And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of their bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them. Exodus 2:23-25
Our scripture text reveal the historical events that transpire after the death of God’s Servant, Joseph. A new Pharaoh, (who didn’t know Joseph) fearing retaliation once the Israelites realized the Presence and Power of The Almighty God Who chose and sustained them as His Very Own People, planned to diminish the Israelites! Yet despite his efforts to destroy them, the Israelites rapidly increased into a mighty people. In order to divert this frightening consequence, Pharaoh set about to enslave and tighten his control over the Israelites with bitter cruelty, intimidation, oppression and subsequently demoralization!
BUT GOD, refusing to be deterred, breaking thru nearly 400 years of silence, raised up Moses to tell His people that He’d not forgotten them nor His Promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. GOD wanted to assure His people that while it may have appeared that their cries were being ignored, His Eyes were watching and His Ears were attentive to every one of their groanings and was coming down to deliver them from the hand of their wicked Egyptian captors.
Quiet as it’s often kept, every one of us who’ve professed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord has experienced gapping periodic silences when all circumstantial evidence would suggest that Heaven has hit the mute button, slashing all means of communication, leaving us abandoned, isolated, vulnerable and alone to fend for ourselves!
While this may not fit into the 21st Century Theologian Doctrine of some sometimes it jus seems like everything is working against those of us who are striving to live our everyday lives in a manner that pleases and glorifies The God Who has called and redeemed us from ‘a miserable life of sin’!#ijs!!!
TRUTHBTOLD, life has a way of contradicting all of those ‘faith’ confessions that we cling to, until it drains our souls, depletes our hope and left unabated, causes us to doubt God’s Faithfulness and unintentionally heeding seducing spirits that suggest that perhaps this time, Satan jus might be a true prophet. And we all know how that turns out, huh?
TRUST2KNO, the devil is STILL a liar and the Father of lies. In other words, ‘IT AIN’T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE’! Satan, the Master of Deception manipulates these moments of desperate silence attempting to overwhelm us with fear in order to persuade us that God is not to be trusted!
Beloved, in spite of appearances, logic or feelings, we must never forget that our Heavenly Father has sworn by GODSELF to never leave us or forsake us. The Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent Creator and Sustainer of all life has committed GODSELF to be with us! Even if we can’t see Him, by faith we know that He’s ALWAYS there, working behind the scenes, fulfilling His intents and purposes for each of our lives.
When the cares of this world overshadow the Voice of The Lord, when we can’t trace God’s Hand, we can still trust His Heart!
Precious one, WHEN HEAVEN GOES MUTE, DON’T FALL 4 THE OKEY DOKE! IT’S NOT TIME TO GIVE UP! REST ASSURED, HELP IS ON THE WAY!
Be still and know that I am GOD; I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us, the GOD of Jacob is our refuge. Selah! Psalm 46:10-11
Thank you for joining us once again in our Weekly Thursdays’ Corporate Prayer and Fasting! We’re so grateful to Jesus, Our Great High Priest, for every opportunity to come before His Throne, casting our cares at His Feet, recognizing that He’s willing and able to perfect everything that concerns us and to pour His Grace and Mercy upon our souls, freeing us from fear, doubt and anxiety, enabling us to live peacefully even in the midst of trying times! Let’s enter into His Presence with praiz…
WHEN I COME INTO HIS PRESENCE, I HUMBLE MYSELF! LIFT UP BOTH MY HANDS, AND I BEGIN TO WORSHIP HIM! I WORSHIP HIM, FOR ALL THAT HE HAS DONE FOR ME; REDEEMED AND SET ME FREE! AND BECAUSE, JUS BCUZ…HE IS LORD! LET’S PRAY…
ABBA FATHER, Who dwells above the heavens and earth, we come once again humbly before You exalting Your Holy Name, acknowledging, there is NONE LIKE YOU! Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God and Your judgments are like the great deep! We are eternally grateful that You have chosen us to be called The Children of The Most High God! While we’ve done absolutely nothing to earn such honor and privilege, we bow before You, thanking You for the gift of one more day to embrace Life, Health, Peace and Joy that’s found in our personal relationship with The Creator, Sustainer and Satisfier of every living creation.
Sweet Holy Spirit, embolden by Your Strength in the liberty that’s made available through The Precious Blood of Jesus, Our Savior and Lord, trusting wholly that everything that pertains to life and godliness is already prepared for this day, even as was provided for The Israelites as they journey through the wilderness! Therefore, we bless You, Our Good Shepherd for supplying our every need, according to Your Riches in Glory!
Father, we thank You for Your Faithful Compassion and Great Mercy towards us that allows You to look beyond our flawed, frail and fickle flesh that causes us to say, think and do those things which are not pleasing in Your sight! We are so thankful for Your Promise that if we would acknowledge our sin and repent from a pure heart, You are Faithful to forgive us , cast our sin in the sea of forgetfulness, wash us in The Blood of Jesus and restore us back into right standing with You!
Father, because no man can come to You except You draw him, we lift our brothers and sisters who yet do not know You in the pardon of their sin! We ask that You break up the fallow ground of their self-willed hearts and minds, quicken The Spirit of Righteousness and Truth that provokes them to surrender their lives completely over to You today, and by faith confess that Jesus is The Son of God, the ONLY ACCEPTABLE SACRAFICE FOR SIN, RECEIVE HIS ATONING BLOOD AND BE BORN AGAIN INTO THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GOD!
Lord Jesus, because You came not to condemn but to convict us and restore, we lift up the backslider who has been lured outside of The Ark of Covenant Grace, touch their hearts and minds, flood their souls with a spirit of repentance that draws them back into Your Loving Arms; assure them that You are ready, willing and able to restore them to Your Family. Direct their steps to a local Church where they will be embraced with lovingkindness, nurtured and strengthened through Your Word that they may live out the rest of their lives as beacons of Light glorifying Your Power, Mercy and Grace that encourages those that they encounter to ask, “What must I do to be saved?” In Jesus Name we pray, AMEN 3X!
Sometimes, our hearts and minds are overwhelmed with so much doubt, anxiety and uncertainty that we lose or focus! Lord, You know, the effect that this society, steeped in the stench of swampy lawlessness, corruption and blatant immorality has on us! We ask that You help us to endure the things that are going on around us! Lord, while You never promised us that we would have trial-free lives in this earth, help us to endure these last and evil days! Give us confident hope-filled expectation that Your eyes are on the Righteous, You are a Very Present Help in trouble and that while weeping may endure for a night, Joy shall come in the morning!
Precious Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent Lord,knowing that You never intended us to meander through this life alone but to live solely dependent upon You, we come now asking You to save us, help us, lead and guide us, strengthen and uphold us as we seek to live our lives representing You, The Light of The World, before this dark, lost and un-regenerated anti-Christ culture!
You know the lawlessness that’s so prevalent in our nation and our world today and how we’re so easily tempted to give up as if we have no hope for things getting better in the future. Help us to walk by faith and not by sight! Help us to remember thatYour Word Shall Reign Forever and that every Promise You have spoken isYEA AND AMEN, THEREFORE SHALL COME TO PASS!Help us to remember that You, Jehovah HAVE THE FINAL SAY! Help us to know that nothing happens in the earth that can or will ever take You by surprise. Give us the confidence that You, Who sits upon the circle of the earth, neither sleeps nor slumber and SHALL NEVER RELINQUISH YOUR POSITION, POWER OR CONTROL to THE WILL OF ANY MERE MORTAL MAN!
Encourage our hearts to acknowledge that when it seems as if this world is upside down, that at Your appointed time You SHALL intervene by Your POWER and turn EVERYTHING RIGHT-SIDE UP!As Your Servant David wrote, ‘though we walk through the valley of the shadows of death, we fear no evil, for Thou are with us!You have sworn by GODSELF, TO NEVER LEAVE NOR FORSAKE US!
We pray for those who are in contentious situations in this land, in our churches, our homes, communities. We bind the Spirit of exclusion and release The Spirit of Oneness! We thank You Father for the empowering Spirit of Agreement!We pray for all those who are arrogant, selfish, self-aggrandizing and ask that You reveal Yourself to them; reverse the hatred and bigotry in this country and replace it with LOVE AND THE MIND OF CHRIST! We promise that we will forever give You The Honor and Praise!
We trust that despite of what it looks like, NO WEAPON THAT’S FORMED AGAINST US SHALL PROSPER, AND EVERY TONGUE THAT RISES UP AGAINST US SHALL BE CONDEMNED! At Your Command, every stronghold that the adversary has planned to use against us is uprooted and demolished NOW; IN JESUS NAME! EVERY SPIRIT OF SICKNESS, PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL, IS REBUKED AND CAST DOWN NOW, IN JESUS NAME! WE COMMAND PEACE BE STILL, WE RELEASE DIVINE HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND INCREASE INTO THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO CONFESS THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD! WE SPEAK RESTORATION OF MARRIAGES AND RELATIONSHIPS! WE SPEAK DELIVERANCE FROM EVERY ADDICTION THAT WOULD DETOUR GOD’S BELOVED FROM THEIR APPOINTED DESTINY! WE SILENCE EVERY ACCUSER AND FALSE WITNESS WHO PLOTS AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF GOD!
WE SPEAK EXPOSURE OF EVERY SPIRIT AND EVERYONE WHO WOULD ATTEMPT TO PERPETUATE DECEPTION, LAWLESSNESS AND PERVERT TRUTH! WE DECREE AND DECLARE IMMEDIATE RELEASE AND SAFE RETURN OF ALL VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICING AND EXACT DIVINE JUSTICE AND APPROPRITE PUNISHMENT UPON THOSE WHO SELFISHLY CAUSE THIS ATROCIOUS ACTIONS, IN THE MAJESTIC NAME OF JESUS!
Abba Father, as we near the closing of our prayers, we’re careful to mention those who are shut-in, hospitalized, incarcerated, going through chemotherapy and radiation, dialysis treatments; those awaiting organ transplants! We lift them up before You. Remember those who are stricken with grief, mourning the loss of family and friends; remember those whose lives are being tormented by fear, failure, poverty, unbelief, unforgiveness, doubt, anxiety, stress, mental disorders, hopelessness, shame, guilt, suicide, disappointment, rejection, ungodly soul ties and perverted sexual orientations!
Father as we wait in confidence and quietness, we’re rejoicing in hope and trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling and suddenly departing in fear and shame and defeat, turning their backs from Your people, because You have heard the voice of our weeping, our supplications and received our prayer as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy!
Finally, Abba Father, we stand in agreement with You Who hears ours prayers and forgives our transgressions shout with everlasting joy to The One to Whom all men will come! We believe that as Your Face shines upon us, You are making Your Ways and Salvation known among all nations, for You Guide and Rule justly!
Father, we thank You NOW! In The Exalted Name of Jesus WE SAY Amen 3X and It Is So!
Call to me and I will answer and show to you things that you do not see…Behold, I will bring it HEALTH and cure, and I will cure them, and I will reveal unto them the abundance of PEACE AND TRUTH!
Jeremiah 33:3, 6
BELOVED, GOD’S LOVE FOR HIS PRECIOUS TREASURE IS IMMUTABLE! Those Whom HE has CALLED, CHOSEN AND SANCTIFIED UNTO HIMSELF, must never allow our CIRCUMSTANCES to alter our perception of WHO GOD IS!
ADVERSITY IS GOD’S INVITATION TO REVEAL THE WONDER OF HIS TRUE CHARACTER AND MANIFOLD PRESENCE!
WHILE HIS LOVE IS EVERLASTING, IN ORDER FOR US TO REACH OUR HIGHEST POTENTIAL OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY, HE INTERJECTS DISCOMFORT TO INDUCE CHANGE! OFTIMES, GOD WILL ALLOW DESTRUCTION IN ORDER TO CLEANSE HIS PEOPLE OF THEIR WICKEDNESS THAT WOULD DETER HIS PERFECT PURPOSE AND PLAN FOR OUR LIVES! NEVERTHELESS, WE MUST NEVER ASSUME THAT HE HAS ABANDONED…
“I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. Their blood has stained my clothes.For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors. 5 I was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm, and my wrath sustained me. 6 I crushed the nations in my anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground, spilling their blood upon the earth.”
Isaiah 63:3-6
Looking back throughout Israel’s history, we see that they’d experienced cycles of oppression laced with intermittent periods of freedom and peace. While God has committed Himself to provide and protect His Cherished Ones, He is yet Holy therefore His love for Justice does not diminish His hate for iniquity! While many struggle to reconcile the seemingly duplicity of God’s attributes, TRUTHBTOLD, God’s Holiness cannot overlook humanity’s sin and requires a satisfying sacrificial atonement! Unfortunately, this task would require substantially more than mere human capacity!
As our scripture text opens in Isaiah 63:1, the question is being asked, “Who is this coming from Edom, Israel’s enemy? God responding, as He triumphantly appears clothed in his garment stained with the blood of His subjugated adversaries annihilated in the fury of His Vengeance, identifies Himself as The Solo Warrior!
Having looked around and finding no one capable of helping Him to victoriously uphold His Righteousness, determined to bring about Salvation by His Own Arm, trampled out His Holy Indignation upon those who persisted in their rebellious disobedience and wicked oppression of His People, bringing the strength of His enemies to naught and prompting the Year of God’s Redemption!
Beloved, I count it not a stretch to report that we’re living in desperate times that for all intents and purposes, without Divine Intervention there is little evidence of things getting better. Yet for those who have placed their confidence in The Saving Grace of JESUS, our TRUST shall remain fixed On The ROCK and our HOPE resting assuredly well beyond this world!
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with ornaments.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the LORD GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations! Isaiah 61:10-11
BELOVED, WHEN ALL SEEMS LOST, AND THERE’S NO REASON TO HOPE FOR HELP, TRUSTKNO, THAT’S THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK TO THE ALL POWERFUL ONE GOD ALMIGHTY, THE SOLO WARRIOR, EL SHADDAI. FOR THE LORD, OUR GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE!
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. I will praise thee for ever, because thou has done it; and I will wait on thy name, for it is good before thy saints. Psalm 52:8-9
Granted, given the state of our world today, on the surface, one might surmise that there’s sufficient evidence to doubt the validity or value of trying to hold on to any hope of times getting better! Right before our very own eyes, us, ‘senior seasoned saints’, have witnessed our world, as we knew, succumb to the slippery slop of cultural decadence! What used to be commonly accepted wrongs are now right and the traditionally prevailing right is now widely embraced as wrong!
Integrity, morality, commitment, righteousness of character have become mere irrelevant inconveniences giving way to unimaginable freedoms ‘to do you boo‘, unhindered by the entangling restraints of archaic orthodox accountabilities! DON’T SHOUT ME DOWN, NAH! #ijs!!
Nevertheless, while these contemporary trends may cause tremors and shock waves to some, TRUTHBTOLD, the more things change, the more they stay the same., In other words, what goes around, comes around, huh? In the natural, it appears that the ungodly prosper unimpeded and unabated while the righteous continually suffer vulnerably incapacitated and oppressed beneath the knees of evil transgressors!
According to our text, once again, The Psalmist, David,, finding himself surrounded by the wickedness and deceitfulness of ungodly men seeking to destroy him, struggles to resist the intense temptation to give into to fear, turns his heart Heavenward The Only True Source of very present Hope and Help! As he redirects his focus, acknowledging his personal relationship to The Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent Creator and Sustainer of Life, David’s faith is replenished and his confident anticipation is rewarded.
As David, comparing himself to an olive tree, remembers that while it may appear that the wicked who relentlessly rest in the frivolous folly of their evil intents, with no regard to The Righteous Commands of The True and Living God are victorious! However, unbeknown to them, the ostensible success of his adversaries is only temporary! For in the end, all of their plotting and scheming shall prove to be no match nor threat to The Will of God for David’s life!
For the righteous, who places his hope, trust and commitment in THE NAME OF JESUS, remains steadfast and unmovable, shall witness the destruction of his enemies!
“You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.” Psalm 91:8-10 NLT
TRUTHBTOLD, IT AIN’T ALWAYS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! OUR SOVEREIGN KING WATCHES OVER HIS WORD TO PERFORM IT! #OMG, DIDJAHEARDAT? REST ASSURED,IT’S A FIXED FIGHT AND WE’VE ALREADY WON! #GLORRRAAAAAA!!!
TRUST2KNO,Beloved, all who yield their hearts to praise, RELYING SOLELY UPON HIS JESUS’ SAVING GRACE, SHALL FLOURISH IN GOD’S HOLY PRESENCE FOREVERRRR!
Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. I hate and abhor lying; but thy law do I love. Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments. Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them. LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments. My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly. I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies; for all my ways are before thee. Psalm 119:160-168
According to the Psalmist, there’s a direct correlation between the intensity of a believer’s love for God’s Word and God’s Deliverance!
Unfortunately, the wicked who despise and reject God’s Word, thereby persecuting the righteous for no reason, have no hope for Salvation! But those who ,appreciate God’s Compassion towards those who seek to consistently esteem the worth and treasure the integrity and valuable insights unveiled through their understanding and knowledge of His Righteous Decrees, and honor Him with faithful obedience and shall discover Hope, Help and Peace even in trying times!
Daniel answered and said“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; 22 he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.Daniel 2:20-22
All too often we, as human beings, are overly anxious to know the future! May I submit for your consideration that perhaps, in all actuality, we just might glean a more discerning perspective of our future by intentionally looking back at the past.
TRUTHBTOLD, a great deal of our stress could be alleviated by simply acknowledging “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29ESV
However the beneficial relevancy of this scripture is steeped in one’s personal revelation, acknowledgment, acceptance, submission to wisdom and understanding of The Sovereign Lordship of The Eternal True and Living God!
In other words, when we consider the TRUTH, that The Creator, Who sits enthroned outside and above time, seasons and space, is in ABSOLUTECONTROL of ALL THINGS, has sworn by GODSELF to Divinely orchestrate HIS PLAN to provide, protect, guide, guard and direct our past, present and future it ought to relieve the pressure of fear and alleviate the burden of doubt of the unknown!DON’T 4GET, IT’S HIS…STORY! #ijs
TRUST2KNO, our GOD is ALWAYS actively involved in the affairs of humanity and nothings happens that will EVRRRR take God by surprise or cause HIM 2 SAY OOOPSSSS! EVEN WHEN WE’RE NOT!REST ASSURED,OUR GOD IS OMNIPRESENT, OMNISCIENT AND OMNIPOTENT!
“Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:4
BELOVED, when we can’t trace GOD’S HAND, TRUST HIS HEART, HIS TIMING AND HIS PROCESS!
So Judah defeated Israel on that occasion because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their ancestors.2 Chronicles 13:18
Beloved, in times like these even the Most Sainted of God’s Chosen may be tempted to fall prey to seducing spirits and give in to ‘a severe case of circumstantial amnesia’!
But Holy Spirit comes to encourage those of us who have committed our lives to The Saving Grace of The True and Living God through our faith in The Finished Work of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, to never ever forgetWHO we are and WHOSE WE ARE! Just because we run out of options doesn’t mean God’s out of opportunities to show forth His Glory!
When our backs are up against the wall and we’re outnumbered by our enemies two to one , our Eternal Sovereign God remains Faithful to fulfil every Word that proceeds from His Mouth and watches over HIS WORD to perform it! The same God who manifested His Mighty Power throughout Eternity Past to those who rely upon Him, is The same, GOD yesterday, today and forever!
Precious one, don’t allow temporal circumstances to distort or distract you from your faithful stance. TRUTHBTOLD, The GOD WHO SITS ENTHRONED UPON THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH SHALL NEVER RELINQUISH HIS AUTHORITY TO ANY…and come what may, HE IS WELL ABLE AND WILLING TO DO EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT NO OTHER POWER, in the Heavens or Earth CAN DO!
“Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”Psalm 121:4
TRUST2KNO, there is NO FAILURE IN JESUS! FOR OUR GOD YET SPECIALIZES IN THINGS THAT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE!
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation [is] from him. Psalm 62:5
Thank you for joining us once again in our Weekly Thursdays’ Corporate Prayer and Fasting! We’re so grateful to Jesus, Our Great High Priest, for every opportunity to come before His Throne, casting our cares at His Feet, recognizing that He’s willing and able to perfect everything that concerns us and to pour His Grace and Mercy upon our souls, freeing us from fear, doubt and anxiety, enabling us to live peacefully even in the midst of trying times! Let’s enter into His Presence with praiz…
WHEN I COME INTO HIS PRESENCE, I HUMBLE MYSELF! LIFT UP BOTH MY HANDS, AND I BEGIN TO WORSHIP HIM! I WORSHIP HIM, FOR ALL THAT HE HAS DONE FOR ME; REDEEMED AND SET ME FREE! AND BECAUSE, JUS BCUZ…HE IS LORD! LET’S PRAY…
ABBA FATHER, Who dwells above the heavens and earth, we come…
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering so they went both of them together. Genesis 22:8 KJV
And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”Revelation 5:5-7, 9-10 ESV
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22 ESV
TRUST2KNOW,MERCY IS FREE BUT IT WASN’T CHEAP! TRUTHBTOLD…NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD!
Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. Hosea 14:3-4ESV
One of the most controversial and gravely undervalued Biblical principles of Christianity is, watch out Y’ALL…’REPENTANCE’! Like the Ol Skool Preacha used to say, “I guess I done lost half my church, huh?”
While many 21st Century Biblical Scholars typically shun broaching the very suggestion, much less accept its validity or even legitimacy. Yet, last time I checked, it’s still in The Book. In fact, personally, I most ardently believe that a careful inspection of the Holy Writ emphatically implicates its ETERNAL significance! Without ‘GODLY REPENTANCE‘, can there ever be trueSalvation?#Don’tshoutmedownnah!
According to 2 Peter 3:9“The LORD is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Still, given the propensity of humanity to push the envelope to see just how close we can get to the world and not step outside The Shadow of God’s Grace, we often gravitate to our pet axioms in an attempt to excuse or justify our rebelliousness, like “After all, ain’t nobody perfect”, “Pray for me I’m not there yet”; and we can’t exclude this one, “God knows my heart!”
In our Scripture Text we see God’s Servant, Hosea, reminding his people how gracious the Lord has been to them, the consequences of their sin; he desperately pleads for the Nation of Israel to turn back to God before provoking His Hand culminating in their ultimate downfall and destruction.
“Oh Israel, return unto the LORD thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity!” Hosea 14:1
At the same time, The Prophet begs God to remember His Love, Mercy and Patience! Nevertheless, the peoples hearts had become fallow ground, hardened by their sin lustingdesires and unrelenting spiritual whoredom, they refused to hear Hosea’s plea, heaping unto themselves false religious practices thereby inciting the bitterness of God’s Anger and Wrath!
Not unlike many church folk today, our forefathers foolishly attempted to mock God’s Favor, as if He was their Lucky Charm or Spiritual Sugar Daddy, who could be pushed aside until needed! Their persistent rejection, blatantly minimized His Righteous expectation that they would respond to His Goodness with gratitude, faithful obedience and devotion!
How often have we been guilty of neglecting that other side of God’s Righteousness aka Justice?#JJJEEESSSUUUSSSS!
But ThanksB2GOD, HE IS LONGSUFFERING! He allows us more than ample opportunities to come to the end of ourselves and realize that we need Him a whole lot more than He evrrrr needs us! TRUTHBTOLD, without His Help, none of us could exist!
TRUTHBTOLD, we misconstrue GODLY REPENTANCE with “I’m sorry” followed up by the shedding of a few tears! Needless to say our interpretation falls way short of God’s Intent! GODLY REPENTANCE first acknowledges that we have violated God’s Righteous Commands and that nothing besides God can save us. Next, GODLY REPENTANCE requites a change of mind and heart about Sin. We must not see it as something to be loved but hated and abominated! Finally, GODLY REPENTANCE requires a change of will and behavior followed up by turning away from sin to God for pardon and forgiveness!
OMG! I feel a tomato throwing spirit in the house!
Hosea concludes his message admonishing those who have an ear to hear to carefully contemplate the prudent wisdom presented to them, consummate their intimate relationship with their Heavenly Father by making a irrevocable decision and commitment to forsake all else and embrace the leading of The True and Living God of All Power, Provision, Consolation and Comfort!
#DIDJAHEARDAT? WELL? #HOW’BOUTU?
BCUZ, SOMETIMES SAYING UR SORRY AIN’T ENOUGH! #IJS
SELAH Daily Devotions 