Forgotten Books of the Bible - Hosea - 9 - Love your Pastor!

 

This is one of the priests at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. While we were waiting to visit the place of Jesus' birth it was great to watch the priests interact with the crowd. They took seriously their jobs, but I could also tell they had the joy of Jesus. 

As I was reading Hosea 9 today, the verses about the prophets made me think about the pastors I have had in my life. 

'The time of Israel’s punishment has come;

the day of payment is here. Soon Israel will

know this all too well. Because of your great

sin and hostility, you say, “The prophets are

crazy and the inspired men are fools!” The

prophet is a watchman over Israel for my

God, yet traps are laid for him wherever he

goes. He faces hostility even in the house of

God. ' Hosea 9:7-8. https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HOS.9.7-8

I have had so many wonderful pastors in my life. Certainly, my dad and my grandfather is at the top of that list. But, there have been many others. One thing I have learned over the past two years at Indiana Wesleyan Seminary, pastors face so many difficult challenges. These challenges have been magnified by COVID. 

Please pray for these men and women. They are watchmen over their community of believers. The enemy has laid traps to trip them up. They have faced hostility from outside the church. The saddest challenge comes when that hostility comes from within the church. 

Please pray for your leaders.  Paul had a great statement  for these wonderful servants:

'Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who
are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They
work hard among you and give you spiritual
guidance. Show them great respect and
wholehearted love because of their work.
And live peacefully with each other. '

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/1TH.5.12-13

And as I was writing this blog, I received my official Ministerial License in the mail. I am licensed while I pursue official ordination. Please Lord, guide me and direct my path in your service!

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Hosea - 8

 

"Israel has built many altars to take away sin, but these very altars became places for sinning! Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don't apply to them. The People love to offer sacrifices to me, feasting on the meat, but I do not accept their sacrifices. I will hold my people accountable for their sins, and I will punish them. Hosea 8:11-13

These are some pretty harsh words. Could the Lord say the same to us?  As we build bigger and bigger churches how critical are we about our actions? Is this a message for the church today? 

The Lord has placed on my heart reaching out to those that feel rejected by the church, who feel like outcasts, who feel judged and unwelcome. I see these people at "Biker" events, in drug rehab centers, jails, prisons, homeless shelters, bars, and in economically depressed areas of our cities. I also know that many of the perceptions are inaccurate, but at the same time, they are real. Our churches FEEL like places for perfect people and imperfect people are intimidated by that. Our churches are filled with people that share many of the same issues with these rejected people, but on Sunday morning, very few hint at their brokenness. 

I love the church. It is a big part of my life and has been since my appearance on this earth. But, the church needs to do better. The church not only needs to reach out asking people to come, but we also need to GO OUT and meet people where they are. Walking through the doors of a church can be very intimidating for someone that has lived an entire life away from God. 

The meeting place, the ministry that God has led me to, wants to bridge that gap between church and the lost. PLEASE, if you are one of those people who have never had GOD in your life, let me help you discover who God is. 

I WANT TO HELP YOU! 

I am willing to hold face-to-face or online discovery bible studies with YOU. 

I will meet you anywhere, anytime, to help you figure out who God is. Please contact me if you want to explore who God is, outside the church setting, on your own turf. 

Contact me (rhoadzie@gmail.com) if you want to set up a time to meet. If we meet once and you don't want to continue, I am perfectly ok with that. There is no pressure to join a church. I just want to help you figure out who the God of the Bible really is. 

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Hosea - 7

 

"Its people don't realize that I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them, and I see them all." Hosea 7:2

For those that don't believe in God, this verse means nothing. For those that profess to be followers of Christ, this is a big issue!

Just like Israel in the Old Testament, we do not realize God is watching and if we do know it, we don't act like it. This past week, the focus of my Master's work at IWU  has been accountability. It is such a good idea to have an accountability partner. Yet, God is our ultimate accountability partner. He sees everything. Everything we do, everything we say, and all our thoughts we have are laid bare in front of Jesus. We cannot hide.

How do you think God would react to your life yesterday. 

For my course work, I had to look at a day in my life and reflect on a series of questions (Spiritual Mentoring, Keith R. Anderson & Randy D. Reese). I modified them to fit my life. But, I would highly recommend taking time each day to think about your day through God's eyes. 

These might be questions to ponder just before you lay your head down at night:

In what ways did God reveal himself today?

What questions do I have for God about things that happened?

Was I living "In God's will" or "Out of God's will" today?

Would God respond with joy or sadness as he looked at my day?

What sins do I need to repent?

Would God speak words of consolation, encouragement, or challenge because of my day?

Whom did I encounter today, did my actions reflect Jesus' love?

Where was I anxious and afraid today?

What words did I speak to God today, and how often did I speak to him?

What do I need to change tomorrow?

We are followers of Christ every day and every hour of our lives. Are we acting like we are his? I am sure there are other questions that could be asked. The most important part of our day might be in reflecting on what we did in relation to our faith. God was watching. 

Need prayer? 

I am available for personal Bible Studies, online or in-person. NO CHARGE and at your convenience.

Contact me: rhoadzie @gmail.com

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Hosea - 6 - REPENT!

 

This photo was taken on our journey to Jericho, looking across the Jordan Valley to ancient region of Gilead. The city of Gilead is mentioned in Hosea. It was a sinful place, much like our world today. 

'“Come, let us return to the Lord . He has torn

us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has

injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. ' Hosea 6:1 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HOS.6.1

The single thread that ties the ancient scriptures of the Old Testament and Jesus' New Testament is REPENTANCE. John the Baptist and Jesus both echoed the need to repent and turn to God. 

'About this time Jesus was informed that

Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee

as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.

“Do you think those Galileans were worse

sinners than all the other people from Galilee?”

Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not

at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent

of your sins and turn to God. And what about

the eighteen people who died when the tower

in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst

sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again

that unless you repent, you will perish, too.” '

Luke 13:1-5 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/LUK.13.1-5

Hosea 6 is clear that God wants us to return to him. He wants to restore us from the damages of our sin. He wants us to come to know him. He wants our love and not our sacrifices. He doesn't want our burnt offerings. He wants to restore us and bless us. 

'Oh, that we might know the Lord ! Let us

press on to know him. He will respond to

us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the

coming of rains in early spring.” “O Israel

and Judah, what should I do with you?”

asks the Lord . “For your love vanishes like

the morning mist and disappears like dew in

the sunlight. I want you to show love, not

offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more

than I want burnt offerings. I sent my prophets

to cut you to pieces— to slaughter you with

my words, with judgments as inescapable as

light. But like Adam, you broke my covenant

and betrayed my trust. '

Hosea 6:3-7 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HOS.6.3-7

I know we don't give sacrifices to God in the twenty-first century and I don't know of too many churches offering burnt offerings. But, God's plea is the same today as it was in the Old Testament and the New Testament. We are called to repent, and admit our sins against God. We are called to turn back to God. He will heal us and restore us to a right relationship with him. There are no special requirements of us. We don't have to sacrifice anything. All he wants is a commitment and dedication to loving him. THAT'S ALL. 

Don't let anyone convince you that your sins are too great. Don't let anyone tell you it's too late. GOD wants to save you from sure death and all it takes is to: 

ADMIT YOUR SINS AND ASK JESUS TO BE YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. THAT"S ALL!  

Will you do that today!

If you want to make Jesus the Lord of your life and turn from the sins of the past, contact me. I would love to pray for you and help you on this new path. I commit to helping you and not leaving you to figure this all out on your own. 

Contact me --- rhoadzie@gmail.com

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Hosea 5 - NOTHING!

 

"Your deeds won't let you return to your God." Hosea 5:4

There is nothing you can do to separate yourself from the Love of God. That message was clear by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. (Rom. 8:31-39) But, so many people act like there is an exception to this rule, "but I have done......" 

God is waiting for your to finally realize NOTHING can separate you from the love of God. 

As I read Hosea, I hear the heart of this prophet as he is overwhelmed with his nation's rejection of God. The suffering is real. I truly believe most of people get to the point, when things get bad enough, they realize their need for God. It is at this critical point where the followers of Jesus need to be ready to share the message of Romans 8. Because when someone hits rock bottom they have two choices. They can give up or they can turn to God. 

Listen to what God told Hosea at the end of Chapter 5:

"Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and turn to me. For as soon as trouble comes, they will earnestly search for me."(Hos. 5:15)

We are called to love people like Jesus. Our mission is no different than John the Baptist or Jesus. When people get to the point they cannot take another step forward, we need to share that all they need to do is admit their guilt and turn to God. And when Satan tells them their sins are too great, we need to be there and assure them NOTHING CAN SEPARATE THEM FROM THE LOVE OF GOD!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, TURN TO GOD. 

Do you need someone to come alongside you and help you turn to God?  Please contact me, I will help. GOD LOVES YOU and SO DO I! 

rhoadzie@gmail.com

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Hosea - 4

 

This is the sight of Israel's pagan temple to Baal. After the split, Israel's priests in the Northern Kingdom accepted the worship of gods other than THE GOD. 

This nation was destroyed, never to be heard from again. 

'“Don’t point your finger at someone else

and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you

priests, is with you. So you will stumble in

broad daylight, and your false prophets will

fall with you in the night. And I will destroy

Israel, your mother. ' Hosea 4:4-5. https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HOS.4.4-5

When Jesus arrived, the community of PRIESTS grew in amazing ways. Peter claimed:

'But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You

are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.

As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for

he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. '

1 Peter 2:9 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/1PE.2.9

We can not blame the failings of our society on the lost, they don't know any better. We could blame our religious leaders. Hosea did! AND I DO think they need to shoulder some of the blame for the state of our Godless society. But, I believe in the UNIVERSAL PRIESTHOOD. Peter claimed we are ALL royal priests. We can point fingers at ALL BELIEVERS.

We are called to "Love others as Jesus loved us!" (John 15:12)

When we do take a stand for Jesus do we copy the methods of the world or do we show the Love of Jesus? When we protest the evils of this world, and there are many, do we share the Love of Jesus? When we condemn someone else's sin, are we showing the Love of Jesus? 

Are we living a life that is appealing to those outside our faith? 

Is God pointing his finger at us? Does God have a complaint against ME? YOU? Are we stumbling in broad daylight for the world to see? 

Heavenly Father, forgive me for not being your light in the midst of darkness. Forgive me for not loving you with all my heart, soul, and mind. Forgive me for not showing your love to the world. Forgive me for not honoring my position as your royal priest. 

Help me change lord. 

Amen!

Do you need prayer? God has called ME to make disciples. Can I help you draw closer to Jesus? rhoadzie@gmail.com 

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Hosea 3 - God STILL Loves You!

 

In June of 2013, Stephanie and I were on our way back from a motorcycle trip to California. We ran into this storm in Cheyenne Wyoming. We were able to stop at a gas station. But, it was so crowded we were not able to park the bike underneath the awning of the gas station. The picture below shows you after the storm the ground was covered by hail. It looks just like snow!

We survived the storm with no real damage. Our helmets, which we dared not rescue, had some chips on the plastic. The motorcycle and our little timeout camper had no damage. God was watching us!

 Hosea had every right under the law to divorce Gomer. Even after he married her, even after he showed great love caring for her, she continued her life as a prostitute. I cannot imagine his pain. Even though it is not recorded in this book, I can imagine his depression and his cries to the Lord for help. Here was God's response:

'Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your

wife again, even though she commits adultery

with another lover. This will illustrate that the

Lord still loves Israel, even though the people

have turned to other gods and love to

worship them. ” '

Hosea 3:1 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HOS.3.1

Hosea continued his love for Gomer even through the storms of their life together. He could have given up. After God told him to love his wife again, he went and bought Gomer for a great price. We don't know all the background of the story, but we know God did not want Hosea to give up on Gomer. His entire life is meant to be a message to us. 

EVEN THROUGH THE STORMS OF LIFE 

GOD WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON US. 

GOD STILL LOVES YOU!

God loves you so much that he paid the high price to buy you back WITH HIS ONLY SON'S LIFE ON THE CROSS.

There is nothing WE can do in my life, believe me I have done a lot, that God will not forgive. He paid the price for YOU and is deeply in love with YOU. 

If you need prayer. If you want to know how to accept Jesus and begin living a life for him, contact me. I would love to share with you, meet with you, and disciple you! Even if you live a great distance from me, we can meet together! 

Contact me at rhoadzie@gmail.com. 

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Hosea 2 - Do we care?

 

'She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her

everything she has— the grain, the new wine,

the olive oil; I even gave her silver and gold.

But she gave all my gifts to Baal. '

Hosea 2:8 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HOS.2.8

When I think of the Garden of Gethsemane, I think of nothing but sadness. Jesus prayed to his Father and he begged his closest followers to join him. Instead, they fell asleep.  They didn't care enough to even join Jesus in prayer. 

As I read through Hosea I also get a feeling of great sadness, God's sadness.  Israel had rejected God. The nation was torn in two by ignoring God and his perfect plan. They took for granted everything God had done for them. Their celebration of Passover, the Sabbath, and numerous other festivals were hollow events.. They didn't care about God. They didn't miss GOD. God blessed them because of their relationship. But, all they wanted was blessings!

Do we really care about our relationship with God? Do we care about disappointing him? Do we care just because we want his blessings? Do we spend more time in prayer went we WANT SOMETHING from God? The people of Israel took all the blessings and gave those gifts to Baal, a worthless idol. When God blesses us, do we rejoice in our relationship or do we take those blessings for our own glory?

Even though we live our lives like we don't care about God, he still pursues us. He wants to WIN our hearts. Look what God says after being so soundly rejected:

'“But then I will win her back once again. I

will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly

to her there. I will return her vineyards to her

and transform the Valley of Trouble into a

gateway of hope. She will give herself to me

there, as she did long ago when she was

young, when I freed her from her captivity

in Egypt. '

Hosea 2:14-15. https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HOS.2.14-15

Dear Father in Heaven, 

Forgive me for not caring about my relationship with you. Forgive me for selfishly wanting only your blessings. I truly do love you Lord. I am yours and you are my God. May I draw closer to you everyday, experience your loving embrace and the joy of fellowship with you. All I need is you! Amen!

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Hosea - 1

 

' “Yet the time will come when Israel’s people

will be like the sands of the seashore—too

many to count! Then, at the place where they

were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said,

‘You are children of the living God.’ Then the

people of Judah and Israel will unite together.

They will choose one leader for themselves,

and they will return from exile together. What

a day that will be—the day of Jezreel —when

God will again plant his people in his land.' Hosea 1:10-11 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HOS.1.10-11

This book is full of so many painful events. Hosea is told by God he will marry a prostitute and that she will be unfaithful to him Together, they have a son. There are another two children born and indications they are through the unfaithfulness of Gomer, Hosea's wife. These two children are given names meaning "Not Loved" and "Not my people."  Such sadness fills me to think of these children and the situation. It brings anger saying, 

Lord, HOW CAN YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?

Is this story any different than hundreds, maybe thousands of children in our communities? Is this any different than the stories of children born into homes where they are not loved, where they are rejected by either parent? Is this any different than the stories behind the children placed in foster homes, abused, sold into sex trafficking?

Our world is filled with such pain and injustice. Yes, we can cry out to God, but can we blame him? I say the answer is clearly NO! Our sinfulness, our poor choices, our desire to remove God from our lives is the story behind the pain. 

The Story of Hosea is in the Bible to show us the pain our sin has caused. Our desire to do things on our own, our desire to live for the moment, and our disregard for the lives of others, bring great pain to this world. But, more importantly, it brings pain to God. 

BUT, PRAISE GOD HE NEVER GIVES UP ON US!

God accepts our poor choices and desire to live without him with tears of deep sadness. Yet, he will NOT turn his back on us forever. Israel would eventually come to their knees asking for forgiveness. Then they would leave God again and again and again. These verses in the Hosea teach us about the mind of God. Even in the midst of all the pain of this world, he has not given up on us. He is for us and waiting for us to return to him, pure and ready to worship him and be with him. 

Please Lord help us in the midst of this evil, help us to seek you, your laws and your love. We need you so much! Amen!

Thank you Lord!

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Ezra - 10 - Hope

 

'Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, a descendant

of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful

to our God, for we have married these pagan

women of the land.

But in spite of this there is hope for Israel. '

Ezra 10:2. https://my.bible.com/bible/116/EZR.10.2

There are always consequences of sin, people are hurt, suffering is the result. For years, almost back to when Israel crossed the Jordan River to occupy the promised land, Israel had defied this key law of God. Even King Solomon violated this law. They intermarried with Pagans. In today's politically correct world, this shouldn't be such a big deal. The families in Israel were close. Father and Mother were highly revered. One of the first laws, commanded by God, through Moses, was to honor your Father and Mother. These two people are lifegivers. Honoring them is like honoring God. He is our Father and we honor him by loving him, listening to him, obeying him, and living life with him. We honor our parents in a similar way. If a man marries someone outside the faith, all of life is changed. We have to choose which to follow. 

It is a big deal.

In a marriage between a follower of Christ and a non-follower, the children are put in an impossible situation. They must choose between mother and father. Sin offers us the same choice. Sin makes us choose between God and man. We all know the right choice!

But, in verse two, Ezra pointed out THERE IS HOPE. Our sins cannot permanently separate us from God unless we want them to. God loves us so much that he sent his Son to die for us, that we might have HOPE through him. There is no sin to great. God is there waiting for us to seek his forgiveness. Yes, there will be consequences. The result of sin does not change with our confession and desire for forgiveness. But, if we seek God, and turn from our wicked ways, he promises us hope and a brighter tomorrow. 

Thank You, Lord for hope even when I mess things up by disobeying you!

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Ezra 9 - The Vicious Cycle

 

'I prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed;

I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins

are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt

has reached to the heavens. From the days of

our ancestors until now, we have been steeped

in sin. That is why we and our kings and our

priests have been at the mercy of the pagan

kings of the land. We have been killed, captured,

robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today.

Ezra 9:6-7. https://my.bible.com/bible/116/EZR.9.6-7

It is not easy to identify Christians in our communities. They look, act, and talk like all the rest of the people in our country. Ezra found out his people continued to accept and actively participate in the pagan culture surrounding them. 

'When I heard this, I tore my cloak and my shirt, pulled hair from my head and beard, and

sat down utterly shocked. 'Ezra 9:3 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/EZR.9.3

The vicious cycle of sin continued.

He then prayed!

How ashamed am I of my actions? Do I blush when God sees how I live a life of sin? Our sins are

are higher than the heavens. The only way out is through Jesus and exactly what he did for us on

the cross. The good news? Jesus has no limit in his forgiveness. He doesn't ever say, this is your

last chance. His grace and his mercy are forever. All we have to do is come to him.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for how I repeatedly sin, living a life that looks exactly like the world.

Please give me strength to stay focused on you, to fight accepting sin as being normal. Help me to

fight the urge to conform instead of being transformed. I cannot do it on my own. Lord we need you

every moment of every day. Help us the break the vicious cycle! Amen!

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Ezra 8 - Vaccination vs No Vaccination

 

'And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders

for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before

our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe

journey and protect us, our children, and our goods

as we traveled. For I was ashamed to ask the king

for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and

protect us from enemies along the way. After all,

we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection

is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger

rages against those who abandon him.” So we

fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would

take care of us, and he heard our prayer. '

Ezra 8:21-23 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/EZR.8.21-23

It is fun to think about how often God has protected us in our lifetime and we have no idea! Stephanie and I spend a lot of time praying and definitely pray for God to protect us when we travel. I love this short message in Ezra. 

The fleshly part of Ezra wanted to guarantee his protection by asking the King for soldiers and horsemen. Yet, he knew to make the request would appear to be a lack of faith. So, he prayed and he had his people fast and humble themselves before the Lord instead. 

Do you REALLY believe God will protect you?  How do you demonstrate to the world that you REALLY trust in the Lord? 

It is so important to show the world you completely trust in the Lord. We live in a world that is a dangerous place. There is so much out there to harm us. 

God will protect us. 

I still have a hard time deciding if God wants me to take extra precautions or if he wants me to depend on him. This has been very real over the past two years with COVID. My debate was whether to take a vaccine or not. Am I being diligent to protect myself or do I leave it up to the Lord?  I have debated this in my heart quite often. But, my decision to get vaccinated was simple. I was not going to be able to serve the Lord like I wanted, traveling to Greece on a short-term mission trip and exploring Israel, if I was not vaccinated. So, my thought was  YES the Lord could protect me from COVID, but he could also protect me from the VACCINE. 

Ezra had great motives. He wanted to make sure Persia and the King knew that God would protect them as they traveled. It might have been smart to ask the King for help, but the example he set by relying upon the Lord was more important. 

We should all be more concerned about the way our faith is portrayed to others. Instead of making decisions like vaccination or no vaccination for political reasons, make the decisions based on your faith! I know some people made their decisions for the right reason. Others, I am not sure about! But there are other decisions. Do you carry a handgun for protection or not?  Do you install security systems at home or not? I am sure there are others. 

Take all your decisions to the Lord, ask his guidance, and consider what those decisions will say to those that DON'T know the Lord. 

Forgotten Books of the Bible - Ezra 7 - Bad Memory!

'For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the

law of the LORD , and to do it , and to teach

in Israel statutes and judgments. ' Ezra 7:10. https://my.bible.com/bible/1/EZR.7.10

My mentor gave me this verse to memorize. It is amazing that, unbeknownst to him, I was studying Ezra. I love how God works in small ways to let us know we are doing his will.  I kind of gave him a hard time about memorizing scripture. I asked him a question about where it says in the Bible we are to memorize scripture. I think I kind of stunned him by my question. Now don't get all your defenses up! I absolutely see value in memorizing God's word. I envy people that have verses they pull out of thin air at just the right moment. AND I know my resistance is because I don't want to put the effort to memorize scripture. 

So, I googled, "Does it say we should memorize scripture in the Bible?"

 

Although there are multiple reasons given to memorize scripture, backed up by scripture, each reference given talks more about the application and the command to make scripture a part of our life. Here is a link to one of the resources;

Ten Reasons to Memorize Scripture

More importantly, is the need for us to engrain scripture in our hearts. Does scripture impact how you live, what you say, and how you relate to other people? I am not against memorization of scripture. I just believe all MY efforts should be toward "preparing my heart to seek, and then to do it." I need to seek the Lord and all that he has for me today, or even in this specific moment! As I seek him and his law, I also need to be able to share all that I find teaching others.

So, in my opinion, (I could be wrong), we need to focus all our energy on embedding scripture into our hearts and then transfering that to our daily lives. With some people that may mean memorizing scripture. Some it will mean meditating on scripture, some will write about scripture, some will teach others. If we spend time in God's word, truly seeking his laws, understanding his statutes, and judgments, it will affect our life, even if we do not memorize those scriptures.

What are your thoughts?