in the times of Christ, they did not know him to be the God of Israel, God over all, blessed for ever; from whom, and for whose sake, who was to be, and was born of them, they enjoyed the privileges they did, John 1:10, 11; Rom. 9:4, 5. And multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal; the relative which may refer to all that goes before; and the sense be, that these gifts of God, and which should have been owned as such, and employed in his service, and to his glory; some were made use of in meat and drink offerings to Baal; and others in decking themselves to appear in his worship to his honour; or in ornamenting the idol therewith, or in making it thereof, so the Targum and Syriac version: and all this may be said to be done, when these things are spent in the service of other lords than the Lord himself; when they are abused to sinful purposes, and consumed on the lusts of men, to gratify their sensuality, pride, and vanity, which the Jews did. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 384). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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FROM MY READING:

The problem is that the church is loaded, not with lost people, but with believers who are spiritually barren, hurting, backslidden, drowning in selfish and materialistic values, chained to moral impurity, in financial bondage, and bitter over marital conflicts and rebellious children. Christians in this condition, who know nothing of the joy and victory of e Spirit-filled life, don’t have the capacity to reach out to their lost friends, neighbors, and associates. (De lFehsenfeld )

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Anyone in the ministry is caught in a tension. On one hand, we’re called to be holy, to provide an example of righteous living for those we lead. On the other hand, we’re human, unable to completely live up to our calling. How can we be ourselves and make our inevitable mistakes—indeed, commit our inevitable sins—without seeing our ministries destroyed? Every Christian leader is forced to come to terms with this dilemma. (Kesler, J. (1988). Being holy, being human: dealing with the expectations of ministry (Vol. 13, p. 15). Carol Stream, IL; Waco, TX: Christianity Today, Inc.; Word Books.)

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2 Chronicles 34
Josiah leads Judah into righteousness.
INSIGHT

It is almost impossible to imagine the Law could have gotten lost in Jerusalem. How could that have happened? The whole nation is to worship the Lord; the dominant building in Jerusalem is the temple. Israel’s entire history revolves around the giving and preservation of the Law. How can this happen? Neglect has a poor memory. How quickly we can drift from the Lord in just a short time of spiritual staleness. Consider our nation. The moral fiber we had 20 years ago is nonexistent today. People are people. Israel drifted the same way—but for a longer time. This ought to serve as a warning to us; the same can happen to us as individuals. (Quiet Walk)

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WHAT HAPPENS IN REVIVAL? PART 2

And they were all ?lled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4

In a revival the church is given great assurance concerning the truth. It does not have to investigate the truth or set up a commission to look into it. It is given an absolute certainty about it. That is the thing that comes out so clearly in the story in Acts. Take these men, these apostles. You remember how a few weeks before, after the crucifixion, they were very shaken and most uncertain. They had come to a belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they had come to see that He was the Messiah; but then He was crucified, and they were shattered and confused in their minds.

You will find, in the last chapter of John’s Gospel, that they were just talking to one another when Peter suddenly said, “I will go fishing. I must do something to relieve this; it is too miserable; it is impossible.” And the others said, “We will go with you.”

You cannot imagine a more dejected picture. They were shaken and uncertain about everything. And then the Lord appeared to them, and He taught them. Ah, yes, this certainly put them in a better condition. But it was only after…the Day of Pentecost that they were filled with assurance and understanding and immediately began to speak to the people about the wonderful works of God. Never again was there any doubt; never again was there any difficulty about understanding. Take Peter himself; look at the sermon that he preached on that occasion. He was absolutely certain and assured. That is something that is absolutely universal in times of revival.

A Thought to Ponder: Never again was there any doubt; never again was there any difficulty about understanding. (From Revival, pp. 204-205, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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When God Doesn’t Hear

“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)
People often complain that God doesn’t hear their prayers, especially when God does not respond in the way they would like. But He can hear, all right! “He that planted the ear, shall he not hear?” He even hears our thoughts. “Thou knowest . . . my thought afar off” (Psalm 94:9; 139:2).
It is not that God cannot hear, but it just may be that we have not met the conditions for answered prayer so that He will hear. Probably the most important of these conditions is obedience to His Word. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you,” said Jesus, “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). But, “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3).
There are other conditions, of course. “Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:6). “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,” said Jesus (John 14:13). “If we ask any thing according to his will . . . we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14-15).
Even if we do meet all the conditions, however, He may not answer immediately or in the way we prefer, and He might even answer no. After all, He knows better than we just what is best for us, and He will see that “all things work together for good” for us if we truly “love God” (Romans 8:28).
But, first of all, we need to check our lives in relation to His Word. Then, “if our heart condemn us not . . . whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments” (1 John 3:21-22). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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First, reconciliation must be attempted because of our witness to the world. (p. 134)

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The unbelievers in the world look carefully at how Christians live and pay even closer attention to how we treat our own. (p. 134)

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Second, Christians pursue reconciliation in order to influence future generations.

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What a terrible thing to be in a family where there remains a pattern of avoiding reconciliation. (p. 135)

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Third, without reconciliation, there is disunity, which weakens the body of Jesus Christ.

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When people surmise that a church split was probably of the Lord because now there are two churches, they are speaking nonsense! (p. 135)

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Finally, reconciled Christians demonstrate the power of Christ’s gospel. (p. 136)

WHEN YOU’VE BEEN WRONGED by Erwin W. Lutzer

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We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.