T.J. I wrote an "agnostic" for you. (an acrostic)

T.J., my brother in Christ, fellow counselor, and friend, I made an agnostic for you (in honor of your misspoken comment at my last Red Team meeting with you even though we knew you meant ACROSTIC). This is for you as you celebrate your Savior and mine forevermore in the realm of glory in your eternal life with Christ:

T: Thrilled even when others were not, always full of joy

H: Hysterical and hyper, twenty-four, seven

O: Outrageous, self-explanatory

M: MANLY, because you probably wouldn’t like it if I didn’t say this

A: Animated, without fear of anything or anyone

S: Senseless and Shameless. If you know anything about T.J. he did not have one bone of sense in his body, but that’s what made him T.J. J

J: Joyful, always. I never saw him down and defeated

A: Adept, skilled in so many ways some will never know or appreciate

M: Maniac, just straight up crazy

E: Energetic and Extreme, even to the very end. Even in heaven I heard one person say they could see him running and sliding down the streets of gold just because he can.

S: Sold out for Christ, whether spoken or not, always did things for God the best he could.

N: Never quitting, never giving up, always strove hard and pushed himself and others for victory and success

O: Outspoken and honest, that friend who was not afraid to call you out on what you did wrong and ready to say something at the drop of the hat.

T: Truthful…uh who am I kidding; he always was sarcastic and funny. A more fitting word would be trustworthy and showing God’s truth to those he loved.

T: Tough and Thoughtful, always tried to be the big man, but was never self-focused. He always wanted to goof off and be crazy so others would be energized, upbeat, excited, or joyful.

Thank you T.J. for all the lessons you taught us in life, and much more also now in death. We celebrate your life, may we all take your energy and use it for God as you did.

The Passing of a Friend and a Co-Laborer

I just found out within the last two days that a pretty good friend of mine I counseled with last summer at Northland Camp named T.J. Nott had been promoted to glory in the act of a motorcycle accident. According to the coroner's report it was due to blows to his head and chest in a motorcycle accident. He had on a helmet and a motorcycle jacket. He was not going at a fast rate of speed, as matter of fact, had he come off his motorcycle any where else, not hit a tree and just rolled into a ditch, he probably would have walked away (this is all from the police officer at the scene of the accident). But that's just a side note for what this post is about.

Personally, I’ve felt a tremendous pressure to really etch out personal emotions, thought process, and self-counseling that may prove helpful to others outside my little personal bubble. This also may prove to be some “mini-legacy” I leave behind for the furtherance of God’s glory should he promote me to heaven soon as well.

So first of all when someone breaks the news: what goes through your mind? In trying to keep this blog profound but still practical, here’s what I came up with: shock. Simply shock. I honestly felt nothing, for some reason, when tragedy strikes my life, fear rises up, or when I am startled I have always felt the typical “deer-in-headlights” reaction. Someone is gone, what do I do? Instantly I think of who needs to know, I look to the nearest person(s) and show them the news. I don’t know if this is the proper response, but this is what happens.

Ok now what? When do the emotions, physical toll, and spiritual testing begin? Well emotionally, for me, it is likened to Indiana weather. In 5 minutes I could be victim of a horrible storm. The storm could last 5 minutes or a few hours. The interesting thing is that the emotional drop-off always seems to be as abrupt as when it started. Physically, exhaustion kicks in when the emotional attacks are hitting me in multiple waves or in lengthy waves when the physical toll incurs. Spiritual testing, however, starts right away. Death always effects more than just the family and immediate friends, ALWAYS.

Spiritually speaking, testing in the area of death of my friend T.J. has to be Hebrews 12:2 FIXING my gaze to the author and finisher of my faith. Searching the Scriptures for comfort proves an excellent exercise, but we all know that you can only do so much listening when trying to be consoled. You need someone to talk to. You need to find a quiet place to run in crying to your heavenly Father. Your daddy. Your Abba. Today I felt obligated to run to the throne of grace as a servant and left comforted, still hurting, but comforted as an adopted child.

Prayer has the uncanny ability to reveal a lot about ourselves if we choose to be as honest as we can be with God. Hebrews 4:12 states that God’s Word is active and ALIVE. It strips us naked of all facades and fronts and leaves us helpless, exposed, bare, and alone before God’s holiness and scrutiny. The metaphor in the text emphasizes being at the mercy of a much more powerful person in a wrestling hold. Completely helpless and exposed is where the victim (you and I are) to God’s word. The illustration I discussed with my RA was that before God’s Word we are like a child in a man’s armor and rank. God takes all the “cool armor” and “fake ranks” from us. God likely takes away all the clothing and under garments to expose us for exactly who we are, sinners in need of grace to even want to love God. And then he grabs our hands and holds them tight so we are completely helpless, unable to fight back or argue.

Prayer is nothing more than admitting this reality to God and truly asking for help in the areas in which you struggle with most. Right now I feel as if uncertainty, priorities, unbelief, purpose, focus, reality, love, compassion, feeling, and friendship are things that I need to reevaluate. Things that God brought to life for my personal walk as to what I am exposed in right now. Am I willing to be a ladder to allow people to get ahead on me? Am I willing to be a doormat that I would allow people to tread on me so they can find themselves welcome before Jesus’ face? Both questions bring to light Phil. 2:1-11.

It’s really time to wrap this thing up. Let me leave some verses I particularly found comforting to wrap my brain around:

John 11: Look at Thomas’s attitude, a willingness to volunteer to die WITH Lazarus. NO FEAR IN LIFE NO FEAR IN DEATH.

Lamentations 3: God’s mercy and grace are the sole things holding us together, without them we would surely be consumed. Thank your God that mercy triumphs over judgment!

I Peter 4-5: Submission to God’s mighty right hand and casting our cares upon him so that he will exalt us in his due time is the best thing you can experience in trials.

I Thessalonians 4: The last half of the chapter tells us the whole point. DO NOT SORROW. Comfort one another. Hello! You will see them again, get back to work!

John 6:35-40 and James 4:13-17: The will of God is for us to do the Father’s will. Distractions are no excuse. Live like you don’t have tomorrow, but plan like you have a lifetime.

Philippians 1:27-4:11: Live worthy of your heavenly citizenship by pointing yourself and others to the gospel. In like manner, characterize your walk in submission to the Father’s will and esteeming everyone you meet as better than yourself.

I hope I didn’t waste your time with reading this blog. Please, don’t take my word for it, read the Word of God each day, for without it, you won’t make it through your day loving God fully.

A Disconcerting Status, from a friend

I saw a very disturbing status today on Facebook that caused me to write this post. Granted it is a little confrontational, I can advise you that you please "chew the cherry and spit out the pit" should I be off-base in any manner of speech. I would just like to preface what I state here that this is purely out of love for the individual and for those in agreement with this individual. I just want to correct our thinking to think biblically and to make sure our goal is not ourselves, but God's glory and the helping of others to the same end (to glorify God).

The status clearly stated was this: "just because i wander doesn't mean i'm lost." While this seems feel-good, encouraging, and helpful, I couldn't help but feel an unsettled spirit in my heart over this. I would like to add something to this status and edit it a little bit, but again I don't know the heart of this particular person so I can only take the statement at face value. First, I want to show you why I believe this statement is not entirely biblical, and even in the feel-good status remarks we need to always have our "vigilant hat" on.

When we wander, our affections for God are compromised and we choose sin. That means we choose to ally ourselves with the world's mindset (a mindset absent from God James 3:14-16). Furthermore, James 4:4 states that this alliance with the world is a close friendship with God's enemy. So close a relationship, in fact, that not only does James call us out for being a best friend to the world, but also an adulterer/adulteress. You and I have an adulterous relationship with sin in such a blatant manner, not necessarily blatant and obvious others, but to God. God isn't stupid. He knows exactly what you and I do every moment of every day, and yet we think we can just put our "Christian clothes" back on and act like nothing happened.

Wandering does not mean your lost, but it does not help your case prove against being lost. All this being said, I implore you all: let us strive together being like-minded, with the same love, being of one accord, of one mind...esteeming others better than ourselves (Philippians 1:29-2:4).

Books - Updated

So I haven't blogged in a few weeks so I decided to do one, a little different style. The following are all books with appropriate links in which to purchase/view all the books I'm wanting to read that have any spiritual connotation and I highly recommend all who even look at this blog (like 2 people sometimes) to read except for one. Forgotten God by Francis Chan I heard has a very interesting and possibly unbiblical viewpoint of the Holy Spirit and should be noted that he is also the author of Crazy Love as well so just put your discernment cap on while you read his works, as you should with all your readings.

[REVISED SECTION]

Here's some updated content on my recommended/reading project as I attempt to read more Christian Literature. Personally, all of these books I will be reading at some point, so it is mainly a list for me and anyone that wants to look up some additional books they want to read.

Valley of Vision - editor Arthur Bennett [U]
The Gospel Primer - Milton Vincent [X]
Note to Self - Joe Thorn [X]
Counsel from the Cross  - Elyse M. Fitzpatrick & Dennis E. Johnson [U]
When People Are Big And God Is Small - Edward T. Welch [U]
Not a Fan  - Kyle Idleman [U]
Just Do Something  - Kevin DeYoung [U]
Jesus + Nothing = Everything - Tullian Tchividjian [U]
Heaven  - Randy Alcorn [U]
Total Church - Tim Chester [U]
Gospel Centered Discipleship - Jonathan K. Dodson [U]
The Christian Atheist  - Craig Groeschel [U]
Disciple: Getting Your Identity from Jesus - Bill Clem [U]
Redemption - Mike Wilkerson [U]
The Explicit Gospel - Matt Chandler [U]
Life Quest - Cary Schmidt [U]
I Will Trust - Mrs. Oliver B. Greene [U]
The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson [X]

Don't Waste Your Life - John Piper [U]
When I Don't Desire God - John Piper [U]
Think - John Piper [U]
Desiring God, Revised Edition - John Piper [U]

Fear Not! - Rand Hummel [X]
Turn Away Wrath - Rand Hummel [X]
Lest You Fall - Rand Hummel [X]

Trusting God  - Jerry Bridges [U]
The Gospel for Real Life  - Jerry Bridges [U]
Transforming Grace  - Jerry Bridges [U]
Growing Your Faith  - Jerry Bridges [U]
Respectable Sins  - Jerry Bridges [U]
Pursuit of Holiness - Jerry Bridges [X]
Is God Really in Control?  - Jerry Bridges [U]
The Discipline of Grace - Jerry Bridges [U]

Forgotten God - Francis Chan [U]
Erasing Hell  - Francis Chan [U]
Crazy Love - Francis Chan [X]

The Gospel as Center - editors Timothy Keller & D.A. Carson [U]
The Prodigal God  - Timothy Keller [U]
Counterfeit Gods - Timothy Keller [U]

The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer [U]
The Crucified Life - A.W. Tozer [U]
Keys to the Deeper Life - A.W. Tozer [U]


[X] = Read
[U] = Unread

O Wondrous Love from I John 4

This week was a meaningful one to say the least. It was the first time I have ever gone to a friend's house for the entirety of Thanksgiving break instead of spending the fall holiday season with my family (even though I really wanted to). I spent the time with a very close friend (Will) in Holly, Michigan and had some great time of what I like to call "mutual-discipleship" (or iron sharpening iron discussions). Anyways, I had a phenomenal break just randomly hit with little trials along the way, but scheduling a time to talk to a good Northland Camp friend from California and finding out I had a small clan of close Northland Camp friends around the area of my friend Will as well. This alone would make for a pretty fun break all ready not having to work, being with your best friend, and getting to do pretty much whatever we wanted.

The real blessing, though, was my personal study in my devotions through the holiday. Before this year, I really never had solid, meaningful, daily devotions with the Savior of my soul. Sad, I know. So, that being said, I really wanted to not necessarily "make up for lost time" with God, per se, (because that is a foolish thinking process) but instead I wanted to make something meaningful of the occasion. I was rescued from my sin 14 years ago in the month of November, when, through the preaching of God's Word by an evangelist at my church at the time, and some guidance from my dad, I asked Jesus to cleanse me of my sins and be my Savior after a Wednesday night service by my bedside. The salvation was just another reflection that drove me to make something meaningful to my personal digest of the Word of God during a holiday where thankfulness is expected even from those who do not associate themselves with God (at least in the United States).

Anyways, I finished a study through I & II Corinthians that I had begun the month prior and was deliberating before leaving my college campus for what book study to tackle next. It hit me like a ton of bricks when I saw my little booklets I bought from Northland Camp. To make a long story very short, the camp I counseled at the previous summer (mentioned a few times all ready) offered booklets that we use during our camp weeks to guide us through a particular passage in scripture with campers all summer, but structures it in a one-week program. The past summers' booklets I bought as many as I could before I left with intentions to work through them as well. One of them was from last summer, the study was through I John 4. I heard so many things from this passage and even read through the whole book a few times the past few months for prayer group so this was nearly jumping out at me as what I should study next.

I John 4 jostled my devotional life into yet another pulse of passion for Christ-likeness as I read through a new segment each day. Love and Fear are discussed in great detail not just in the Bible, but also the booklet as they ask very pointed, heart-revealing questions in the book. First, John asks us to test the spirits that try to influence us to see if they are even of God. If they do not confess that Jesus came to earth to take on flesh as a man, those people are not of God, period. Next he shows that God is greater than the entirety of the world, in power, sacrifice, love, and vitality. Furthermore, John shows us that Christians are of God in a variety of ways and ends his thoughts by defining love. How does John define love? As God. God is love. If you do not know God, you do not know love. What a powerful statement! He doesn't stop there! He further shows how we can display our love to others, how love is actually God giving us his love and perfecting it inside of us by dwelling in His children! Lastly, John closes by showing us how we can love one another. He states that love cannot co-exist with fear. Perfecting love casts fear out of the room. It drives out fear vehemently like Jesus drove out the money changers from the temple. How is it that this works? Because fear exists when we are tormented by what scares us. If I am fearful of how someone looks at me and try to love them, the love is empty and selfish and not selfless. I only can love because God loved me first and died for me.

After reading 21 verses in I John 4, there is no way I can be un-thankful for what God has given me. This Love is wondrous! The song at the end of the post is one I got on a CD from the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team from a few years back that really reassures my love that is inexistant apart from Christ's finished work on the cross. God's love will never let me go. Romans 8 and I John 4 explode with this truth. Appreciate God today, give God His breath back, you owe Him.

 These are the Lyrics to the song "O Wondrous Love"

O wondrous love that will not let me go
I cling to You with all my strength and soul
Yet if my hold should ever fail
This wondrous love will never let me go

O wondrous love that’s come to dwell in me
Lord who am I that I should come to know
Your tender voice assuring me
This wondrous love will never let me go

I’m resting in the everlasting arms
In the ever faithful heart
The Shepherd of my life
You’ll carry me on Your mighty wings of grace
Keeping me until the day
I look into Your eyes

O wondrous love that sings of Calvary
The sweetest sound this sinner’s ever known
The song of Your redeeming Son
Whose wondrous love will never let me go

O wondrous love that rushes over me
I can’t escape this river’s glorious flow
You overwhelm my days with good
Your wondrous love will never let me go

Just a step into my mind about my God

From day one: rebellious, selfish, hateful, spiteful, lying, thieving, backbiting, wretched, and sinful. This is my bent as a human, innately sinful. Only seeking to fulfill what I want all the time. My wants are more important than yours when it comes right down to it if anyone would be honest with you. Funny thing is, most people will not even want to be honest, because people have a bent towards lying. Do you see how vicious this circle of sin can continue? I want a toy, but someone has it, so I covet, envy, and ultimately steal it in my heart before I actually steal it and fulfill my desire for the toy. Someone asks me if I stole the toy in question, I want to be safe from conflict and punishment so I lie. The lie gets me exactly what I want, no punishment and the toy at the same time. Problem solved. Some people don’t want to hurt their conscience so they tell the truth and get the punishment because they feel guilty. Likewise, some also don’t steal because of the same conscience violation. If anything else is true of humans, besides this bent towards sinning, it is our hate for being guilty.

Guilt is interesting, though. What we humans like to do is ignore the guilt or distract ourselves until they forget it, thus searing their conscience. Each time it gets easier and easier to ignore the conscience until it is finally hardened so that you don’t feel the guilt anymore. This same guilt does not make sense though. There is only survival of the fittest right? We are all just animals that are progressing to be better and have to be good people. Right?

WRONG.

How can we be progressing to a better world when everything around us is decaying or breaking? Man continually is dying and we still have not figured out how to live longer or forever. This endless bent to say that all “good” people are a little “bad” is absolutely true because all people are bent towards sin, but the argument that all “bad” people have some “good” in them is preposterous. All of what we do is sinful, wicked, and disgusting.

How is it that mankind can only sin continually? Because we defy God’s Law, that’s how we continually sin. What is God Law? God’s law is to love God with every part of our being and love our neighbor, or everyone around us, the same as we love ourselves. That is God’s Law.

Okay, okay, I know you’re wondering how in the fat world do we love God with every part of our being? Well the Bible lets us know how to do that. We are to treat other people with respect, not hate. We must love others more than even we love ourselves. We are to ask God to take away our desires to give us His desires for us. We must have God and His Word at the priority of our lives. We have to seek a relationship with our heavenly Father in His Word and pray to Him all the time. And there is the typical laundry list of do not’s as well. The list includes don’t murder, don’t hate, don’t lie, don’t commit adultery, don’t have sex outside of marriage, don’t covet, don’t envy, etc. There is a lot of do not’s, but there is a whole lot more of do’s than do not’s I can assure you of that. God left us quite the list of things to be doing.

But here’s the kicker, everything we do should not be motivated by “What can I get out of this?” Our motivation must be to give God the glory for all our actions, thoughts, and words. Anything we do with a self-motive is sinful, period.

Oh, and by the way, one sin, just one, is like breaking all the law that God established. It works like a giant chain, breaking a chain in any place causes the whole thing to break. Breaking one part of the law makes us guilty of all the laws. God also says that he is holy, meaning separate completely from sin and He cannot so much as look at sin because He despises it so much. So if you sinned, even just once, you have no hope of pleasing God. The punishment is death. Oh no, not physical death, it is far, FAR worse. It is an eternal separation from God and His presence, because He cannot so much as look at sin, God designed Hell. Hell is a real place where those people who sin must go in righteous judgment to be continually and eternally tormented in a never-ending inferno where your worst nightmare seems comforting in comparison to your current situation.

This is where you would object saying, so everyone goes to Hell? Yeah sure, everyone screws up sometime so you are being some kind of legalist that says everyone goes to Hell. Actually, without God’s love, yes, all people are doomed to despair in Hell. But there is a hope. The hope is not by buying your way to heaven. The hope is not by doing enough good so that God likes you enough to let you into heaven. And the hope is not by staying in Hell long enough to burn off our sin debt so that eventually we will get into heaven. The only way for you to be able to get into heaven would be for someone to take your death penalty after having lived a perfect, sinless life. They have to be fully human AND fully God since humans are infallible with a bent to sin, this is why being fully God is needful. This super-human (per se) would then have to take on death for the whole of humanity and then conquer death by rising again from the dead in order to give freely the power over it.

This sounds like an impossible task. But it happened. God sent His Son, Jesus to earth, born miraculously from a virgin to be fully human yet fully God to live a perfect life on earth. He had only a focus for others and God’s glory to teach people truth about His Word and to take the payment of death for us. He was crucified in a brutal Roman designed murder and rose from the dead three days later with over 5,000 eye-witnesses that saw Him before and after death.

Now what do I do? Nothing. You don’t DO anything. All you have to “do” is believe it happened, believe Jesus Christ died for your sins, fully cancelling out your death punishment and sin debt. Believe you do sin and that you do so many wicked things continuously. Ask Christ Jesus to forgive you of those sins and to come into your life to help you obey His law better out of thanks for what He did for you.

Okay now what, I’m saved from sin and death. Life doesn’t get any easier. Salvation only gets you the access to a wonderful relationship with a powerful God and a guarantee into heaven. Is that all you wanted? Sounds pretty selfish to someone who did all that just because He loved you. Why don’t you want to obey God’s law and please Him and get to know the Savior of your soul?! He loves you and wants you to love Him back! He doesn’t want a trite, one-sided relationship with the person he created!

Funny thing is we cannot, in our own strength so much as come close to obeying God with right motives or even do what He wants. The fantastic thing is, He tells us that by continuing in the relationship of reading His Word and praying to God like a conversation for help in order to please Him. The way we please God is by being filled with His spirit. A phenomenon that is impossible to explain until you become a Christian. There are so many things that I cannot explain on what we owe back to God. He asks only that we do our best to grow closer to Him. All He asks is that we try our hardest to be stewards of the life we are given to tell more people about His love for them and to love God the best we can. This is real love, real Christian faith.

The Rise of Fall

Autumn is the season

Where trees and plants have a reason

To die with a hope to return.

With the death the trees hope to spurn

New life, which cannot be possible

Without God making it permissible.

But God,

A two-letter phrase that prods

The heart to see a new alternative.

An option so divine, premeditive

By a holy, God, that chose such a contradiction

To show his glory to us in nature. 

The reality is this:

That sin’s payment is death, fatality, and separation

Christ took our payment to place us in reconciliation

Before God’s very presence. He won us back

So that through death and resurrection He could tack

Righteousness on my account, which I can never achieve

Aside from God’s empowerment that Christ gave so I might receive.

But God chose death to give life to the autumnal season,

And in worthless, wretched sinners

For no apparent reason.

 

This great mystery that God sent his Son

To die a payment for my sins because I run

So far from Him and choose to sin

But God,

Chose to use death to win

My soul back in His jealousy.

He arose in victory

Paying for sin, destroying death’s penalty

This gives all humanity a new reality.

God, so infinite in mercy, chose not to stop there,

He furthered his glory in another death. He chose to leave His chair

In heaven, the mighty throne to be a servant to his creation,

To rescue the human race in such a depravation.

Shown in yet another contradiction, that life can be given

At the expense of a perfect death He showed power that he could be risen.

Rising from the ashes, like a phoenix He conquered fatality

After in the grave for three days he arose to divinity

In to glory to give the gift of life back to humanity.

Malachi 4:1-5 [Oct. 11, 2011]

 King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version John MacArthur Study Bible

• The day of Judgment is compared to the blasting heat of an oven. It consumes stubble (wickedness and arrogance) swiftly and completely while also refining and healing time for the righteous. The totality comes when Malachi uses the metaphor to completely consume even the roots will be burnt up. The healing I believe comes from God's purging us of our sin and this finally changing our sin problem!

• God gives hope for the last couple verses. God is in complete control. All that love God will be able to look forward to a joyful celebration.

• Ashes here would be must appreciated by those who walked on the ashes. In old times they were used for a more solid path on rainy days. We can desire the wicked to be reached by God's glory, but we know that most will reject Him.

• Verse four kind of reigns Malachi's audience back to the here and now. The reality was that all these promises still had yet to come to pass. They next step is to wait and obey the laws that God had set to love others and keep the commandments.

• There is a few different ways to take the Elijah prophecy. Malachi would start 400 years of silence from prophets after his death. John the Baptist had a very similar approach to Elijah in proclaiming the way for Jesus. Also Moses and Elijah came to the mount of transfiguration, and last the tribulation prophets could included Elijah. Which ever it is the person of Elijah was to preach to the people to repent so they can be received to God's family and escape His curse.

• The day of the Lord will be a day of joy and judgment. They way my life is conducted according to God's Word determines my outcome. What will you do?

Malachi 3:1-18 [Oct. 10, 2011]

 King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version John MacArthur Study Bible

• This is a powerful portion of Scripture. Warnings against God's return to refine and purify Israel, the reminder that He does not change to put them in the right perspective, the allowing Israel to know God was being robbed in offerings, acknoledging the evident hypocrisy, and the encouragement to the faithful remnant to remind them that the distinction between the good and evil will be obvious.

• In verse one the messenger that Malachi is talking about is John the Baptist. Malachi and John were laying the groundwork for the Messiah. "Suddenly come" does not have the idea of immediacy, but of unannounced and instant arrival. This is both the first and second coming prophecies. "In whom ye delight" is sarcastic language, since the people were clearly in sin. The people were way too hypocritical to change even when the Lord returned. God will destroy the ungodly in judgment.

• I think it is important to note that the Lord's return is not to destroy, but to purify and refine. All meaningless and wicked things will be burned away. No one can escape this cleansing either. The more we allow God to purify us, the more we look like Christ.

• The refining is a preparation for the Jews to enter into God's kingdom, but it is a destruction for those who don't believe in Christ.

• God reminds Israel He does not change! His mercy was so great to tolerate and wait for their behavior to change! He states that even from days of their ancestors, they ignored His laws and disobeyed. God urges His people to return to Him with the promise to return back to His people if they do so.

• The people asked how they were wayward! Wow! The people refused to tithe and make offerings, religious festivals were ignored as were the poor being neglected. Paying taxes also was not done. These things robbed God and ultimately, they robbed themselves of blessings.

• Notice verse 10-12: The people testing God. If they honored God by reversing their robbery and true repentance was shown, God said he would shower them with excessive abundance, protection from locust, and they would be a delight of the nations.

• It is unbelievable to me still that Israel turned their back on forgiveness and restoration just because they wouldn't admit they had sinned. God's patience is much more than they even deserved. 

• In addition to the priests' questioning God, violating His covenant, disobeying God's laws, defiling the alter, and despising His very name, they openly spoke against God! They complained that obeying God brought nothing, no rewards.

• The attitudes were appalling! "What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance?" This is a selfish focus on what they could get out of it. Worship and obedience is for God not for self! This all happened right after "Mourning" in sackcloth! Two-faced hypocrisy!

• The people tested God to see how far they could go in evil, while God tested Israel to see how far God would go in blessings.

• The Lord remembers the faithful who fear Him and esteem His name. God had not forgotten!

• God calls Israel a treasured possession, mine insinuates ownership by God too. He would spare the righteous in the midst of judgment.

•  Verse 18 in the ESV is really quite rewarding. The distinction between the wicked and the righteous will be visible. Those who serve God and those who don't. The middle ground doesn't exist. You cannot halt between two opinions.

PRAYER: Father, forgive my double-mindedness. Allow me to see my sin and not become willfully ignorant of my sin and justify why I do it. Thank you for your mercy and patience with wicked people like me. Purify me, Lord. Place me through things to trust in you more and allow me to just obey. Keep hold of my attitudes and tongue in the middle of tough times. Remove hypocrisy from my life and allow me to just be honest. Thank you that you promise to return to those who return to you. May I never turn my back on your forgiveness or restoration. Help me not to complain and back-bite. Thank you for remembering the faithful. Count me faithful, Lord, to keep coming to you, despite who I am. Just make me more like Christ and lead me to what you want me to do and where you want me to go. Amen.

Malachi 2:1-17 [Oct. 9, 2011]

 King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version John MacArthur Study Bible

• A constant Old Testament theme is displayed here when God says if you obey I will bless, but disobedience brings a curse. Likewise, He reminds the people of their current curse and says it will get worse. He used vivid language saying dung would be spread on their faces and offerings. This is how God viewed their hypocritical and second rate offerings to Him. More despicable than just not offering anything at all!

• God, the Almighty Creator reached out a perfect hand to sinners all over the globe with love. He deserves us to glory His name in worship. Taking sin seriously like God sees it, and loving God with our whole being is the least we can do! You cannot know or love God without reading His Word!

• How often do I expect to get God's blessings while rejecting the full responsibility to serve Him fully and purely?

• How can God's people be witnesses and separate from the world if we don't know God's Word?! Malachi rightfully shows God's righteous anger at the priests' willful ignorance! Leadership with the lack of God's Word is also a lack of truth. This caused them to lead people astray! We must know God's Word - what it says, what it means, how to apply it, and constantly be immersed in it. In order to represent God we must know our God; you cannot know Him without reading His Holy Word!

• "But have been partial in the law" or "but show partiality in your instruction" is how Malachi ends verse 9. Is this absurd to you at all? Influential, popular, or favored (higher class) people were allowed to break God's laws! Confronting people was not even done because priests found dependency in these men and not in God! Do not tolerate double-standards within your life where you are allowed. My standards need to be based on God's Word, not man's social or monetary status.

• Verses 10-16 indicate the nation of Israel marrying heathen women, committing much adultery and idolatry both physically and spiritually. They were acting as if punishment never would come. God clearly states he would cut off from them. Idolatry and adultery disqualified them from rights and privileges, thus God rejected their sacrifices. With the violation of marriage vows and allowance of idols. Double disloyalty caused their offerings to be a "hypocritical mockery" as MacArthur puts it.

• Something interesting the Life Application brings up in verse 14 is that the people questioned God as to why He rejects them. They were looking at others and not at themselves. Willfully ignorant of their sins. It's almost as if I can hear Malachi saying, "Are you kidding me?! Do you see what you are doing?!"

• Heavenly silence is not approval. It is merely the eye of the storm or the calm before the storm. Judgment comes to the unrepentant and the faithful always receive blessing.

• Don't be like the priests who were faithless, partial, skeptical, self-justified, disobedient people that wore out God's patience.

PRAYER: "Lord I do not want to be complacent or try to do this Christian life on my own anymore. I am rotten, but I want to be faithful, I am double-minded, but I want you more. Your Word works, I do not. May I be dependent on you and help me crush the desire to be independent. Allow me to be a source for others to find You and Your truth no matter what the circumstances. Lord, I just want what you want. I don't know where I am to go or what you will have me do. Know that I will go where you lead and your plan is a whole lot better than mine. Keep me coming back to your Word, starving for Truth. Amen"

Malachi 1:1-14 [Oct. 8, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version John MacArthur Study Bible

• Interesting how before God tells Israel of their problem, He addresses His deep love for them first to lay the groundwork. How often do we feel like God doesn't love us? It is because we are not thankful enough for what He has done for us and continues to do in and through us.

• God's love is sovereign, undeserved, persistent, perfect, and bold...but yet we reject it...seeing our bad circumstances to be signs that God hates us. How can we think this way?

• The hating of Esau is not a hatred how we think of it, but a choice to not choose Esau as his decedent for God's nation.

• God charged the priests with neglecting honor due to God to the point of despising His very name. Also, they failed to be good spiritual examples to the people. The priests' role had shifted from willful obedience in worship to obligation of work. They also denied their wicked attitude towards God.

• God wants us to sacrifice our best to Him because He is worthy! Giving any less shows a lack of trust and giving God second rate or worse things! The priests and people even had the audacity to hypocritically question why God was upset at their second rate offerings!

• The people were giving the governors better sacrifices than they were to God. Do I give others more respect and honor than I give God? Fearing rejection instead of loving my Savior? What am I thinking?!

• Am I expecting God's grace while I give him unacceptable sacrifices? Or better reworded, am I expecting God's grace while not investing adequate time in service for Him?

• "Shut the doors" incites God's attitude that you and I would be better off not giving God any scrifice at all than our second best sacrifices!

• Christians are like the priests, we are to reflect God's character to other people. God does not take pleasure in people who do not reflect His character.

• God is not a God of convenience. It takes a lot of work to live life by God's standards. If I truly love God, sacrifice is of little importance compared to what I gain -- eternal life and fellowship with God.

• My attitudes and actions profane and insult the Lord when I offer Him second rate things instead of my best. I must lead others by my example and I can lead by reverencing the Savior and giving Him my best in everything.

Zechariah 14:1-20 [Oct. 7, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version John MacArthur Study Bible

• Zechariah gives vivid language that shows just how bad situations were going to be before God's triumphant return. When God comes, He is never late, always on time. He comes to save and to reign. All those who oppose Israel in war receive a rotting plague that eats away the skin, eyes, and tongue.

• Chapter 14 seems to be what happens when Israel refuses to worship the antichrist in the Tribulation. In the middle of Israel being attacked and under siege, God returns and rescues them.

• The Day of the Lord comes soon. I should live every day like it is my last. I need to be obedient and spiritually ready to serve Christ.

• God will intervene as His children are plundered. He comes personally to rescue and fight as He has done in the past and he will rip the Mount of Olives in half!

• Verse six sounds awesome! God literally creates the escape path for the Jews and kill the lights, cold, and frost for a complete get away! Then in the evening the light will return. This is truly incredible.

• During the Mellinial Reign, God does away with all other religions ONE world government. ONE world religion. ONE God of all.

• The section of verse 16-19 is important in noting Gentiles go into the Mellenial kingdom to live with the redeemed Jews. Zechariah has another warning too. There are still people who will reject God during this time and they will be judged. How could someone see the face and being of God and still reject Him?

• Interesting how during this time there is no distinction between secular and holy things. All will be as holy as the high priest and his activities, anything from animals to buildings.

• My hope is found in a Jealous, Powerful, Loving Savior. He is in complete control over all.

Zechariah 13:1-9 [Oct. 6, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version John MacArthur Study Bible

• The fountain is a cleansing agent, but also a word picture. This is Christ's death that gives us unlimited access to grace and mercy. The fountain is how much grace and mercy we receive. It is never ending!

• Not only does God promise cleansing from sin, but he comes to abolish idols and cut off false prophets. The salvation Christ provides makes us love God and His truth, and a hatred for false teaching will be an overruling of our normal human feelings. The passage says to such an extent that a mom and dad put their own apostate child to death. This shows how serious God will deal with false teaching in the last days.

• Prophets are now more crafty, lying about who they are and what they do, all the while still influencing us with demonic practices and ideas.

• The worthless shepherd was to be struck, but now the good shepherd needed to be struck. This pictures Christ's death and the scattering is a prophecy quoted by Jesus to tell of the disciples who were to abandon Jesus after His arrest. The good news, however, is that God's hand would be upon them which can mean one of two things: either suffer persecution, which, if from God, would be designed for good and strengthening of His saints or that God would protect and remain faithful to His people.

• God has a small third that remain faithful to Him. I want to be a part of that. I want God to help me remain faithful and obedient. Trusting God will refine us like gold and silver. We will go through serious and difficult trials, but we will be purified to be more like Christ.

Zechariah 12:1-14 [Oct. 5, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version John MacArthur Study Bible

• God will protect His people if the time has not come for hurt to be on them. People, countries, or things that try to take you over never will be able to do so unless God allows it to happen.

• Judah, the defenseless countryside, was to be delivered first to avoid pride seeping into Israel in military strength or strategy. We can take note that God saved the weakest people first. When we witness or commune with others, we shouldn't feel restricted to talk with better off people first. Avoid spiritual pride and partiality.

• God was to exalt the feeble to be great and the great to be like angels! This is a great way to think of what we can be in God's eyes.

• The Spirit in verse ten has a few ideas behind it. He is a spirit of grace that causes a sorrow for our sins and calls us to plead for mercy. This is us calling out to God with repentant hearts. The spirit convicts us of sin, reveals God's righteousness and judgment, and helps us to pray. The repentence comes from seeing the one they pierced, Jesus Christ. They rejected him, but he was the only one that could save and they crucified him!

• The royal and priestly lines set the evil example in the past, but none were first to contribute to mourn. This is not a corporate or national mourning, as Zechariah describes it differently; he states this as a deep penitence on a personal, individual sorrow and faith in Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: "Father, help me realize you are in control. You alone can melt away my sinful prejudices and pride in myself over weak people. Lord, exalt yourself through me so that I do not receive the glory. Fill me with a gravity for my sin and help me pursue you for mercy and peace. Help me keep short sin accounts and confess them immediately. Lord, allow me to isolate my own sin and focus on changing to be more like your Son."

Zechariah 11:1-17 [Oct. 4, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version John MacArthur Study Bible

• This is referencing 2 shepherds, one as being the rejection of the Messiah and the other to be one that God gives His people over to as an evil shepherd. The Messiah was rejected, so God rejected Israel and gave them over to an evil shepherd.

• Zechariah is playing the Shepherd here to illustrate the true shepherd and what the rejection would look like. 2 rods were broke Favor/Grace and Union. The first showed the breaking of God's graciousness and/or favor with His people and the second was the union between Judah and Israel splitting.

• God became impatient towards the three evil shepherds which could be the scribes, priest, and elders in the church. They detested God with proud, unrepentant hearts. (impatient in these verses literally means "my soul was short with them")

• Zechariah was told to abandon the sheep and stop teaching and protecting them. Those refusing to believe were given over to pursue their own desires and left exposed to enemies.

• God never broke the covenant he made. It was condition on Israel's obedience. He allowed Rome to take over and decimate Israel because of their disobedience.

• Did you know 30 pieces of silver,  the "price" for our Savior, was the amount paid to a slave owner for a slave gored by an ox? This was an insult! An outrage! They basically were saying the price for their shepherd was worth nothing more than a common slave! To further this point, Zechariah is told to cast the silver at the potter, signifying when Judas threw the money he "earned" on the floor of the temple that was found and used to purchase land from a potter.

• The phrase a "goodly price" or "lordly price" is said with thick sarcasm to counter humanity's insult. The ultimate sarcasm is God's response to humanity's ultimate insult.

• In history you can see the rod of Union (Brand) really was broken among Israel. Factions came forth (Sadducees, Pharisees, Essens, Herodians, and Zealots). The dissension between Jewish people was almost as violent as the Roman take over! The hatred for each other played a key factor in the Roman conquering of Israel, actually giving Rome an easier time to take over Israel.

• Israel doesn't just reject the one true shepherd, but accept a foolish and worthless one instead. Prophecy jumps here to future the Antichrist God will allow to takeover and destroy the sheep. This is the inappropriate beating of the sheep to submit. He does not protect, he destroys. This all results from the choice to reject Christ and accept the foolish one.

• Leadership brings responsibility; God holds leaders to a higher standard (James 3:1). Zechariah condemns the foolish leader, saying his eye and arm (strength and intelligence) would be taken away from him. It is a true misfortune for God's people to be under leaders who fail to adequately care for them.

PRAYER: "Lord, help me to embrace your truth and will in my own life. Let your favor and grace always be evident to me. Let me wander not too far from you. Allow me strength to keep union with others in order to point them to You. May I never reject you God, but if I do, please, Lord please, pursue me with your great jealousy that I may know You again. Thank you for letting me see just how cheaply I view You. Help me to appreciate your finished work on the cross as unfathomable in the realm of value. Help me take advantage of leadership and give my character the vitality to copy your characteristics, Lord. May you direct me to be a godly leader and serve other for You. Amen."

Zechariah 10:1-12 [Oct. 3, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• Idols speak vanity or nonsense. They literally have no purpose. They don't satisfy and they tell of false dreams and give empty consolations. Anything can be an idol. Comfort, security, selfishness, TV, homework, relationships, etc. God must be your God. He must reign in the throne of your heart.

• Leadership was lacking and therefore people suffered. God holds leaders not only at a higher responsibility, but wants them to lead!

• In the future God would restore Israel and Judah. He will unite them. The people were so absorbed in other cultures that no human means of reuniting them could happen. God would have to do it.

• God is the power source for strength. We must stay in close fellowship with God in order to work in His strength. No matter what obstacles come in our way, the Spirit empowers us a way to overcome them.

• When was the last time you rejoiced in the Lord? Is your heart glad in God? God has redeemed us from ourselves and our sin! We should live happy lives in spite of that!

• God never left, in the case you see yourself without close fellowship with God, it isn't His fault! It was you! God will be with us when we go through long "seas of troubles" and God can fight through us to overcome temptations and trials. He will be there! Don't quit on God, He never gave up on you.

Zechariah 9:1-17 [Oct. 2, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• The Lord announces who of Israel's enemies He will destroy, and how the King of Zion will come (Jesus), and last how the Lord will save His people.

• Most of the rest of the book of Zechariah will be things involving the Messiah and his second coming. Some of them are fulfilled by Jesus, while others were fulfilled by historically strong leaders (Alexander the Great). Even other prophecies have yet to be fulfilled until Christ returns again.

• Interesting that God said he was to wipe out four cities in Philistia, but anyone that was left would be adopted into Israel as a new clan. What a picture of salvation! Wiping out all the extremities and leaving us with just the core of who we are and then God adopts us into His family.

• While on earth God's promises to Israel for protection from its enemies conditional, depending upon their obedience. But in the future, God promises they will cease to have enemies for the rest of eternity.

• Jesus triumphal entry is predicted here 500 years before it was to happen! The other prophecies are just as likely to happen! We must eagerly anticipate His return while diligently serving!

•  "Covenants in the Old Testament were sealed or confirmed with blood, similar to us signing contracts today. The old covenant was sealed by blood of sacrifices, pointing to the blood of Christ shed at Calvary, his 'signature', that confirmed God's new covenant with His people."

Zechariah 8:1-23 [Oct. 1, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• [8:2] Was a verse that was in our Wisdom from Above POWER group books this summer. God zealously pursues His children with a perfect jealousy after our whole-hearted pursuit for Him.

• God promises to bless Judah the same as He promised to judge them. The blessings were overflowing, a return to the city, a return to fellowship with God, return of fruitful lands to grow crops, a new temple to be built (but they had to work to get it), and a future promise of high respect and was to be viewed as a holy place due to a heart change towards God.

• The prevalence of old and young people in Jerusalem signaled complete peace and prosperity in Jerusalem.

• God was speaking to a small group of Jewish exiles from Babylon. They were discouraged by just trying to survive in the land and being opposed by hostile neighbors. This was a message to help the Jewish remnant continue working hard!

• 8:6 can almost be translated: "What seems unbelievable to you is no great thing for me." God is all-powerful, impossible tasks don't exist with God. Matthew 19:26 - "with God, all things are possible."

• God gives people a push in the right direction and a plain course of action, but we have to do it! We got to stop listening and get to work.

• God always knows the end result. He gives us a perspective to help us continue in our work for Him no matter what the obstacles.

• If we want God, we must obey His commands! Zechariah names things God hates. This is strong language for what we should not tolerate: thinking evil of one another, lying, and living in contention with others.

• It's time to get to work serving Christ, it is the least we could do.

Zechariah 7:1-14 [Sept. 30, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• The people of Israel made Christianity a routine of life regulations and laws. The Christian life is supposed to be freeing! Service and love should exude from our beings because of what God does for us! The first response here of Israel was asking if they should weep and mourn in the fifth month because they did it for so long. This all ready looks like a whining and complaining Spirit! 

• What was God's response? He challenged Israel with rhetorical, convicting questions. He asks, "every month that you have all ready mourned, for 70 years, did you fast for my sake? And when you eat and drink do you do that for yourselves too? Did not I send prophets previously asking you the exact same thing?" Man, what a rebuke! Reality check, major!

• A call by God follows this rebuke as he commands the people to render true judgment but also to be actively showing kindness (compassion) and mercy to others. Stop oppressing widows, fatherless, strangers (sojourners), or the poor. And you must not devise evil against anyone in your hearts.

• Hardening your heart will only bring God's wrath upon yourself. Zechariah states the people "refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped up their ears" so they would not hear. They likewise made their hearts as hard as an adamant, similar to diamond, in order to not hear what the Lord said. This hardening was a response by the ancestors on the current Israel to show why they went to exile in the first place. Sin always is easier the second time, meaning each time we sin it becomes easier with each repetition. Just as Israel ignored or refused God's warnings, we do the same and not above the same sin. We need to be sensitive to God's words and leadings so we are ready to willfully submit and allow God to soften our hearts and live like we should.

• I saw the last 3 verses as a reminder of the results to ignoring God. God's anger was great towards Israel from the disobedience. Just as God called Israel to listen to Him and they would not listen, then God would not listen to Israel when they called out to Him. You can make it personal by reading those over again and replacing each occurrence of Israel with your own name. God doesn't play games with sin. The last statement he says about judgment was God scattering Israel with a whirlwind to all different nations that they didn't know. Their lands were left desolate, not one person remained.

• The warnings are NOT intended to scare us, but shown so that in spite of them we can learn from other people's mistakes. We must do things for God out of love, this is again not to scare you into submission. Another purpose to the warnings could be that we can see just how seriously God treats sins and gives us an example of how much we are to despise it as well.

Zechariah 5:1-11 & 6:1-15 [Sept. 29, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• These 2 chapters house three separate visions (Scroll, Basket, and Horsemen visions) and one promise/command. All of which confused me, so here goes an analysis of the Life App. Footnotes.

•  The first vision is of a flying scroll judging those who violate God's laws, particularly lying and stealing (which are mentioned). A basket with a woman inside it personifies wickedness. Not only does the vision show that wickedness is severely punished, but also that it is banished from God.

• The imagery of the woman being taken away is to picture the exile to Babylon (the center of wickedness and idol worship). God would eventually take the sin away from earth and separate us ultimately from it. How awesome a promise! Christ's death removes all sin's power and penalty. We now have access to Christ that gives us power to overcome sin.

• "Confession releases God's mercy [and grace], but refusing to repent invites His judgment [and wrath]."

• The promise is actually a prophecy of the King-Priest, the Messiah's coming. Kings ruled political life and priests ruled religious life, but the Messiah would do both. This meant ruling over His poeple and in the hearts of those that believe in Him.

• God has unconditional and conditional promises. Rebuilding the temple was one of the conditionals. The people would be protected if they obeyed. Diligent obedience receives blessings, while half hearted or divided commitments get nothing.

Zechariah 4:1-14 [Sept. 28, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." God wants the people to know that everything we do should be due to God's Spirit. It is only through this Spirit that we can do anything of value for our eternal King. Our owned abilities stink compared to God's. Why would we ever want to do things on our own if our Lord and Savior wants to come with us and help us finish the fight! We are only strong with God!

• The small things in verse 10 reference the new Temple that was to be built. Not as large or magnificent as the previous Temple, but God wanted them to be joyful that they had a place for worship! We must be faithful in the small things. Doing so results in a better preparation to be faithful in bigger things (trials, projects, decisions, etc.) Did you know God rejoices in the things we do while depending on Him that are right? He concerns Himself with obedience, not Big or small things.

• One last thought item: whenever humans get nearer to God and his holy heaven, have you ever noticed that we have A LOT of questions? Maybe this is why Christians have all eternity to ask God these things? It also could be something to show us how little we really know compared to God? Maybe even to challenge us to get to know God now so we have a lot less questions we'll need to ask when He returns. Any way you look at it, you can always learn more about our God.

Zechariah 2:1-13 & 3:1-10 [Sept. 27, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• Israel wanted the wealth Babylon had MORE than they wanted to obey God and return to the city where God promised blessings. We must listen to God when He wants us to move. We may suffer the consequences if we fail to obey.

• Verse 8 is referencing the way believers interact with one another. We are in essence treating a part of God when we interact with with another believer. How are you going to treat parts of God today? We should treat all as if they were a part of God!

• Though we stand like Joshua before God covered in filth, God shows us mercy. He chooses to save us anyway despite Satan's accusations. Ask God to take your sin away and dress you in his goodness today.

• The clothing imagery is a portrayal of how we get God's mercy. We do NOTHING. It is all God's initiate that our filthy garments (sin) is removed. And God also re-clothes us in new, clean clothes (God's righteousness). The only requirement is that we must repent and ask God for forgiveness. When Satan tries to pull us down and make us feel dirty and worthless, remember that Christ gives us new clothes to return to God.

•  God was coming to earth to send His Son, the Branch, the Messiah. And God was to bring to pass that each person will have his own home during Christ reign.

• Aren't you glad we don't need another mediator besides Christ? We have full and complete access to pray to God anytime, anywhere we want!

Zechariah 1:1-21 [Sept. 26, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• God really wants Zechariah to let Israel know He is jealous for Israel. HE has been greatly displeased, but He wants His children back!

• Normally, fathers would be good role-models for us to continue following after and doing things they had set us an example of what to do. Zechariah tells Israel that God wants them to NOT be like their fathers because of their disobedience and rebellion. We, like Israel, aren't forced to be like our moms, dads, or environment. We don't have to conform! God calls us to choose Him instead! No excuse is good enough for me to sin.

• God has guaranteed His Word to endure forever. We are required to be in it to commune with the Savior! Take what you learn and apply it to life!

• Zechariah's vision was to show that God had final victory and authority over all other nations and He was allowing Israel back to rebuild His temple. The judgment period was over, so now God, as a jealous and gracious God, comes in to speak comfort to Israel after 70 years of exile. He promises when we are hurting and come to Christ, He will heal us.

• When it looked like Israel would be completely wiped out, God intervened. He will always have His plan accomplished. He does not break promises. God will also make sure there is a way of escape if there is a temptation. He will make sure we are able to bear our burdens if we rely on Jesus Christ.

Haggai 2:1-23 [Sept. 25, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• The Lord calls His people to be strong, get up, and work. And again promises to be with them, this should drive them for service without fear. God makes us the same promise when we obey Him.

• Israel's works were unclean in their offerings. Now that they obeyed God, however, he promised to encourage and prosper them. Things done in God's house as a reminder, do not clean up their sin. A repentant heart and obedient spirit provides an outlet that we can ask God for forgiveness. Harboring wrong attitudes and sins or maintaining close relationships with sinful people cause us to be contaminated. We must live empowered by the Holy Spirit for holy living.

• God has given us a job to do at school, church, home, and work. So DO IT. God is with you! Prayer, Bible study, and worship are great, but worthless if we don't do what God has for us to DO.

• Haggai reminds the people of Israel that no mater how obedient or wicked they are, God's promises always remain true. No matter the difficulty or frustrating the work, God's spirit is with us.

• God acts in HIS time. He has control over all, including history. He chooses when and where to act, and His ways are always perfect and on purpose.

• God always has enough resources to accomplish his will. He just needs willing hands. God chooses to do His work through you and me. Are you available? Are you working for the gospel?

• We need to see that sin as a contaminant. It is on you, slowly eating away and affect your life even when you try to serve God. Christ's blood and your repentance is the only way to be clean.

• God placed his signet ring on us to bless and choose those who are saved. You are chosen by God if you are saved to SERVE Him. So DO IT!

Haggai 1:1-15 [Sept. 24, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• I almost missed devotions today. I literally just finished talking to a good friend and I made this face O_O. And I told him, "I just forgot to do my devotions! Quickly, I ripped open my Bible to Haggai Chapter 1 and read the forward (preface) about the book and it says: "The important is all too often left in the dust. Our problem is not the volume of demands or lack of scheduling skills, but values - what is truly important to us." ...*slap* that hurt.

• Haggai points out Israel's goofed priorities. They were too concerned with their own needs than doing God's will. This brought them suffering.

• Wow. Verse 7 is another huge *whap* to the face: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways." It is as if he says "Stop! Think. Reevaluate what you're doing!

• I am so wicked. Haggai is amazing conversational in his wording of God's message. Verse 9: "Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house THAT IS WASTE, and ye run every man unto his own house."

• I want to be like the remnant of Israel. They "obeyed the voice of the Lord their God...and the people did fear before the Lord."

• What was God's response to Israel's new obedience? What has God's response ALWAYS BEEN TO BROKEN, REPENTANT OBEDIENT SERVANTS!? MORE Grace! "I am with you, saith the Lord." The still small voice is sometimes the most needed aspect of my Christian walk.

• The ESV in verse 9 says "because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house." This is so messed up guys...come on, is God really just something to run to when you need Him? God is always needed! We need to be constantly with Him and about Him and through Him! He should be my life.

• "I am with you declares the Lord." a promise only give to those who come broken in obedience to the Lord.

• What in all of God's creation is hindering me to pay attention to the Creator?! Why am I so impressed with what God makes that I neglect who God is and the purpose of all this? Because I am wicked, rotten to the core, and the only way I can live a successful Christian life is by letting God live it through me and being willfully obedient in love. Christ does the work, it is not anything of me.

• Stop focusing on making myself better intellectually, physically, or emotionally. My focus is to be seeing God's grace in light of my wickedness.

• My deepest needs cannot be met aside from divine intervention of a loving Savior that died for me.

• Life is unproductive without God. God does satisfy, so even when other seem to be blessed, they're given things that don't truly satisfy! God's blessings truly come only when He is first place in your life. Where does God rank in your life? Do you have confused priorities like Judah?

• Now with these words, you must respond. The people obeyed, will I? Putting my words into action like Israel's remnant did is a constant battle. Make plans to practice what God teaches me

Zephaniah 3:1-20 [Sept 23, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• God's judgments have been stated to all who needed warnings, but now he states a promise of restoration. Affliction, judgment, and punishment are never permanent on earth. The Lord will return when the right time arrives and there are people that have confessed their sin to God.

• God's city and God's people had become "filthy and polluted". Jerusalem was last on Zephaniah's judgment list. Complacent of sin, inwardly rejecting God, but outwardly they merely acted out devotion to God and pretended to worship Him.

• Jerusalem's people were so proud they refused God's correction (both to listen to it and accept it!).

• No matter how spiritually desolate things may seem, God is present and at work (3:5). God is always in the midst of us, sinful or faithful.

• Refusing to choose God and a refusal to repent is what characterized Israel at this time. Consistently they did these things. It was almost as if each time God punished them, they hated God more! They steadily sinned to the point of losing their desire for God entirely. God punishes us or tests us to teach us. Be teachable!

• God offers hope to restore those who return to Him and confess their sins. There is always hope when God is involved.

• God resists and removes the proud and leaves the poor and humble. The poor and humble, physically and spiritually, will be rewarded for their trust in God.

• We sin when we pursue happiness through other avenues and cutting off our outlet to fellowship with God. God is actually the only way to achieve true happiness and joy. We have access to gladness whenever we want, but you have to CHOOSE God to be with you to get it. Draw close to life's sources of happiness.

• Return to God FULLY, don't be as Israel when Josiah reformed the nation. The nation was outwardly returning to God. You can't fool God! Let God reform your heart and life. Purely. Devotionally. Serve the Lord and exude the gospel to others for your own personal Reformation.

Zephaniah 2:1-15 [Sept 22, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• Chapter 2 is extending judgment past Judah to surrounding nations. This was not to immediately pass judgment, but to tell them what to expect, should they not repent and forsake their sins.

• No one escapes God's judgment. He punishes his own people and all other nations for wickedness, idolatry, and treatment of His people. Don't think you are above that.

• The remnant of faithful people to God will restore to the land. This is a common, recurring theme among the prophets. God keeps his covenant to Abraham, but he is holy and cannot tolerate sin. God never stays angry, he wants to restore!

• This passage shows me God's jealousy for His people. Even though they screwed up so many times, he still punishes them for doing wrong so that they will see that God is gracious to them if they repent. His grace is greater than all their sin.

• Don't think God turns a blind eye to pride or mocking of His name. God isn't deaf or blind. He sees and hears us. God will judge in His perfect timing. I should have a patient, longsuffering attitude like that too because vengeance is not mine to give!

• Moab and Ammon were places that the were inhabited by the decedents of Lot's incest with his daughters after barely escaping Sodom and Gomorrah's judgment. Ironically, Moab and Ammon were to suffer the same fate, a "perpetual desolation" of the lands.

• All of these prophecies came true. Nineveh and Assyria literally became wiped off the map and all that was left was pastures. God doesn't mess around with sin, but we do. Stop it. If God hates sin, Christians (His people) should too.

Zephaniah 1:1-18 [Sept 21, 2011]

King James Version Translation of the Life Application Study Bible
 English Standard Version Journaling Bible

• Wow. Judah was in for it this time! It sounds like idol worship had infiltrated Judah yet again. Deceit and violence were prevalent. They don't know God like they should. Their punishment is sure to come, quickly coming, thorough in nature, and devastation would be prevalent.

• Zephaniah's message was read to Josiah who invariably did something about it and sparked revival in Judah! For only a short 12 years, because idolatry was not fully eliminated.

• What God says through his servants or Word is the ultimate authority. Punishment is sure to those who refuse to listen to God's message. Don't be short-sighted and judgmental.

• Full obedience is obedience, but partial obedience is sin. Israelites failed to rid the promised land completely of Canaanites and their gods. The idolatry creeped in and took over the nation.

• Idos are exemplified simply by looking at one's priorities. Self, money, comfort, security, control, and power can all be and may be more important to me than God. I am an idolator. Seek God first, and put no other gods before him.

• Double-minded people try to keep relationships going with their idols and with God. God was going to miserably destroy Judah because they did not worship God ALONE.

• God was thorough in judgment using the Babylonians to come in and search the city for all the inhabitants and either kill them or take them captive.

• "God is holy, and therefore he will actively judge and justly punish everyone who is content to live in sin, indifferent to him, or unconcerned about justice. When people are indifferent to God, they tend to think he is indifferent to them and their sin. Suprise is sure when judgment arrives.

• God alone carries all the rights of judgment and vengeance, but also rights to forgive and restore.

• Riches mean nothing in judgment, it would become either worthless (to God in final judgment) or spoils of war (Babylonian invasion). The gospel and the redemption that issues from it is truly all that matters.