DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OUR PURPOSE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – OUR PURPOSE

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3:16)

As we come to the end of the year, I thought it would be appropriate to review the purpose of these meditations. We have taken our devotionals from the daily through-the-Bible readings of Gateway Bible Readings. You can find this program on the internet at biblegateway.com. Today is a free day in the Bible reading program, so we have this time to share again our motivation and perspective.

We have used both Old and New Testament Scriptures because all Scripture of the biblical canon is God's Word to us. He speaks to us through His word, and we don't want to promote one part of His Word at the neglect of another. It is all profitable – even the parts that are not easy to read or understand. We need all of it to be thoroughly equipped in our Christian life.

We have tried to be faithful to the text, and not create a meditation that does not flow from the text. We don't want to be cute, but we want to be relevant while still adhering to the message of the text.

We are unashamedly Gospel-oriented. The message of God's love and redemption are found in both Old and New Testaments. All of the Scripture points to Jesus and His sacrifice for sin on the cross. As a paraphrase of an old saying goes, "All roads lead to the cross." If we miss that emphasis of the Scriptures, we miss the whole point of God's revelation to us. To know the Bible and to miss the plan of Salvation would be tragic indeed. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16).

We trust that the Holy Spirit will take His Word and speak to our hearts. The focus of the meditation that I give may not be the same as it is for you, because God may take His word to speak to a special need in your life. What I communicate in the Gleanings is not necessarily inspired. But when He takes His inspired word to speak a special message to you, that is a treasure beyond value. Without the ministry of the Holy Spirit, what we do here is all in vain.

I do trust that these times have been as special for you as they have for me. It is my joy to share God's Word, and then trust Him to minister to the needs of those who join us. The Holy Spirit is faithful to do that when we have an open heart to receive.

May God bless you richly in the coming year, as we meditate on God's Word together.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- Q AND A TIME

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – Q AND A TIME

The prophecy of Malachi revolves around a question and answer format. Questioning God is not necessarily a bad thing. It depends on the tone of voice. But it takes a lot of spunk to speak to God – the King of the Universe – the way the Israelites did. As I read these questions, I hear pride, self-justification, and disrespect for the God of the Universe, instead of an honest and humble desire to serve God better. Let's take a look at these questions.

Question Number 1 -- "In what way have You loved us?" (1:2). Can you hear the snide tone in their voice? God had proclaimed His love for them. He had proven His love for them through the generations from Jacob down through the centuries. Yet they questioned God's love for them.

Question Number 2 – "In what way have we despised Your name?" (1:6) In this question, I hear a tone of mocking denial that they had ever worshiped in an unacceptable way. God answered that they had offered sacrificial offering that were defiled, lame and sick. God was not pleased with their defiled sacrifices. They said, "What a weariness!" (vs. 13) Worshiping God had become a drag. They sneered at it. Oh yes, they offered their sacrifices, but they were not the best of their flock. Their attitude of disdain was demonstrated by the inferior sacrifices they offered.

Question Number 3 was provoked because God said that He would not receive their offering anymore. "For what reason?" they asked (2:14). In this question, I hear an attitude of confrontation, instead of humbly asking God for an answer that would help them serve God better. "What do you mean, you won't accept our sacrifices?" God's answer was that they were not honoring their marriage vows. Their attitude toward marriage was a reflection of their relationship with God.

Question Number 4 was a response to God's saying that He was tired of their words. "In what way have we wearied You?" (2:17). This would be like saying to God, "You ought to be glad that we take the time to do religion." God answered that He was tired of them asking "Where is the God of justice?" because He allowed sinners to prosper. He was tired to their hypocrisy.

Questions Number 5 and 6. God had given a gracious appeal for them to return to Him. They brazenly asked, "In what way shall we return to you?" (3:7). This was not an honest question because they knew the answer before they spoke it. Common sense and Scriptural teaching would say that they needed to give God the honor and respect that was due Him. Instead, they had robbed God. "In what way have we robbed You" (3:8). God responded that they had not given God what really belonged to Him: their tithes and offerings. I don't think it was a money issue; it was a heart issue that reflected their attitude towards God.

Question Number 7. God said that their words were harsh against Him. "What have we spoken against You" (3:13). This was not just a benign question. They were angry with God. God's answer: "You have said that it is useless to serve God." They felt that there is no profit in keeping His ordinances.

What disrespect they had shown to God by questioning the motives, actions, goodness, and character of the God of the Universe! Yet there were those who heard this prophecy and humbly feared the Lord. God heard their words, and wrote a Book of Remembrance for those who feared the LORD and meditated on His name. God said, "They shall be Mine on the day that I make them My jewels" (3:16-17).

What lessons are there for us? First, we need to be careful about questioning God's love, justice, and whether it is of any use to serve God. Secondly, God will have the last word. We cannot win an argument with God. His ways are always best, and we are blessed if we follow His way.

No matter what the majority says, God will have a people who will fear and serve Him in spite of what the rest of the culture is doing, and they will belong to Him on that final day. Their names will be written in the Book. God keeps good records. You can count on it.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IN THAT DAY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – KING JESUS

"And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea, in both summer and winter it shall occur. And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be --- 'The LORD is one,' and His name is one." (Zechariah 14:8-9)

"In that day." What day is "that day?" This is in the context of the rest of the chapter. It is a time in the future of war against Jerusalem. Listen to what the prophet wrote in the preceding verses:

"Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south…..And it shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the LORD – neither day nor night, but at evening time is shall happen that it will be light." (Zechariah 14:1-7)

The Book of Revelation says that there is a day coming when Jesus will come to judge and make war. He will come on a white horse. His eyes will be like a flame of fire, and He will wear many crowns. "Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:11-16). All of the enemies of Christ will be defeated, and He shall reign victorious ruler over all the earth. "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15).

So when we look around us and see the way things are today, we can take heart. The last chapter has not yet been written. The Lord Jesus we serve will take His place as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and the earth will live in peace and prosperity. He will win the battle. He is King now, but someday every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FULFILLED PROPHECY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – FULFILLED PROPHECY

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey…..He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from seas to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth" (Zechariah 9:9; 10b).

One of the great evidences of the truth of Christianity is the plethora of prophecies in the Old Testament which are fulfilled in the Lord Jesus. These three chapters in Zechariah 9-12 have several of these clear prophecies.

One of them is this prophecy said that the Messiah King would come humbly riding on the foal of a donkey. He fulfilled this on the day when He rode into Jerusalem in His triumphant entry on Palm Sunday, just before His passion. He entered Jerusalem on a donkey, and the people waved Palm branches, cheering with shouts of joy, "Hosannah to the Son of David. Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosannah in the highest!" (Matthew 21;1-9; Mark 11:7-11; Mark 19:28-40; John 12:12-15). This is such a significant event that all four gospels include it in their record. Their promised King from the lineage of King David had come. He did not come as a conquering King riding on a white stallion, but he came as a lowly servant riding on a donkey. Still, He was the king.

Another prophecy that was fulfilled by the Lord Jesus is the allusion in Zechariah to 30 pieces of silver. "Then I said to them, 'If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain. So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter' – that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter" (Zechariah 11:12-13). Matthew quoted from this passage in Zechariah and also from the prophet Jeremiah (Matthew 27:9-10) in his account of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas when he was paid 30 pieces of silver by the priests(Matthew 26:14-15). In his remorse, Judas returned the money to the priests who ended up donating it to the potter's field in which to bury strangers (Matthew 27:6-7).

Still another prophecy in Zechariah 12:10 refers to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, when he says of the Israelites, "they will look on Me whom they pierced." On the cross, Jesus was pierced by nails in his hands and feet, and also by a sword. After Jesus' resurrection, Thomas adamantly proclaimed, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe' " (John 20:25). When Jesus appeared to him, He believed and said, "My Lord and My God." In the end times, Israel will look on the Jesus whom they crucified and they will believe and receive Him as their Messiah.

There are many more fulfilled prophecies that validate the fact that Jesus was Who He said He was – the promised Messiah. Praise God for these testimonies to His person and His work. Our faith is not based on some fanciful myth but on a proven record of fulfilled prophecy. Jesus is King.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS

" 'And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the LORD of hosts." (Haggai 1:7)

The Desire of all nations. Throughout history, people have yearned for a savior – Someone who would bring peace to this troubled world. Sometimes it is a desire for a political figure who will bring peace to a divided nation. Sometimes it is the universal longing to live in a peaceful world, free from seeming unending war. Sometimes is for peace in family relationships.  Sometimes, it is just a person wanting to have inner peace in their hearts and lives. One of the great desires of humanity if for peace.

Throughout history people put their hopes upon someone or some institution that they thought would bring peace to the nations of the world. In Jesus' time, it was the Pax Romana – the Peace of Rome. But still there were wars. And eras in history are identified by the wars of the time. In the 20^th century, we've tried the League of Nations and the United Nations. But all the past hopes have been dashed. In 70 years, it seems that we are no closer to world peace than when the UN was organized. Still, the desire for peace resides in our hearts.

Christianity proclaims that there is One who brings peace. Listen to the pronouncement of the angelic messengers who announced the birth of the Lord Jesus – Peace on earth; goodwill to men. He did come and He brought us peace with God. He said, "My peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you" (John 14:27). He also came into the world to bring peace. The greatest peace we can have is inward peace with God. As the Gaithers' song puts it, "It is finished, the battle is over. It is finished there will be no more war."

Who is this "Desire of all Nations?" It is the Lord Jesus – the one born in a stable, who lay in a manger, who died on a cross, and who rose again. This is the Desire of the Nations. He is the Prince of Peace that Isaiah spoke of (Isaiah 9:6) Who will not only bring peace to this trouble world, but He brings peace to the troubled heart.

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord – our Prince of Peace.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD IS IN OUR MIDST

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GOD IS IN OUR MIDST

"Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all our heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: 'Do not fear; Zion, let not our hands be weak. The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.' " (Zephaniah 3:14-17)

God gave a promise to Israel – daughter of Zion. A Messiah would come who would deliver them. He would come and dwell among them – A Savior/ Deliverer in their midst.

On Christmas Eve, we often read the Christmas story from the Gospels. " 'And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, God with us' " (Matthew 1:21-23). To Mary and Joseph, the Baby's name would be Jesus – Savior, and Emanuel – God with us.

The prophecies to Mary and Joseph are reflected in our focus Scripture for today – "The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, and the Mighty One will save." Our focus verse was a prophecy is to the nation of Israel and will be accomplished in the last days. But it is noteworthy that He has already come for the nations. He is Emmanuel – the God Who is with us; Jesus -- the One Who saves.

As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, let us remember that this is not just a historical event in the past, or some future blessing to the nation of Israel. God is not just some far-off being who is not involved in Planet Earth. He is here, and He saves us. This is God's present to us at the Christmas Nativity. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TRUSTING GOD'S PLAN

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – TRUSTING GOD'S PLAN

"O LORD, how long shall I cry and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, 'Violence!' and You will not save." (Habakkuk 1:2)

We have probably all been in Habakkuk's shoes, as we look around us at the evil and wickedness in society. We are like the Psalmist, who moaned, "Thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind" (Psalm 73:21), or like Lot, "who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked, for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds" (II Peter 2:7-8). We are vexed and we cry out to God, but it seems our prayers go nowhere. There doesn't seem to be any change. And we cry out, "O LORD, how long will You put up with this?"

Habakkuk is moved by the state of the culture around him. What does Habakkuk see? Iniquity. "Plundering and violence are before me. There is strife and contentions arises.   Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds" (verses 3-4). It is not a pretty sight!

God does give an answer, but not one that Habakkuk wanted to hear. God said that He would bring the Chaldeans – a bitter and nasty nation – to attack and conquer God's people. "Wait a minute, God. That's not the way answer I was looking for." He cannot believe that God would send an evil nation to punish them, God's people. So he appeals to God, "Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment" (vs. 12).

Habakkuk waited for an answer, and the LORD spoke to him again. God's answer: "The vision is for the future, and though it tarries, it will surely come. Look at the proud. His soul is not upright in him: But the just shall live by his faith" (2:3-4).

Habakkuk prayed again: "O Lord, I have heard what you said, and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In wrath, remember mercy" (3:2).

In the end, Habakkuk resigns himself to God's plan and says that whatever happens – if the harvest fails, if his herds die -- he will still trust God: "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation" (vs. 18)

So what can we do when God does not answer our prayers like we think He should? Habakkuk gives us some advice.

    1. The Just shall live by his faith (2:4). That is, Trust God. Keep faith in His divine goodness, and wisdom.

    2. Understand that God's plan is based in His perfect knowledge.

    3. Plead for mercy (3:2). God is merciful.

    4. Rejoice in God of our salvation(3:18). When things don't go the way we want, whatever else happens, our salvation is the most important                 thing. Whatever else happens, we can be assured that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We can still rejoice in Him.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE PERFECT MARRIAGE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE PERFECT MARRIAGE

This is a prophecy against Nineveh. "The burden against Nineveh." (Nahum 1:1)

Nineveh was a great city. It was founded by Nimrod, a greatgrandson of Noah through Ham and his son, Cush. It developed into a great city, but it was also one of great wickedness.

This is not the first time God spoke a word against Nineveh. God had dealt with Nineveh 150 years before when he sent Jonah. Nineveh was a wicked people when Jonah went to them. They repented and God did not send judgment. But through the years, they had forgotten how God had shown them His mercy and grace. By the time we get to Nahum's prophecy, Nineveh is called "a bloody city, full of lies and robbery, a warring city" (3:1). It had been an oasis – a pool of water (2:8) – but it would become desolate (3:7). God decreed that they would be led into captivity (2:7). It is noteworthy that God does not send a message of repentance as with Jonah, but one of judgment.

In Nahum's prophecy, God intersperses Judgment and His gracious character of mercy. For example, in Chapter 1, verse 2, the Word says, "God is jealous...The LORD avenges and is furious….He reserves wrath for His enemies." The very next verse (verse 3) says, "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power."

In verse 7, "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him." But the next verse says that "with an overflowing flood, He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies."

How do we square God's wrath and vengeance against His enemies with His gracious longsuffering and goodness?

I think the answer is that you can't have one without the other. It reminds me of the old song that may be out of date in our culture, Love and Marriage, "You can't have one without the other." It is still true. God's character demands the marriage of perfect justice and perfect love and mercy. Judgment without mercy and would require a God who is not loving. But a loving, merciful God who does not hold people accountable for their sins would not be a just God.

God is perfect in all of His ways. What may see to be a contradiction in human thinking is in reality the perfect marriage. What a perfect God we serve – perfect in justice and perfect in love and mercy. Listen to what Moses said about our God: "He is the rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He" (Deuteronomy 32:4). Then after listing all the good things God had done for Israel and how they had gone away from Him, he said, "The Lord will judge His people and have compassion on His servants" (vs. 36). Judgment and compassion are intertwined together.

Justice, love, and Mercy met and were joined together in marriage at the Cross. When Jesus died, He satisfied God's requirement for justice on sin. But it was love and mercy that put Him there. He took the judgment that should have been mine because of His love. Hallelujah!

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WALKING HUMBLY WITH GOD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WALKING HUMBLY WITH GOD

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

What does it look like to walk with God? Micah posed this question when he asked, "With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the High God?" (vs. 6). In other words, what do I need to do to make myself acceptable to God?

In the verses preceding our text, Micah gave some suggestions for pleasing God. "Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"(verses 6-7). In effect, God says, "No! That's not what I want. I want more than just external expressions of worship. What I desire are things of the heart – for you to live justly, with mercy, and humility."

Religion gives lists of outward things to do. Do this. Don't do that. Here are ten things you need to do. But here's the truth. I can't keep the list of rules and regulations. Adam and Eve couldn't even keep one simple rule, and it kept them from walking with God in the cool of the evening. If that's the case, how can I keep a whole bunch of duties and obligations that religion says I need to keep?

I can't keep all the rules, and even if I could there is no guarantee that God will accept me. So there is only one thing left to do – to humbly throw myself on God's mercy. That's what Peter said. "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time" (I Peter 5:5-6). Jesus said that the people who are poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:4). God is not impressed with all my great acts of devotion, no matter how large or impressive they are. What does move His heart is when I affirm His justice by the way I live, when I love His mercy, and then humbly walk with Him. These are matters of the heart – not external forms of worship. God looks on the heart.

I want to be like Enoch, of whom the Scripture says, "And Enoch walked with God" (Genesis 5:24).

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD'S HEART FOR THE LOST

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GOD'S HEART FOR THE LOST

We're in Jonah today. Most everyone knows the story of Jonah. Even little children know about Jonah and the big fish. So we pick up the story in chapter 4

"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, 'Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country. Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!" (Jonah 4:1-3)

What is with this man of God? What's the matter with him? One would think that having such a successful revival in Nineveh as a response to his ministry, that he would be praising God and thanking God for his mercy and lovingkindness. But no! Here he is having a pity party.

I guess the reason was that Jonah did not appreciate God showing his mercy to a bunch of heathens. In his pride, Jonah did not have God's heart for the lost. "Let them suffer, those miserable infidels!"

I remember during the Jesus Movement of the 1970s that many congregations shut out the hippies from their churches. They were not welcome. What kind of attitude did they have? Certainly not God's heart.

I recently heard the story of one such incident. The church was full, and a hippie came into a church. His long hair was matted, he was shabbily dressed and smelled of body odor because he had not showered recently. He walked down the aisle, but every seat was taken. So he walked down to the front and sat down on the floor right in front of the pulpit. The congregation was aghast. They waited for the ushers to show him the door. One of the elders rose from his seat and walked down the aisle to where the hippie was seated. Many in the congregation thought, "The elder will take care of him." Instead of telling the man to leave, the elder sat down on the floor beside him for the rest of the service.

May God help us to have His heart for the lost. That's why Jesus came, because He loved sinners so much. They may not be like us. They may even still have the smell of the world on them. But God loves them and died for them. May we have God's heart.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- VENGEANCE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – VENGEANCE

"Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom." (Obadiah 1a)

The beginning of this prophecy goes back centuries to an incident recorded in Genesis 25:29-34. You may remember the story.

Isaac, the son of Abraham, had two sons. One was Esau and the other was Jacob. Esau was a farmer and tended the fields and did hunting to provide food for the family. One day, while Esau was in the field, Jacob cooked the evening meal – a pot of stew. When Esau came in at the end of the day, he was tired and hungry. He asked Jacob for some of his stew. Jacob agreed to feed Esau if he would give Jacob his birthright. Esau said "Look, I'm about to die anyway. What good is an inheritance to me if I die?" So Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.

Now the stew was red, which in Hebrew is edom. I don't know: Maybe it was borscht and had beets in it. "Therefore, his name was called "Edom" or red" (Genesis 25:30). The descendants of Esau were the Edomites. Because Jacob received the inheritance, Esau despised Jacob. That hostility that Edom had for Jacob carried through the generations.

Obadiah picks up on this in his prophecy. Listen to what Obadiah said: "For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. In the day that you stood on the other side – in the day that strangers carried captive his forces, when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem – even you were as one of them. You should not have gazed on the day of your brother in the day of his captivity; nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah, in the day of their destruction; nor should you have spoke proudly in the day of distress" (Obadiah 10-12). Not only did Edom not come to help Judah against the invaders, but they rejoiced in the tragedy that befell their relatives.

So God pronounces judgment on Edom: " 'As you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head…..No survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,' for the LORD has spoken." (Obadiah 15b, 18c).

This is a message for us. Don't gloat over the misfortune of your enemies, because it will return upon your heads. That's why Jesus said to love your enemies and to do good to them. If we sow retribution, we will reap retribution.

Let's not be like the Hatfields and the McCoys, who carried their animosity for generations. Better to take it to Jesus and let Him take care of the retribution. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "Beloved, do not avenge yourself; neither give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19). There is peace when we commit retaliation to God.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE PLUMB LINE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE PLUMB LINE

"Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the LORD said to me, 'Amos, what do you see?' And I said, 'A plumb line." Then the Lord said 'Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.'" (Amos 7:8)

Perhaps you remember what a plumb-line is. A plumb line is a length of string with a weight on one end. When it is dropped, gravity makes the weight go down, and the string will be perfectly vertical. They may not be used much any more because of laser beam technology.

When I was a kid, my dad built houses. He was not a carpenter by trade, but he was savvy enough to build solid houses that are still standing 70 years later. He would start with the foundation, getting it level and square. Then he laid the flooring. Then would come the walls made of 2x4 studs. When it was time to raise the walls, 3 or 4 men would lift the wall structure, and he drop a plumb line to make sure that the walls were straight up and down. When he was satisfied that they were true, the men would nail the wall into place. It was important that the walls be true so that the entire structure would be square and solid when he put the roof on.

In this Scripture, God showed the Lord on a wall dropping a plumb line. It was a metaphor of God dropping His plumb line into the middle of the nation. The purpose was to show them how off-centered they were in regard to serving the LORD YAHWEH. They were a long ways out of kilter, and the nation was about to suffer collapse.

God gives us a plumb line. It is His Word. It tells us what God's perfect will is. When we stand against the plumb line, we find how off-centered we really are. That's how God can say, "All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." None of us measure up to His plumb line.

People try to justify themselves with all kinds of plumb lines that are not accurate. "I'm not as bad as the other guy," is a favorite, as though the other guy is a plumb line because off-center also. "I do the best I can," as though I am a good measure of God's perfection.

There is only one Person in all of History who's life measured up against God's plumb line – The sinless Lord Jesus. It was only because He lived a perfect life that He could take the punishment for my sins.

So, lest I think I'm a pretty good person, let me stand next to God's plumb line. That will show the truth of how far off I am.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GETTING MY ATTENTION

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GETTING MY ATTENTION

In Amos, chapter four, we find a phrase repeated again and again:

            " 'Yet you have not returned to Me,' says the LORD." (Amos 4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11)

What would it take for a person – for a nation – to return to God? Amos, the prophet, speaks for the LORD God and lays out the charges against Israel and Judah. Their transgressions make a long list in these chapters.

God is gracious, longsuffering, and full of mercy, sent discipline to try to get them to turn to God. His purpose for these afflictions was not to punish Israel, but it was to get their attention so they would seek God.

So he sent famine – "cleanness of teeth" (vs. 6), but they did not return to Him.

He withheld rain causing drought, yet they did not return to Him (vss. 7-8).

He blasted them with blight and mildew on their gardens and locusts to devour their crops, yet they did            not return to God (vs. 9).

He sent a plague, yet they did not return to God (vs. 10).

He sent fire like as unto Sodom and Gomorrah, still they did not return to God (vs. 11).

Because they would not repent and turn to Him, God gives this warning: "Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel" (vs 12)

So what would it take to cause a person – or a nation – to turn to seek God? When one looks at the consequences of sin, one would think that everyone would realize their need for God. Because the heart is stubborn and wants its own way, people do not want to repent.

The plagues on Egypt only caused Pharaoh's heart to harden. And in the prophecy of John in the Book of Revelation, we find the same response. The earth will be scorched with great heat from the sun, and they will blaspheme the name of God and will not repent and give Him glory (Rev. 16:9). The earth will become full of darkness and people will gnaw their tongues because of the pain and sores. But instead of repenting, they will blaspheme God (vs. 10). God will send a great hailstorm. But men will blaspheme God because of the plague of the hail (vs. 21).

So when God tries to get my attention with adversity, what is my response? Do I turn to Him for mercy, or do I curse Him? May God help us to see His graciousness in allowing things that call us to turn to Him and seek His face.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD'S LONGSUFFERING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GOD'S LONGSUFFERING

"Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of Damascus and for four, I will not turn away its punishment….' " (Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14; 2:1, 4, 5)

These words are repeated 8 times in the first two chapters of Amos referring to the various nations that God pronounced judgment upon – Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel. When I find a word or phrase repeated several times in a Scripture or a passage, I sit up and take notice. And I ask the question, "Why?" I know that in Hebrew literature, repetition is a way to indicate emphasis, such as underlining or bold type in our modern literature.

So why is this important? I don't know for sure, but let's meditate on this.

I think this is an indication of God's longsuffering. He will warn us again and again. Three and four times. But there comes a time when God's patience has reached a limit, as during the time before Noah's flood. Peter alludes to this when he wrote: "When once the divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared…." (I Peter 3:20). The Genesis account of the days of Noah indicate that the people's wickedness was so great that God was sorry that He had created man on the earth, and His heart was grieved (Genesis 6:5-6). Noah is called a "preacher of righteousness" (II Peter 2:5). I can imagine that during the 120 years that it took to build the ark, that he was preaching the message: "Repent because destruction is coming." But they just laughed and thought Noah was a kook. God is longsuffering, but His Spirit will not strive with men forever (Genesis 6:3). In His patience, He continually warns men of the consequences of their rebellion through His prophets. But payday is coming. Amos wrote that "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). He warns us and gives us time to change our ways, but when we don't then He brings judgment.

Perhaps another reason this phrase is repeated again and again is to help us understand that God will judge everyone. No one is exempt. The heathen nations – Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab – will be judged along with God's people – Judah and Israel. Everyone will stand before Him in His day of judgment. But His declaration of coming judgment includes the appeal to repent. In Amos Chapter 5, God makes the appeal: "Seek Me and live" (vss. 4, 6). "Seek good and not evil, that you may live; So the LORD God of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph" (vss. 14-15).

Is there a lesson here for us? I think we should pay attention to God's warnings that He gives us. We can continue in our rebellion and pay the piper, or we can seek Him and experience His presence, His forgiveness, His grace, and His peace. He waits for us to seek Him.

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GUILTY AS CHARGED

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GUILTY AS CHARGED

"Israel empties his vine; He brings forth fruit for himself. According to the multitude of his fruit he has increased the altars; according to the bounty of his land they have embellished his sacred pillars. Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars."

Picture a courtroom. The accused stands before the judge. All the evidence is in and it points to his guilt. There is no jury of his peers, who might try to make excuses for his transgressions. He only faces the judge, who, after viewing all the evidence, says, "Guilty," and then pronounces the sentence.

These prophecies of Hosea delineated the offenses that Judah, Israel, and Ephraim have committed. In our text, God gets to the nitty-gritty of the crime. Selfishness. Israel's vineyards have produced fruit, but instead of blessing God and thanking Him, Israel used all the abundance to heap things up for themselves. In their selfishness, they increased the heathen altars with golden pillars.

Isn't that the essence of sin? We want to do our own thing, and make our own altars. We spend the bounty of God's goodness on our own lusts instead of blessing God. All of our other expressions of harlotry boil down to this – we want to do our own things to please ourselves instead of submitting to the God who made us.

Guilty as charged!!! All of the evidence points to this fact.

The sentence God pronounces is not pretty. Read the words of Hosea, and you will only see pain and suffering. That is the consequence of sin.

The text talks about a divided heart. I want to do good but end up doing badly, ala Romans 7: "The good that I will [want] to do, I do not do, but the evil I will not [don't want] to do, that I practice….For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, but I see another lay in my members warring against the law of my mind…." (Romans 7:19, 23). Here's the truth. I can never measure up to God's standard no matter how hard we try. There is always a part of me that wants to do what I want to do. That's why the Gospel is so important. Jesus took the judgment for the part of us that does not serve God. What a wonderful Savior!

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SEEKING ANSWERS IN THE WRONG PLACES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SEEKING ANSWERS IN THE WRONG PLACES

"When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to to Assyria and sent to King Jareb; Yet he cannot cure you, nor heal you of your wound. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue. I 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." (Hosea 5:13-15)

Judah and Ephraim were in trouble. They were experiencing God's judgment. They were being torn like a lion tears a carcass, but instead of turning to God they went to King Jareb of Assyria to seek help. But he could not help them. God removed Himself from them until they came to their senses and sought God.

Why is that when we have trouble we turn to everything or everyone but God for help? I have a belief that everything that happens in our lives has one purpose – to cause us to seek God. But instead, we try to find the solution in worldly counsel, in the government, in money, and any number of other things. But they will not rescue us. Sometimes it seems that God has removed Himself from us. The temptation is to try to find the answers everywhere except God. In our desperation, we finally turn to Him. What we experience may or may not be God's judgment on us, but whatever the affliction is, it should still be a motivation for us to call out to God. In our afflictions, may be earnestly seek God.

Love, Dad

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DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- KEEP YOURSELVES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – KEEP YOURSELVES

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 20)

This epistle, written by Jude, the brother of the Lord Jesus, is a warning against false doctrine. In verse 3, he urges his readers to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to you saints." He warned that ungodly men would pervert the grace of God into lewdness. He compared them to biblical characters like Cain, who offered an unacceptable sacrifice to God; to Balaam, whose heart was set on greed for money; and to Korah, who rebelled against Moses and perished.

Jude painted a graphic picture of these charlatans. These ungodly men are like clouds without water – that is, their teachings are empty. They are like trees without fruit. They are like foaming waves of the sea – nothing but fluff. They are like wandering stars whose end is the blackness of darkness forever. They are ungodly, committing ungodly deeds committed in their ungodly way, ungodly sinners who speak against Christ (vs. 12). Do you get the sense that these people are ungodly?

They are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts, and they speak great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. They are mockers who walk according to their own ungodly lusts. They are sensual persons who cause divisions (vss. 16, 18-19).

That is why Jude encourages the readers to make sure that their faith is based on the most holy faith, and making sure that they keep themselves in the love of Jesus.

These are good admonitions for us today. There are ungodly people who would draw us away from the Gospel of Jesus. This calls for intentional alertness so that we remain true to the truth, lest we succumb to teachings that would lead us away from the Gospel of Christ.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THREE MEN

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THREE MEN

"The elder, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth." (III John 1)

This third epistle of John highlights three men in the church.

The first was Gaius, to whom the letter was written. John praises him as a man who was faithful – who faithfully did whatever he did for the brethren and for strangers (vs. 5). What a testimony of a man who had a big heart of hospitality. He ministered to both those in the church and those outside of the church. You could depend on Gaius. He was truly a blessing.

Another man whom John praised was Demetrius, who had a good reputation concerning the truth of the Gospel (vs. 12). He was solid in his faith. He was not easily moved from the truth. He provided strength and stability to the fellowship because of his firm conviction regarding the Lord Jesus.

The third man does not receive praise. His name was Diotrephes, and his reputation was that of one who loved to have the preeminence, speaking against the Apostle with prating words. Furthermore, he did not receive other believers, and put people out of the fellowship who did not agree with him (vs. 9-10). He was proud and abrasive. He thought he was the big cheese, and everyone ought to bow to him.

If we were to choose what kind of word was said about us, I would imagine we would want to hear the testimony about Gaius and Demetrius. And, dear Lord Jesus, please deliver us from people like Diotrephes.

Let us strive to be like Gaius and Demetrius.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST

"By this you know the Spirit of God; Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." (I John 4:2-3)

We hear a lot about the Antichrist who will come at the end of the age. In the Bible, the word anichrist appears only here in I John, and it refers only to the "spirit" of the Antichrist.

The word, antichrist, is a compound word – anti or against, and Christ. The spirit of antichirst is the main focus of an ungodly world. It is against Christ. But the preposition anti can also mean, "in place of." The spirit of antichrist is evident in the way Jesus is replaced with other things. John was writing to an age of gnosticism. Gnosticism taught that everything that is material – like the human body – is evil. Jesus couldn't have come in the flesh or He would be evil. So, in order to fit Jesus into their philosophy, they denied that Jesus came in the flesh, and believed that He was only Spirit. They replaced the Jesus that is revealed in Scripture with one of their own making.

The Enemy of Christ – Satan – causes people to worship other things besides the true and living God. Jesus spoke of the end times when the abomination of desolation will stand in the holy place (Matthew 24:15). II Thessalonians explains that "the man of sin [will be] revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (II Thessalonians 2:3-4). He not only opposes God but will take the place of God in the temple of God.

Mildred and I visited the Pueblo at Taos in New Mexico when we were vacationing in Santa Fe. In the Pueblo is an historic Indian church. When you enter the church, the first thing you notice is a large statue of the Virgin Mary in the center of the altar area. The guide explained that to the Indians, this represents Mother Nature. But of interest to me was a small statue to the right of the altar that represented Jesus. In effect, Jesus was replaced by Mother Nature. That is the Spirit of Antichrist.

Even believing Christians are prone to fall for the antichrist syndrome. Satan is more cunning than to have us be against Christ. So he entices us to replace Christ with other things – even good things such as family or religious activity – rather than keeping Christ as the center of our lives.

We need to beware of the spirit of antichrist that would infect us as believers, and to keep Jesus as the object of our affection and worship.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SIN, CLEANSING, AND FORGIVENESS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SIN, CLEANSING, AND FORGIVENESS

"If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. " (I John 1:7-1-)

Sin. We all know about sin. My friend Tommy, before he became a believer at the age of 93, used to say, "I would make a good preacher, because I know all about sin." We all know about sin personally and biblically, because God says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin is anything that does not meet God's standard of perfection. None of us live up that standard of holy perfection that demonstrates the glory of God. We all need forgiveness and cleansing.

In our Scripture for today, John tells how to be cleansed and forgiven. He makes a distinction between two kinds of sin – unintentional sin and presumptuous sins.

Unintentional sin is the sin of the human nature that we all inherited in our DNA from Adam, sometimes called "the sin principle." We are sinners by nature. In verse 8, John does not say that we have sinned, but that we "have sin" – singular. That is the sin that is deeply rooted in us that is a part of our nature. It is not intentional. In fact, often we don't even realize that it is there, until the Holy Spirit makes us aware of it. This type of sin is seen in the fact that we don't love God as deeply as we ought. We don't love our neighbor as we should. Our thoughts are not always godly thoughts. We need cleansing from unintentional sin, sin of omission. If we walk in the light that we have to the best of our ability, then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from those sin, because Jesus paid the price for all sin when He died on the cross – even sin that we are not aware of.

The second type of sin, on the other hand, is when we become aware by the conviction of the Holy Spirit that we have violated God's will and what is pleasing to Him. We lie, we steal, we bear false witness, we envy and covet. These are sins of commission. We know they are wrong, yet we do them deliberately and they presume on God's mercy and grace. These are indicated in verse 9 by the plural form of the word sin. These sins are conscious acts of the will. The cleansing for those sins is by confession and repentance.

In the Old Testament Mosaic covenant, we find this pattern. God made provision for atonement for sin with the Sin Offering. In Leviticus 16, we find instructions for the Day of Atonement, and the Sin Offering that was made each year for all the sins that may have been committed in Israel during that year. Also, in Leviticus chapters 4 and 5, there was instruction for the Sin Offering for unintentional sin of the nation (4:13), the priests (4:3), the rulers (4:22), and the rest of the people (4:27). When the sin was revealed and it became known, then sacrifices were to be made to cover the sin. Chapter 6 pertains to sacrifices for presumptuous sins that are committed willfully with knowledge.

Now, we do not live under the Old Covenant, but the principle that is expressed by John remains the same. Thank God that we have the confidence that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from unintentional sin that we are not aware of. And if we are convicted of sins, then we can receive cleansing and forgiveness by confessing them to God. John wrote at the beginning of the next chapter, "My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (I John 2:1-2). God does not want us to sin. But if we do, we have atonement through our Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus died once for sin, and the just live by faith in the sacrifice that He made that covers all sin.

The point is that I do not have to live under condemnation. I know that I am not yet perfect, and do not always reflect God's glory. When Jesus died on the cross, he made provision for both unintentional sin and presumptuous sins that are confessed. As Believers, we live in His cleansing and forgiveness. The bumper sticker says, "I'm not perfect – just forgiven." Forgiven! What a wonderful word! What a wonderful Savior!

Love, Dad