DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- KNOWNG GOD

 KNOWING GOD
Hosea 6:3-4
 
"Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as morning; He will come to us like rain, like the former and latter rain to the earth."
 
There is no greater purpose in life than to know God. His ways are not inscrutable. He is as dependable as the sun coming up in the morning, and the cycles of the seasons. We can know about God through nature. "What may be known of God is manifest [margin: evident] in them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:19-20). But I don't want to just know about God; I want to know Him in a personal relationship. As Paul cried out, "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering" (Philippians 3:10). That is worth pursuing.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God is known to those who pursue Him.
 
[end]
 
Have a pursuing day. Love you

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HEALING AND LIFE

 HEALING AND LIFE
Hosea 6:1-2
 
"Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn us, 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."
 
Hosea's call to Israel: Return to the LORD and be healed. He is the only One who can heal and give life to soul that has been beaten up by sin.   In Hosea's call to repentance we can see in retrospect the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He was stricken, smitten, bruised and afflicted by God, not for His own sin but for ours, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5). After His suffering, He lay in the grave two days and on the third day, God raised Him to life so that we may live in His presence. Oh, the love and grace God has shown, that I, who have been smitten and bruised by sin, can be healed and live again. What a wonderful Savior.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God offers healing and life to the sin-stricken soul.
 
[end]
 
Enjoy a "bound up" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE PURPOSE OF AFFLICTION

 THE PURPOSE OF AFFLICTION
Hosea 5:13, 15
 
"When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb; yet he cannot cure you, nor heal you of your wound. ... I [God] will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."
 
Chapter 5 is a litany of the offenses of a people who rejected the way of the Lord. They did not turn to the Lord in repentance because they had the spirit of harlotry (vs. 4). And even if they would have sought the Lord, they would not have found Him because He had withdrawn Himself from them because of their treachery (vss. 6-7). Instead of walking in God's way, they "willingly walked by human precept" (vs. 11). The result of their sin was trouble. When they recognized that they were a sick nation, they tried to find cures for their illness in the wrong places. Instead of turning to God for healing, they sought answers from other nations. But they could find no cure because their problem was spiritual, and only God can heal spiritual disease. The purpose of affliction is to cause us to earnestly seek God. God will remain distant until we seek His face in sincerity.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God allows trouble so that we will seek Him with an earnest heart.
 
[end]
 
Have a "seeking God" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- STUBBORN

 STUBBORN
Hosea 4:15-17
 
" 'Though you, Israel, play the harlot, let not Judah offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth Aven, nor swear an oath saying, "As the LORD lives" – for Israel is like a stubborn calf; now the LORD will let them forage like a lamb in open country. Ephraim is joined to idols. Let him alone.' "
 
The prophet warned Judah to not become like Israel. (Gilgal was a place of wickedness and false worship – Hosea 9:15; 12:11). Israel was stubborn and refused correction, like a calf who refuses to be led. She was like a child who rejects his father's help and says, "I'll know what I'm doing. I can do it myself." So God said, "Let him alone." But Israel would metaphorically wander in a wilderness like a stray lamb, searching for sustenance without a shepherd to lead them into green pastures. God will not force his will on anyone. When I stubbornly reject His way, He says, "Fine. If you want to do it your way, I'll let you." The open country may seem like freedom, but that freedom is not all it is cracked up to be. It ends up a barren, dry, and thirsty place away from God. I need to listen to God's warning to Judah – "Don't be stubborn."
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When I choose to reject God's way, He will not violate my stubborn will, and He will let me wander in the wilderness.
 
[end]
 
Have a submissive day.  Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LEADERSHIP

 LEADERSHIP
Hosea 4:13b-14
 
"Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, and your brides commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go apart with harlots, and offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot. Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled."
 
In God's great scheme of things, He has ordained that men be the leaders, whether in the family, the church, or the nation. Men are given responsibility to set an example of righteousness. But when they themselves live ungodly, can you expect their followers to do differently? I don't think that this means that the followers who sin in ignorance are absolved of responsibility. They will suffer consequences for sin – "be trampled" – even though they lack of understanding. But the men who lead them into sin will face a stricter judgment. Lord, help me to lead my flock in paths of righteousness.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Men are given the awesome responsibility to lead their followers in the paths of righteousness.
 
[end]
 
Have a leading/following day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IT FEELS SO GOOD

 IT FEELS SO GOOD
Hosea 4:13a
 
"They offer sacrifices on the mountain tops and burn incense on the hills, under the oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because their shade is good."
 
God had given Israel the proper way to worship – offering sacrifices in the temple. Israel forsook the temple in favor of worshiping out in nature because the shade was more comfortable. It felt good. I've heard people say that they don't go to church because they worship God in nature – in the mountains or beside some shady stream – because they feel closer to God when they are in His creation. It is dangerous to go by feelings because feelings are deceptive. When God has revealed His will, it is best to do it His way instead of how I feel. Just because I feel good about something does not make it right. The pop song that says, "It can't be wrong when it feels so right," is a myth and a lie. Comfort is not the criterion for making something right. Obedience to God's will is best, whether it feels good or not.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Obeying God is not always comfortable, but it is right.
 
[end]
 
Have a "do it God's way" day, even if you don't feel like it. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LED ASTRAY

 LED ASTRAY
Hosea 4:12
 
"My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, and their staff [margin: diving rod] informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, and they have played the harlot against their God."
 
God is not against asking counsel. His word says, "in the multitude of counselors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). The problem is not in seeking advice or counsel, but looking for it in the wrong places. Israel was consulting idols (who were mute) and the diving rod (which was demon-inspired, like an ouija board). They were drawn away by the spirit of harlotry which was intercourse with the spirit of this world, and it caused them to stray from God. When I need advice, I need to be sure it is informed by God's word and godly principles or I will be led astray.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God has the answers to my problems – not the spirit of this age.
 
[end]
 
Have a "good counsel" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ADDICTED

 ADDICTED
Hosea 4:11
 
"Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart."
 
There are many things that enslave the heart but sex and alcohol are at the top of the list. Anything that enslaves the heart is an addiction. People can be addicted to their job, to gambling, to sports, to a need for approval and popularity, to money. But there are good addictions. Stephanas was "addicted to the ministry of the saints" (I Corinthians 16:15 KJV). I want my heart to be enslaved like Paul, James, Peter, and Jude – a bondservant of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1; James 1:1; II Peter 1:1; Jude 1).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Anything that enslaves the heart is an addiction – for better or for worse.
 
[end]
 
Be addicted to the right things today. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SPINELESS PREACHERS

SPINELESS PREACHERS
Hosea 4:4-5, 9a
 
" 'Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; for your people are like those who contend with the priest. Therefore you shall stumble in the day; the prophet shall also stumble with you in the night .... And it shall be: like people, like priest.' "
 
It seems that the prophets and priests lost their bearing and were no longer speaking God's truth. The people contended with the preachers and rejected the word of the Lord. So the preachers gave in to please the people, and watered down their message. In doing so, they were no longer the beacons of light they were called to be. They became just like all the rest of the people. So they all stumbled along together, all because the preachers did not have the backbone to stand strong for righteousness. The preacher's job is not to contend or fight with people, but to declare God's message. The preacher may take flack for preaching the truth, but the pulpit should be the voice of truth, even though it is unpopular. May God give us spiritual leaders who will not compromise, but stand strong against the pressure to please people.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: A nation will stumble when preachers compromise God's message.
 
[end]
 
Have a "God's truth" day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- COURT IS IN SESSION

COURT IS IN SESSION Hosea 4:1-2, 6
 
" 'Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, for the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed.......My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priests for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." ' "
 
Hear Ye, Hear Ye.  Court is now in session. God's charge against the people of Israel: A lack of the knowledge or acknowledging of God and His law. They didn't just forget God's law; they rejected it. The evidence: The forsaking of truth and mercy, and instead, swearing and profanity, lying, stealing, immorality and murder. Without the knowledge of God's law, there was no restraint of wickedness. The verdict: Guilty. The sentence: Because they had abandoned God and His law, He would abandon them. Does this sound like any nation I can think of today? God help up!!!
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When people reject God and His law, there is nothing left to restrain evil.
 
[end]
 
Have a "knowledge" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD IS IN CONTROL

 GOD IS IN CONTROL
Hosea 3:4-5
 
"For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or a sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their King. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days."
 
For almost 2000 years – since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the nation of Israel has been without a king, without sacrifices, without a temple (sacred pillar), and without any revelation from God (ephod and teraphim). In fact, the nation of Israel has not even existed until 1948. But in these latter days, she has returned to her land. And in the future, she will again have a temple and worship her God and Messiah and King, Jesus Christ of the lineage of David. When it seems that this world is out of control, I need to remember that God has a plan and it is being fulfilled according to His wishes. I may not understand all that is happening, but God is control.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God is in control, even though I may not understand it.
 
[end]
 
Have a "God is in control" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- REDEEMED!

 REDEEMED!
Hosea 3:2-3
 
"So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. And I said to her, 'You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man – so, too, will I be toward you.' "
 
The thing that strikes me in this picture God gave through Hosea's life is His great love toward His people, Israel. Gomer [Israel] had left Hosea [God] to go after other lovers, and had become enslaved to them. Hosea sought her out and redeemed her at a price, and brought her back to his home to live with him. This is a picture of me. I have strayed from God and gone after the things of this world. But God loves me, and He redeemed me at a great price, with the precious blood of Jesus (I Peter 1:18-19). He loves me and wants me to live with Him. "Now I belong to Jesus, and Jesus belongs to me, not for the years of time alone, but for eternity." Oh what a precious Savior!
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God loves His people and has redeemed them to Himself so that they will live with Him, and so that He will be their God.
 
[end]
 
Have a "redeemed" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RAISIN CAKES

 RAISIN CAKES
Hosea 3:1
 
"Then the LORD said to me, 'Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.' "
 
God gave another illustrated sermon to Hosea. Apparently his wife, whom he had married out of her prostitution, had abandoned Hosea and returned to her old sinful life. She loved the raisin cakes – the sweet bread of sin. There is pleasure in sin, but it is temporary (Hebrews 11:25). He was told to go after her to picture God's love for Israel, who had gone after other gods. God did not give up on Israel because He loved her so very deeply. "Has God cast away His people? Certainly not" (Romans 11:1). Even though they have abandoned Him, His longsuffering love keeps trying to draw her back to Himself. I am so glad for God's patient long-suffering love. Now and then I am tempted by the "raisin cakes" of sin – the pleasures of the world. But God draws me back to Himself because He loves me. What a wonder!
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Even though people stray from their Lover, God draw them back to Himself because of His longsuffering love.
 
[end]
 
Enjoy God's love today. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD'S ANSWER TO FAITH

 GOD'S ANSWER TO FAITH
Hosea 2:21-23
 
" 'It shall come to pass in that day that I will answer,' says the LORD; 'I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth. The earth shall answer with grain, with new wine, and with oil; they shall answer Jezreel. Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; then I will say to those who were not My people, "You are My people!" and they shall say, "You are my God!" ' "
 
The word translated "answer" means "to respond." God responds to faith. When people say, "You are my God," God answers or responds with spiritual and material blessings. The day is coming when Israel will say, "You are my God!" The earth will answer with material blessing. And there will also be spiritual blessing.  What was scattered [Jezreel, see l:4] in a negative sense will be sown or scattered as seed in a positive way. Those who are without mercy [Lo-Ruhamah, see 1:1:6] will receive mercy, and those who are not God's people [Lo-Ammi] will be God's people. This will happen when they return to God in faith. God still responds to faith. There is transformation and blessing when a person comes to God. As the old gospel song says, "What a wonderful change in my heart has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart." Thank you, Jesus, for the blessings you bring to my life.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When people come to God in faith, He answers their faith with transformation and blessing.
 
[end]
 
Have a blessed day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A NEW RELATIONSHIP

 A NEW RELATIONSHIP
Hosea 2:17, 19a-20
 
" 'And it shall be, in that day,' says the LORD, 'that you will call Me "My Husband," and no longer will call me "My Master." .... I will betroth you to Me forever ... I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness and you shall know the LORD...."
 
God has a plan for Israel that involves a new covenant – a change in relationship. There is coming a day when Israel will know what it is to live in peace – with nature and with other nations (vs. 18). In this new covenant, Israel's relationship with God will not be as servant-master, but as a loving spouse. This reminds me of the change of relationship Jesus spoke of to His disciples. He said, "No longer do I call you servants ... but I have called you friends" (John 15:15). God desires that my relationship with Him is not just as a servant but as a lover. A servant obeys his master out of fear, but a friend or spouse serves because of love. Out of love flows service. I love the Lord and want to serve Him from my heart.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: A love-relationship will engender loving service.
 
[end]
 
Have a serving day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE DOOR OF HOPE

 THE DOOR OF HOPE
Hosea 2:15
 
" 'I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing then as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.' "
 
The reference to the Valley of Achor alludes to the incident in Israel's history when, after the great victory at Jericho, they were defeated at the city of Ai because of Achan's sin. Achan was judged, was executed, and buried. "So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor [trouble] to this day" (Joshua 7:26b). Israel went on from there to conquer the Promised Land and enjoy its fruit. The Cross of Jesus was the day of trouble where sin was judged and the fierceness of God's wrath against sin was satisfied. But His death opened the door of hope for me that I could enter the Promise Land, and enjoy the blessings of the vineyards God has in store. Because God's anger is appeased, I can sing the song of Moses after Israel's deliverance from Egypt: "I will sing unto the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously .... The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him" (Exodus 15:2-3). Hallelujah!!!
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: We can sing and enjoy God's blessings because His anger against sin has been appeased at the Cross of Christ.
 
[end]
 
Have a singing day. Love you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Exodus 12:2
 
"This month shall be your beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you."
 
The children of Israel were entering a new phase in their existence. They were leaving the bondage of Egypt and going to Canaan. So God started a new calendar for them. God was leading them on a journey to a new land on a road that they had not walked before. There would be challenges and failures and successes ahead. But God knew the way and promised to be with them.
 
I like New Years Day. It is like starting a new phase in my life. I understand that things don't really change just because the calendar changes, but the new year brings fresh hope of good things in the future.
 
I look forward to this year with anticipation as God leads me down a path that I have not walked before. Who knows what lies ahead in
2016? There will be challenges, failures, and successes. But God knows the future, and He will be with me.

Have a wonderful New Year. Love, Dad