- araratchurch
- Nov 14, 2023
- 2 min read
In preparation for our discussion over the next five days, please carefully read and meditate on these passages of scripture:
“Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”
Hosea 6:1-3 NKJV
“O Israel, return to the Lord your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; Take words with you, And return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.” “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall be revived like grain, And grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon. “Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me.” Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them.”
Hosea 14:1-9 NKJV
Throughout the Old Testament we see accounts of the backsliding of the children of Israel.
As well, we also see the Lord bidding His people to return, while offering wonderful blessings if they would do so.
Sadly, we know that Israel (as a nation) still rejects God’s Messiah. But make no mistake, they will return, and the Lord will fight for them.
Over the next several days we will use Israel’s backsliding as a lens through which to see the way to return to the Lord, as well as the benefits of doing so, and the terrible consequences that can come with not returning to the Him.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Nov 12, 2023
- 3 min read
“Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.” So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan. Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel (which means “God of Bethel”), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau.”
Genesis 35:1-2, 6-7 NLT
For many years I have used a lighted magnifying mirror to look at when I “fix” my face.
Many years ago I began to notice that when I would try a new face product, I ended up looking worse than I had before I started the new regime.
Now, when this phenomenon happened for about the third time, I began to wonder what was really going on.
When I realized the truth explaining my conundrum, I had to laugh at myself.
You see, an intervening variable (something that changed of which I was not aware) was actually the cause of this “looking-worse-after-treatment” phenomenon I was observing.
I finally realized that after a few days of trying a new product, I would always wipe all the dust off the mirror to get a “good look” at my progress.
What I wasn’t taking into account was the “soft focus” effect the dust layer was providing. In other words, I looked worse than what I was seeing. I was not aware of the fact that when I wiped off the dust, what I was seeing in the mirror, was now me without the “soft focus.” So, the comparison of the image I was seeing on the dustless mirror, was certainly not an improvement of what I had been seeing through the soft-focus effect of the dusty mirror.
Did you follow all of that?
Is this a lesson on makeup application?
Obviously, you know I am employing a metaphor. In this case, the dusty mirror is illustrative of how we can be deceived in terms of the state of our soul.
You see, life happens. And, all we go through, leaves a “residue” that can serve to obscure the areas of our lives desperately needing purification.
“Ephraim mixes himself with the [Gentile] nations [seeking favor with one country, then another]; Ephraim is a cake not turned [worthless; ready to be thrown away]. Strangers have devoured his strength, Yet he does not know it; Gray hairs are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not know.”
Hosea 7:8-9 AMP
Here, God is speaking of the sad state of His people. They don’t know how bad off they are because they have become “mingled.” They were no longer comparing themselves to God’s standards. Rather, they have become like—and compare themselves with—the Godless nations with whom they fraternized.
“Ephraim” needed to return to the Lord and get the “dust” wiped off the mirror in which he assessed himself.
In our opening scripture we see that the Lord instructs Jacob to go back to Bethel, back to the place where he was first personally introduced to the God of his fathers. It was the place where the God of Abraham and Isaac had become the God of Jacob.
This time, Jacob would go back and come to know the God of the House of God. But first, he would lay aside all the accumulated “residue” of the ways of the heathen nations among whom he and his family had been living. Now, God would no longer be just an “experience.” God would become a Person Who is truly known.
You see, the same residue that obscures where we stand in terms of God’s will for us, also obscures God’s “face” from us so that we cannot see Him clearly.
Over the last several days we have looked at our spiritual journey through the lens of Jacob’s adventures with God.
In our brief journey with Jacob, we have watched as he went from an “operator,” to become the prince of God (Israel) through which the blessing would continue to flow that would bring the ultimate Blessing: the Lord Jesus Christ.
What we must garner from considering Jacob’s progression is that spiritual development is indeed a journey, a progressive journey through which we come to know God personally, and commit to Him completely.
Remember, if we are to become full grown sons of God, operating in His power, and pursued by His blessings, we must stay the course.
And, finally (for now), when we find ourselves falling away from our own steadfastness, we must be quick to lay aside the residue of the world and make a beeline back to Bethel.
Peace to you.
Jesus is Coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Nov 12, 2023
- 3 min read
“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.”
Genesis 32:24-29 NKJV
Jesus was about to be betrayed. He took His disciples to the garden of Gethsemane where He would basically have a struggle with His flesh as it cried out against the certain agony He would soon face.
“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Luke 22:41-44 NKJV
As we see, Jesus’ sweat became mixed with blood. This describes hematohidrosis, a condition only occurring under great stress and agony. In this condition, blood released from the vessels feeding the sweat glands, mixes with the sweat. Indeed, Matthew’s account of the garden experience has Jesus saying, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” (Matthew 26:38)
Jesus’ struggle with the will of the Father was halted with His declaration: “…nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
If we are to advance in our relationship with the Lord, we must come to the point where the constant struggle against what He wants, the wrestling against what He wants us to do, must come to an end.
In our opening scripture we see that Jacob is again in fear over what Esau might do to him. He then encounters Who turned out to be the Lord.
As we see, Jacob wrestled with “the Man,” not relenting until he received a blessing. Jacob’s refusal to let go, resulted in an injury to his flesh, an injury that would remind him through the rest of his life, that ultimately, God always wins.
Later, when God is pronouncing judgment (through Hosea) against the children of Israel, we see that their falling back on the tendency toward deceit (as in Jacob), is their undoing.
“Now the Lord is bringing charges against Judah. He is about to punish Jacob for all his deceitful ways, and pay him back for all he has done. Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God. Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him— the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the Lord is his name! So now, come back to your God. Act with love and justice, and always depend on him. But no, the people are like crafty merchants selling from dishonest scales— they love to cheat. Israel boasts, “I am rich! I’ve made a fortune all by myself! No one has caught me cheating! My record is spotless!””
Hosea 12:2-8 NLT
Child of God, early in our walk with the Lord, we may have many questions, and find ourselves struggling against His will. But—in order to mature into who we were meant to be—we must lay that aside. There comes the time when our wrestling should no longer be directed toward the Lord, but rather toward the forces of evil trying to use our flesh to the enemy’s advantage against us.
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:11-13 NKJV
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!