Sept 8

I work in a hospital as a nurse- we regularly practice skills we need in crisis. But do we ever think to do this in real life? We live in a crazy and unpredictable world and although God is always in control and He does work all things together for good- things can and will go wrong in your life. Maybe 'wrong' is not even the right word, but we will have crisis in your life.

One thing that I have learned to do is to try to 'spiritually prepare' for crisis. One of the foundations of this in Job 1:20. Occasionally I mentally 'reherse' No matter what tragedy comes _______________(fill in the blank with what you fear most), I WILL worship God. Job tore his robe and shaved his head (the traditional sign of grieving and mourning in that culture) AND fell on the ground in worship. It's good to have that settled ahead of time, because we certainly do not think clearly in a crisis.

A few of the lessons Job has also taught me in this first three chapters-

• He acknowleges that EVERYTHING he has was given to him by God
• He praises God, even in the pain. Let the NAME of the LORD be PRAISED
• He did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing
• He did not let the opinions of his spouse or friends change his reaction. Although he was totally alone in his beliefs, he never wavered
• He did grieve and didn't try to just 'slap a happy face it' but he always keeps God and His sovereingty uppermost in his thoughts.

I am certain that when faced with crisis that I will not go through it as well as I would hope. But being a little prepared can't hurt. Everyone will have to face things that they would rather not deal with. Having a game plan in mind can help. We can learn from Job's stratagies.

One thing Job never asked is "Why me". We often hear people ask that and I've asked that question a lot myself. But, I've learned to see that at the root of that question is a prideful heart. "I deserve better! I'm special. Look at so-n-so, I am a lot better than them, and nothing bad ever seems to happen to them".  We need to turn the focus from us to God. Blessed be HIS name. And the counter intuitive thing that happpens is, the more we magnify Him, the better we feel. It's because it is what we were created to do.

As we read through Job, I think that's one of the greatest lessons we can learn from him- humility. It's sadly lacking in our society. And, I'll be honest, it's sadly lacking in me. I thought I was making some progress until a 'button pusher' (we all have them) pushed one too many buttons and out of me spewed ugliness that I didn't know was in there.

 I was raised by hard working, humble parents who were wise enough not to let me even remotely imagine that I was the center of the universe. I can't imagine the next generation coming up who is being raised to think it IS all about them and their happiness. Lord help us. We will need it.

Sept 7

Even though the reason that we see so much information about the surrounding nations of is that the Jews were disobedient and were carried into captivity, it's interesting to see how God's hand is on the surrounding nations. "Controlling" would be too strong a word, because of course God always gives us free will, but we certainly get a chance to see how He is working in the course of human history in nations other than Israel.

Nebuchadnezzar is an odd duck. He actually believes in God and believes he is the Most High God. But he never quite gets to the point where he believes it enough let it change his life and his worsphip and renounce other gods. He does initially realize that his success is a gift from God, but gradually he becomes more and more prideful and things go very badly for him.

Interestingly, Sadam Hussien believed that he was the successor of Nebuchadnezzar or even the late king reincarnated. His dream was to take over surrounding nations and especially Israel/Jerusalem as Nebuchadnezzar had. He commisioined the rebuilding of the ancient hanging gardens of Babylon and had his name incribed on every brick just as Nebucenchadnezzer had (http://www.aish.com/jw/j/48960566.html) He did end up being like him, but not in the way he imagined! Both men end up scrounging arund in the dirt like animals. Sadam was eventually hanged. Nebuchandnezzer faired better because he looked up and remembered God.

Sept 6

Well this is one of those passages of scripture that if you did not truly believe that God inspired His word and prompted men to write it down and miraculously preserved it AND that it all somehow ties together- one would wonder what Ezekiel had been smoking.

I'm not going to pretend I understand it all or that even that parts that I do understand make sense. But I guess that is where faith comes in. I don't know if when all this happens we will be able remember to look back on these confusing moments and remember and say, "OH now I get it" or not. But if we will be able to- look me up and we'll chat about it :)

The first thing I got stuck on is- who the prince they are talking about? Some believe him to be David (http://www.bibletrack.org/cgi-bin/bible.pl?dy=5&mo=12) and most believe he cannot be Messiah/Jesus since he appears to have actual physical sons to give land to (although aren't we called his sons?) and he does not sit on the throne. The odd thing is that this 'prince' seems to perform as a priest which doesn't really bring David to my mind.

The next thing that struck me was that this temple that they are talking about has water flowing into the sea. (Ezekiel 47:1-12) I would have assumed this to the Med (people geographically smarter than me would probably not make this mistake). But then they talked about fishermen from En Gedi to En Eglaim they will there be places to spread out their nets (we'll be fishing in the Mellenium? My parents will be happy) En Gedi is over by the Dead Sea. I checked it out- sure enough they are refering to the Dead Sea. There is not one single living thing in the Dead Sea- not so much as a piece of sea weed. The Dead Sea is going to come to life!!!!????? (but the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt).  Fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Wow.

The third and most confusing to me is the sacrificing. Most commentators agree that it will be a type of memorial 'looking back' on Christ's ultimate sacrifice us. But I cannot wrap my head around animals being sacrificed after Christ's return.  (And my mother will be very upset- hopefully she will stay busy fishing :)

The only 'big picture' sense I can make out if it, is that God had a very specific plan for Israel and due to their sin, it was never fully realized. In the mellenium, it appears, we will be living in that plan as originally intended.

Sept 5

Ezekiel's visions of the Temple. Trying to explain all this will be a bit like trying to understand the book of Revelation. If you have followed my blog for any time you know I rarely come down on one school of thought and get dogmatically tied it. Even if I did, I don't see it as my role to convince you of any theories that I 'like'. But I like to throw out some ideas and point you in the direction of some theories that I think are valid and have you learn more on your own.

Here are the main points as I see them: this is a real temple (in the future, it doesn't match anything that has ever been), not just a figurative one (hense all the measurements etc). Israel, as you may have heard me mention has been in the planning stages of building a 3rd temple for quite some time. They have the furnishings, the priests, the garments etc. What they don't have is 'real estate' a place to build it (Temple Mount is of course under the control of the Muslims) and they don't have a red heifer which is required for temple worship (that's a whole different topic- they have been close a couple times, but then the heifer sprouted a white hair here or there and was disqualified). I do believe that Israel may experience some degree of success in building this 3rd Temple and that it is all tied in with prophesies related to the Anti-Christ. But the temple described in Ezekiel seems to be far beyond what could be accomplished in earthly terms and leads me to believe that it is describing something that will be present in the millenium (1000 year reign) after Christ's Second Coming. I've also heard it said of Ezekiel's temple that it will be built at Shiloh a few miles from Jerusalem where the Tabernacle of Moses stood for 369 years. We should be learning more about this temple from other minor prophets and then maybe we will be able to make conclusions. Until then, we will learn together. If anyone has other theories they know of or have heard, feel free to share.

Sept 2

This is one of the most interesting and contraversial prophesies in scripture....and as the author points out, it has not been fulfilled yet. I don't feel I know all the arguments well enough to even remotely comment on Gog of Magag etc........ But I do like to look at all the different theories. If you believe as I do that we are living in or near to the end times, then you believe that prophesy has great relevance for us today. But it is a very difficult subject

One thing I like to keep in mind is that although the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah coming were available for hundreds of years and men spent their lives studying them, to my knowledge there is not one single person who studied all these ahead of time and said "AH HA! I've got it. I know how all these can fit together. A young virgin from Nazereth will conceive, she'll give birth in Bethlahem, flee to Egypt............. ." You get where I'm going. BUT when these events started happening, if they 1) knew the scriptures 2) had an open mind (got their human preconcieved ideas of having a political leader/earthly king out of the equation)  3) prayed for spiritual guidance (the only ones who had a clue were Anna and Simeon who had been shown in the spirit that this was the Messiah), THEN they would have recognized the time of His coming.

There is a ton on info out there about the battle of Gog of Magag. I suppose the most common theory is that they are from the Russian area. I'm not even sure I think that it is refering to a people or people group. The thing that struck me was refering to Gog as 'cheif prince'. This reminded me of language used in Daniel 10:13 (which we haven't read yet) when the angel who is speaking to Daniel tells him he was delayed:

But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

This is all clearly refering to a spirit world that we know little about. Personally, the similarity in language makes me think that this is refering to a spiritual world also. It may have some real life physicial implications however (wars etc).

There are lots of interesting theories to study- just google :)

One thing I have heard people say is that if this is taken to be a literal place and people (like Russia) that invades Israel in the future and people read this passage, they (US and other Israel allies) will say, 'Oh well, no need to help them, God will save them'. The Bible (which always has to be considered as a whole) says that "God will bless them who bless you and curse those who curse you". So keep all these things in mind as world events unfold. Study the scriptures primarily, the theories of prophecy scholars secondarily but my advice is not to marry yourself to any one theory. Like the beautiful and unpredicatable story of the First Coming- know enough to recognize it when you see it, but don't try to figure out too much ahead of time or you might be so stuck on your own idea that you miss something big.

Addendum Aug 28

I feel like there are some things in me that just need to come out....nothing to do with the reading...just randomness. I just finished reading a blog of a woman whose husband and son in law both have cancer (the son in law being my nephew). It is filled with such extreme faith and hope. It is beautiful. But it makes me want to scream....of course not at her- I would never be that insensitive (I hope). But it concerns me when people 'have so much faith' that the only 'option' is for them to be healed. Make no mistake, I absolutley, positively believe that God CAN heal and God DOES heal. But does He ALWAYS? No. Where does that leave the people that God doesn't heal? Did they lack faith? I don't think so. Faithful saints have been both being healed and not being healed since Christ walked the earth. God has a different plan for all of us. Look at the 'big 3' disciples. Peter, James and John. James was martyered right off the bat, Peter later and John died at a very old age.

Perhaps I'm super sensitve having lost my best friend to cancer this last year. No, God does not always heal. Sometimes, the cup does not pass from us. But we do have His promise that He will always be with us, He will never forsake us and eventually, we will live forever and ever in a place prepared just for us by the One who loved us enough to give His very life for us. That is ultimate healing. As for physical healing in this lifetime? Maybe. I hope so. I'm signed up and on the prayer chain. I know God is able.

Aug 28

Of course, everything that God had told the prophets is now coming to pass. It is beautiful how Jeremiah is saved from all the mess. It was interesting to me that he was in chains, bound and on his way to Babylon when God saved him. Jeremiah could have just been freed in Jerusalem but he was on his way to 'hell' when the 'saviour' found him, freed him, gave him provisions, and a gift. I don't think I'm reading too much into it to say that this is a picture of our salvation. And the gift, of course, is the Holy Spirit.

I'm blessed to sit under the teaching of teachers who always encourage us to look for the deeper meanings of the scriptures. I don't think I would notice half of what I do if not for the great teachers we have in our church.

It is also interesting that we are coming up on Lamentations, where Jeremiah laments for all that has been lost and God's plan ruined by sin. The beautiful city of Jerusalem, desolate and ruined by sin. I know that I do not 'lament' as much as I should over sin or the lost. As you read portions of Lamentations coming up, let it challenge us. I also remember when I was in Jerusalem, at the place where Jesus wept over the city, that the speaker challenged us to think of people in our own lives who are lost and not seeing God's plan and to weep for them as Jesus did.

This was a terrible and desperate time in Israel's history. But God provided for the faithful. I've seen that provision in my own life recently and can't help but rejoice in it. We think times are hard- and they are...but people have survived so much worse. And we don't know what it coming next- better or worse.......but whatever it is God will take care of us. We have His Word on it.

Aug 23

I got hung up on today's reading. It took me a while to search out my answers, which I'll come to in a moment. But after my search, I re-read the passage. And I realized that I missed some really beautiful passages the first time around while I was stuck on one passage. First the gems:

The New Convenant: Of course, with the benifit of looking from this side of history, we now know what the New Convenant is. Luke 22:20 THIS is the New Convenant IN MY BLOOD. I've heard those words thousands of times at communion and other time. But it really struck me in a new way today. With God, a convenant is ALWAYS, sealed in blood (remember Abraham walking between the two halves of the animal). Of course, I've known that for a long time also......but it just really struck me today. I wonder how many times the disciples (who also knew exactly how a covenant is made) wondered afterward: "How could we have not seen what was going to happen?" (the upcoming crucifixion). It also struck me in the passage this is also a conenant TO ISRAEL. I've written before about the mistake of 'replacement theology' (that God has 'replaced' Israel with the church). This is THEIR convenant and we have the extreme privelage of being grafted in to it them (Rom 11:24)

Israel Will Always Be Special: Jeremiah 31:35-37  I love this passage. Esecially since we've been hearing so much about Israel's rebellious ways. It seems to come at just the right spot to reconfirm His love for them. Praise God that many Jews are now embracing Yeshuah (Jesus) as the Messiah. By the way, the word we use "Christ" is not part of His 'name'. It  is His title- The Annointed One (or Messiah)

Now to the troublesome passage- Jeremiah 33:16-17. Obviously, in the previous verses, the "Righteous Branch from David's line" is Jesus, and the explains verse 16 of how "David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne......" What confused me was verse 17 about the Levites never fail to have a man to stand before him to offer continual sacrifices (since obviously, they have no temple and have not sacrificed in 2000+years)

I don't know if I'm 100% satisfied with the answers but I did come up with 2 "best answers".
 1) In verse 18 the priests, who are Levites, represent true Christians, who sacrifice their wills as well as bring others to God by preaching the Gospel. 1 Peter 2:9 calls these Christians a royal priesthood. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
2) There has never been a failure of Levites eligible perform sacrifices (even though they have not done it continually). This is true even today, as they make preperations to build the 3rd temple. Of course there is more to being 'elibible' than just being from the tribe of Levi. But the fact that there are Levites still in existance and ready to serve is miraculous.

August 22

I found another website which outlines all the prophesies fullfilled in (and since) 1948 when Israel was reborn. It is pretty compelling. It also references Grant Jefferies material of how it happened it exactly as predicted.
http://www.watchmanbiblestudy.com/Articles/1948PropheciesFulfilled.htm

I am reminded again in recent reading of when I was in Israel and our guide told us that in the 1800's Israel was so desolate that it prompted famous author Mark Twain to write the book, "Innocent's Abroad" in 1869 describing the deplorable conditions and profiteering in the Holy Land. I would like to read it before the next time I go there.

The other thing that really struck me in the reading was the death of Ezekiel's wife. And how tragic that he was not allowed to mourn. Many people will only listen to "God of Love" theology. And He absolutely is Love. Without Him, love does not even exist. But, because He is Holy, He is also a God of judgement and though He (as we have seen repeatedly) is very longsuffering and patient, eventually judgement does come.

I got to thinking about the reason for the judgement and how it was mostly about idolitory (and as mentioned multiple times, the people were even sacrificing their children to the god Molech). For a moment I felt relieved that we no longer had idols. But then I realized that so many of us make our own God. We even call him by the name of the God of the Bible. We pick and choose what we believe about Him and believe that He exists for our pleasure not the other way around. We make a false idol out of God.

I'm reading a book right now by John Piper called, "Don't Waste Your Life". It's major theme is that living the Christian life is a joy filled experieince but it comes through sacrifice and obedience. The price God paid for our freedom and redemption was too high to do anything but to serve Him fully. Our main goal in life is to bring glory to His Name. That may be through happy circumstance or through tragic circumstances- but the goal is the same. Ezekiel knew this better than any of ever will.

Israel's rebirth prophesied

Nearly the exact day of Israel's rebirth as a nation in 1948 is fortold in the Old Testament.

This is the blog that I have been waiting to write. It is pretty fascinating to me.

 I got caught up in summer activities and strains has kept me from blogging for a while and I apologize.

The first time I heard what I am going to share, I thought it was fascinating....but I didn't retain much of it. The second and third times a little more 'stuck'. Still I had to research the web to get more details. I didn't keep the reference of the site I used, but it referenced "The Signature of God" by Grant Jefferies. Many who 'follow' this line of thinking declare this prophesy to be 'to the exact day'. Since we don't know the exact day that Israel returned from captivity in Babylon, I'm a little too skeptical to be able to say we can PROVE it to the exact day (although knowing God, it certainly is possible). But the return of Israel to the land was prophesied with, if nothing else, dramatic accuracy. I'll try to outline the facts as simply as possible.

• Ezekiel was a prophet in exile in Babylon. He was a priest that God called to prophesy along with his contemporaries, Daniel (also in Babylon) and Jeremiah (who was still in Jerusalem with the people not yet exiled).
• Jeremiah prophesied that the captivity in Babylon would last 70 years.
• God told Ezekiel (Ezekiel 4:3-6) that he was to lie on his left side signifying punishment for Israel for 390 days (a day for each year) and 40 days (years) for Judah's sin  (remember that there were two major divisions, the southern tribes-Judah, and the northern tribes-Israel after king Solomon) Clearly this is a prophesy that extends beyond the Babylonian captivity prophecy of Jeremiah
• God declared in the OT that a punishment could be multiplied by 7 for continued disobedience"After all this, if you do not obey me then I will punish you seven times more for your sin (Leviticus 26:18, Leviticus 26:21, 23-24, 27-28)
• Since the majority of Israel did not repent after their Babylonian captivity the period of punishment would be 2520 years (390+40-70 (subtracted for years served in Babylon) x7)
• A Biblical year (or 'prophetic year') is based on 360 days not our current 365.25. If you are curious why, google it
• 2520 year x 360 days= 907,200 days (divided by 365.25 to convert to our 'modern years'=2483.8 years)
• Babylonian captivity ended in the spring of of 536 BC or 536.4 BC
• 2483.8 years added to 536.4 is 1947.4.
• Add one year to account for the fact that there is no year "zero" between 1BC and 1AD and you get: 1948.4 

On May 14, 1948, the Jews proclaimed the independence of the reborn state of Israel.  On May 15, 1948 the British Mandate officially ended and Israel became an independent nation for the first time in over 2000 years. For other related fullfilled prophesies such as the Hebrew language being revived and the 'desert blooming' see this website:
http://www.layevangelism.com/bastxbk/sections/sect-7/sec7-6c.htm