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.