Its Been A While Since I've Been Smacked in the Mouth-Bring on the Pain!

Was July a crazy month or what? It is August 1 and I am back in action. It has been a while since my last blog on this blogosphere. You probably forget- but we were bloggin' through the minor prophets. My slow down in productivity has no doubt caused a cloud of forgetfulness in your brain. But I am not abandoning the ship. Instead- we are plogging (a new word I just invented. It's a mix of plodding and blogging) along. It's time for a new and most wonderful book- Jonah. 

Intro

I realize not everyone is a dork like me and likes to know all the historical background jibber jabber to every book in the Bible. So I will spare you the reading and give you the option. If you are interested in this material, one of my most favorite professors @ seminary has written a very concise and quality intro in the Bible Knowledge Commentary. You can find this introduction here: {to be posted in a few}

I do want to point out one thing from the introduction. Jonah was flighty. The only Old Testament prophet to run from God. This is where Jonah hits hard on the home front. You may have thought that Jonah was just about a big fish that eats a prophet because he didn't want to go to Nineveh. It is this and much much more. Jonah hits me in the kisser because I am prone to flightiness. In fact, I think we might all be able to admit that from time to time we are tempted to run from God. Jonah was given a difficult job to do. His answer- flee! Jesus has given us a difficult job. If you are like me- you are tempted to flee, and have fled from time to time. 

Get ready for Jonah, because it will smack you in the mouth and knock you down. But when you get back up, you will have a renewed sense of purpose and conviction, hopefully, in obedient conformity to God's most non-conformist ways!

Jonah Ch 1:1-3

1. The word of the Lord came to ^aJonah the son of Amittai saying, 

2 “Arise, go to ^aNineveh the great city and ^bcry against it, for their ^cwickedness has come up before Me.” 

3 But Jonah rose up to flee to ^aTarshish ^bfrom the presence of the Lord. So he went down to ^cJoppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. 

Nineveh, the capital city of Babylon, was a very great city. But equal to its greatness was its wickedness. Their wickedness was so great that it wafted up to God's nose and smelled awful. The world is a super wicked place now. But it was also super wicked then. Amidst all this wickedness, you had to be pretty stinkin' wicked to draw the extra attention of God. So God decides to send His prophet Jonah to go bring a message to Nineveh. A totally acceptable and normal thing for God to do. God's message to Nineveh? Most likely a message of judgement in hopes they will repent.... God always gives the repentant heart a way out.

Notice the play on words here- God tells Jonah, "arise- flee to Nineveh." What does Jonah do, he arises and flees to Tarshish. The exact opposite direction of Nineveh, the exact opposite of God's will! He was attempting to run from the presence of God. He went to the port of Joppa and went down into the ship--- down into a dark place, both spiritually and literally. He was on the run.

What is Jonah thinking? He is thinking probably lots of things, but paramount in his brain are most likely two things- (1) Nineveh is such and evil place they will probably kill me and (2) The Ninevites are filthy gentile good-for-nothings, why should I go to them. Jonah's selfishness is oozing out of his eye sockets. God is about to bring the pain on Nineveh. Those women, children, dogs, and cats- their doom is immanent. But rather than confront the Ninevites with God's message- Jonah takes the easy road and bails in a futile attempt to run from God and God's message.

Hmm. I don't want to ruin the whole book for you. But remember God told the Israelites that they were to be a "light to the nations." To live in a such a way that other nations will salivate to worship Yahweh. To have an insatiable desire to bask in the light of God's glory. Also remember that God's mandate to we believers- we spirit-filled folk- is to be a light to the nations. To live in such a way that people can't help but crave God's presence.

So this leads me to a point that I am not going to hit hard right now, just tap. Can we relate to Jonah at all here? I can. The world is a sick and wicked place. People are dying, simply put. The Word has a message of eternal life, salvation, peace, and comfort- but I am too scared sometimes, or too selfish, to shine it. This is why I have a love/hate relationship with Jonah. It smacks me in the mouth with conviction. I actually just picked myself off the ground. 

I have given you a lot to think about already. I will take the rest of Ch 1 next time. Until then- have this in your fore, "do I share God's will for the wicked?"

PJ

Your Meditative Video For the Day

Greetings all. I was watching this today, enjoying some meditative moments in scholarship, and thought I might share. Many of you have seen this before, some have not. Regardless, take a few moments of your time to reflect on Thomas a'Kempis' words. Let us together promise to try and strive to be one of the few (not the Marines, but they are good too).

Here is the video: Imitation of Christ

Side Blog: Date Rape, Incest, Jesus, and My Favorite Worship Song

While Mal, Mimi, and I were reading Genesis this morning, we came across a passage I totally forgot about- Jesus comes from a line with incest in it. Crazy, right?

Let me set the stage. God tells Abram to leave his family and go to Canaan. Abram grabs his nephew Lot and heads out (Lot always gets into lots of trouble... no pun intended... or, pun intended). They get to the triangle of wilderness that will, in the future, become very familiar to the wandering Hebrews, the Negev, and decide to split up their camps because of fighting among the shepherds.  Lot thinks the Sodom area looks nice and decides to head that 'a way. So they part ways.

Now hope in your DeLorean and Fast Forward >>>>>>>>>>>>

Some angels show up, the same angels that visited Abraham and said that Sarah would have a baby. They get to Sodom to warn Lot to bust out of there because God is going to destroy it (why? Well, I think the name helps us to understand). The Sodomites (pun intended) go to Lot's place and want the angels. Lot offers his virgin daughters (who will come into play later). They say no, go blind, and Lot and his virgin daughters + wife escape the next day. Sodom gets destroyed, wife gets turned into pillar of salt for her disobedience- meanwhile, Abraham looks on.

Lot wanders around, fearing for his safety, takes up a home in a cave (caves play a big role in the OT). This is where it gets weird. Lot's daughters are panicked that they live in a cave and all Lot's sons are either non-existent or dead (died in Sodom b/c they "didn't believe Lot"). They fear Lot's line will die out unless something is drastically done. So they get Lot, what I only assume is extremely, drunk on wine and date rape him. As a result, both daughters become pregnant.

This is where Jesus comes in. The firstborn daughter had a son and called him Moab... which weirdly enough means "from the father" (not sure I would want to advertise that). As you know, Moab has a long and convoluted history in the OT. But, what is important to note is Ruth. You know Ruth, the Moabitess. She marries Boaz (interesting more, the kinsman redeemer  keeps Elimelech's line alive) and they have a son, Obed, who is the father of Jesse the father of David. As we know, David is the "father" of Jesus... Jesus traces his lineage through David, consequently and partly through Ruth, and ultimately through Moab and one of Lot's oldest virgin daughters. Hence Jesus has a shady lineage: date rape, incest, and gentiles. Very interesting, huh? I thought so, that is why I wrote about it. But isn't that comforting for us, that Jesus traces his humanly lineage through such a line as that? I think so. Just further proof that Jesus came to save all man- Jews, Gentiles, and date rapers.

I know this is some crazy stuff to ponder, so I gifted you with my hands-down, most favorite worship song of all time, "In the Light," by D.C. Talk. No matter the times or circumstances, this song is always the best! Enjoy.

Hands Down My #1 Favorite Worship Song EVER! DC Talk!! OH Yeah

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
click on that link

Joel 3- Hooray for the Day when Bad Guys Go Away!

I am a total nincompoop, of this I am aware. In the spirit of procrastination, this blog sat unwritten on my desktop for eons... days, actually, but to God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years a day- so, eons...

Joel 3 is the final chapter of Joel. Yes, just what I was thinking, why did it take over 1 month to finish a small little gem like Joel (see above)? Alas we find the close of days- when those who have wronged Israel/God's chosen are brought to justice... If you haven't yet, I highly suggest you read Joel 3 now!

Welcome back, congratulation- you are better now than you were before for having read this passage. Because as the Bible says, it's words do not return void... which means that you always get something out of the Bible.... maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, and either way, you are a better person spiritually for having taking the time to read it- bravo! If you haven' t read Joel yet, and are now feeling convicted, I suggest that you read it so that you can be better in a few minutes then you are right now, and so your conscious will be at ease.

So what is this all about? Joel 3? Simply, the wicked are judged for the wickedness and God's chosen live in prosperity.... the end.

I told you it was easy to understand. See, Biblical prophecy is really quite simply summed up in a few words: bad guys loose and God wins.

But, there are you sticklers out there who "want to know what the Bible is really talking about." So for you "realists," "literalists," "desktop scholars (like myself)", and "bored people," I offer the following explanation.

(Hold-on, Mimi woke up from her nap... ok, she is plopped in front of "Praise Baby," that should buy me about 1/2 hr... on a side note- if anyone ever tells you that aloe is soothing on poison oak, brush the dust of your feet as you leave that place after slapping them... b/c they are liars!)

You will notice a few things going on here in Joel 3. (1) Specific issues relating to the "sons of Judah and Jerusalem," and (2) General description of an event that sounds quite like armageddon.

(1) As always, Joel pronounces that God will bring immediate judgement on those who were afflicting Israel. For example, the Phoenicians and Philistines were told they would be judged for selling off the Hebrews into slavery. Alexander III sold a bunch of people, Sidonians, people from Tyre, and Gaza, into slavery, which would have been the descendants of the same people Joel condemns, Phoenicians and Philistines. There is an example of a temporal fulfillment. There are a number of other things mentioned... but you get the picture.

(2) Verses 9-16 seems to point toward a future event. The Lord's armies will assemble and fight against "the nations."How many? Multitudes upon multitudes will pour into the "valley of decision," aka "the Valley of Jehoshaphat." Therefore, alot. The Lord will wipe them out.

Verses 17-21 describes the Millennial Kingdom and complete restoration- Yay!

To sum up Joel is quite simple. God has promised complete restoration. Those who do not choose God (or, better, who are not chosen by God), will fall in with the "multitude of nations," that will come face-to-face with God in the valley of decision. I want to be on God's side in this epic end times event. Why? Because I want to inhabit the place where, "the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will go out form the house of the Lord to water the Valley of Shittim." Sounds like a nice place, much better than being included in this group, "Egypt will become a waste, and Edom will become a desolate wilderness, b/c of the violence done to the sons of Judah, In whose land they have shed innocent blood. But Judah will be inhabited forever (I want to be here) and Jerusalem for generations (here too). And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged (don't want to be avenged upon).

So then, faith in God? If you say YAY, then relax and wait for that great day. If you say NAY, then pray that God will open your eyes and soften your heart so we can hang out together in the Millennial Kingdom and drink some sweet milk that flows from the hills! Sounds too idealistic? Well, it's better than the alternative..

For practical purposes, lets live today in light of that promised future. For our God is great and worthy to be praise and adored. Let's let our life be a "sweet fragrance" wafting up to the divine nostrils of God! Amen

Repentance, Restoration, and the Holy Spirit! Joel 2:18-32

A few days have since elapsed since we have gathered together for a breeze through Joel. It was a busy week; wedding, Sunday school, and preaching. I thought about posting this installment on Thursday, but instead worked on the wedding ceremony. Sorry, you'll have to take it up with the bride.

Quick review: Judah got in trouble for too much drinking and worldly stuff. God sent a plague of locusts in Judgement. As a result, the people could not fellowship w/Yahweh b/c their thanks offering was resting the belly of the locusts. The Spirit of the Lord led Joel to use this judgement to point forward to the greater judgement of The Day of the Lord at the end times. Joel compares the vast destructive power of the locusts to God's armies- promising that there is no hope for those outside God's camp. Rather than be fearful of the judgement, Joel urges national repentance as for the priests and people to remind God of His obligation to them as covenant partner. Joel 2:18-32 then is God's response to their repentance.

If you haven't already, please read vv. 18-32.

Welcome back. Most all the prophets do this, which is comforting. They give a glimmer of hope after crushing our spirits with what is to come.... or what has already come. V. 18 is no different. Apparently the people have repented and God has "remembered" His people and became zealous for them.... Just a quick note- it is good to have God zealous for you... Have you ever met a sports fan? They are zealous for their team, right? Yes, completed nuts they are. God is even more so zealous for His people- what a comforting thought.

As a result of their national repentance, God promises restoration,  grain, grape, and olives, such that they will be full satisfied! God not only promises to restore- but to fully restore! Not just provide only what is needed for survival, but for satisfaction- how great is our God.... (its ok to shout amen to yourself here if you want... no one is looking, unless of course you are in coffee shop or something, then its still ok, just make sure to evangelize the people in there).

So their produce is restored, but so also will be their national pride. Along with their national pride, comes national safety. God promises to clear out the enemies of Judah so that she can rest easy and satisfied... at least until they mess up again.

What is great about this passage is that is doesn't just pertain to the people, but the land and the animals on the land. God is talking about complete restoration after the locusts.... The land will once again grow vegetation and the animals can again feed on that vegetation. This is the temporal fulfillment... But one has to wonder if this is also an allusion to the new heaven and the new earth that is coming? Or, perhaps, this is an allusion to the Millennial Kingdom? Yes, I suppose.

Then Joel gives a promise to the actual people- rejoice, because the rains are coming again, the grain is coming again, and your vats will again overflow! This is messianic imagery here- all things that are supposed to happen once the Messiah arrives. How often does this imagery make its way form the pages of the bible to our ears? Are your vats overflowing, the messiah has come!

What will be the response of the people? "You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has acted wonderfully in your behalf." The people's sorrow will turn to praise and worship! The object of wrath again becomes the object of worship. It is amazing how swift to forgive is our God, and how fully the restoration. God will restore the nation such that the response will be to worship and rejoice in God's goodness...

Not only will they rejoice, but the nation will again turn its heart toward God and "be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel."

When all this happens, the Spirit of God will come upon the people....vv 28-29 "And after all of this, I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days." This is the verse Peter referenced in Acts 2:16... So then, this verse finds at least its partial fulfillment on the day of Pentecost, it not its complete fulfillment.

To close it up (I know I'm getting long winded now), Joel closes with some "signs of the times," (c.f. Ezek 32:6-8) that will precede the Day of the Lord and that in order to be saved from the coming destruction, one must call on the name of the Lord. These are the same people on whom the Spirit indwelled (Joel 2:28-29), who are most likely the remnant spoken of in v. 32, specially called by the Lord... whew!

There is a lot going on here for sure. If you are trying to wrap your brains around this prophecy, let me try and help. Remember a while ago I talked about partial/complete fulfillment of prophecy. This is a common thing in the Bible. Joel promises immediate restoration to the people of Judah, which foreshadows the full restoration that is coming to all people as a result of the coming of the Messiah. When the Messiah comes, he will usher forth a time of great, bountiful harvest and the coming of the Spirit on all people that will cause tremendous blessing. After this, there will be a coming great judgement and only those so called by the Lord, the Spirit-filled remnant, will be delivered through the destruction. Now, some of this has happened and some has not. Let's start with the "has happened."

Ok, Jesus the Messiah came and offered the Kingdom to the Jews. Where is the bountiful harvest and land restoration? This was forfeited as a result of Christ's rejection. This was what was on the table at the arrival of the Messiah. This doesn't mean the prophecy was wrong, this means that the prophecy is still yet to be fully fulfilled at the Millennium (that is the "has yet to come" portion).

Jesus comes, is rejected, then offers an alternative solution- the Church. Jesus' death on the cross brings us the spiritual restoration, and the promised Spirit, but not the physical land promises, yet.... This is saved for a later day, until the full measure of believers have been called. Then, as promised, Jesus will return and the prophecy of Joel will be finally fulfilled.

God is great and promises full restoration, and has already provided for it. At some point, Jesus will return to gather up those believers on earth and bring forth the destruction that leads to total restoration. You have the possibility now of full restoration with God through faith in Jesus christ, just as the people of Judah looked forward to full restoration from the devastation wrought by the plague of Locusts, and to the promise of national, spiritual restoration at the coming of the Messiah. If you haven't already believed in Jesus for restoration- I challenge you to do so... Then the promised bountiful harvest will be yours and your spiritual vats will be overflowing and you will be included as the "remnant" at THE Day of the Lord.

If you are already saved, rest easy in the hope of complete restoration one day. The world is a sick and dying place. We haven't experienced God's full restoration of His creation- that day is coming. So let's worship our God of restoration!

Joel 2.1

Welcome back Bible buddies. Today let us partake of the sweet fruits of Joel chapter 2. This is a huge chapter, both content wise and theologically, so I will divide it into 2 parts. The part we are going to be looking at today is Joel 2:1-17. Remember that Joel is writing in response to a recent plague of locusts' that have smote the land, rendering Judah incapable of communing with God and w/out food stores. Joel focuses not only on the drunkenness of Judah, but uses the occasion to prophesy concerning the coming of the Day of the Lord... I also mentioned that Joel breaks up this little prophecy into 3 segments dealing the the day- segment 1, which we talked about, Joel described as a "type" of day of the Lord. He further clarified that this "mini" day of the Lord was nothing compared to The Day. In response Joel called for nation repentance in the form of sack cloth, fasting, and crying out to God...

In Ch 2 Joel gets a little more direct. He no longer alludes to The Day of the Lord. Instead, he prophecies directly concerning The Day of the Lord. Ch 2, then, is a prophecy about what the The Day of the Lord will be like. Please read Joel 2:1-11.

Ok, so things are going to get bad. There is a lot going on here. Notice first that Joel compares the invading locusts to the invading army that will come at the great tribulation time in The Day of the Lord. How can we be so sure Joel is talking about the tribulation? Well, v. 2 makes it pretty clear that this is a unique event and nothing like it will ever happen again. No matter how bad you think times are now, we've seen similar things before, it will continue, and it will get worse. Our time does not fit the model of the tribulation. It can get much worse, as Joel implies.

Side-Note: If you are in the Bible scanning mode, you may want to check out first Exodus 10. Note the similarities in the locust motif.... then Rev 9:1-12. Here we see a plague of demon-locusts (weird, huh?) ascending from the abyss to descend upon man, tormenting mankind with all kinds of nastiness. So much so that men will want to kill themselves, but will be unable to. Is this what Joel is referring to? Maybe, the word "locust" in German and Italian means "hay-horse" and "little horses". Additionally, both human armies and locusts advance swiftly (v.4). Also, the sound of locusts' wings is like that of chariot wheels (v. 5) (thanks to BKC for that info). So it is definitely a possibility that Joel and John are describing the same events. Or, it is also possible that Joel is describing the invading armies of the North on the The Day (see Ezek 38:15, Dan 11:40).

Either way the point of the Day of the Lord is clear; earthquake, darkness, torment, torture, and horribleness such that, "before them the people are in anguish; all faces turn pale." (v. 6). God will bring judgement and destruction. This prophecy has a cousin prophecy (I just invented this concept) in Rev 6:12-13. Elsewhere, Joel 2:30-31 (we'll see this later), is also similarly described in Rev 6:12-13... which is to say that Joel is indeed describing events that happen during the Great Tribulation.

In essence, the land will be totally destroyed. Anyone who has ever been through a forest fire (not me) can probably relate to this imagery. We see a destructive force "like mighty men," on an unrelenting march, destroying everything in their way. There is no escape from the Day of the Lord.

Please read Joel 2:12-17.

Usually after bad news a prophet gives the reader something to do in response. Joel is no different. The response is similar to what he instructed in Joel 1- repent. The language is interesting, though. "Yet even now," tells me that, although they might have messed up, it is never too late to repent. This same advice goes for us as well. No matter how bad we have messed up, it is never too late to admit your guilt before God and turn to him and sin no more. Joel doesn't just give idle advice. He gives some practical things.

 Fast, weep, and mourn. Just like before, actions go a long way. It is not enough sometimes to just verbalize your guilt. Show God that you are willing to make the necessary steps to life change. Because, "God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil." We read this very casually. But do you realize that only in the Bible will you find such a statement about a god. Nowhere else is a deity descibed in such terms- a loving and king God who is gracious and will forgive you... a God who is slow to anger. This is much cause for celebration! We serve a truly unique God... I want you to remember this always and not take for granted the God we serve!!!

V. 14 is also very interesting. This tells us that though God might forgive us, we shouldn't expect blessings in return... very interesting. How often are we guilty of this? I have asked for forgiveness, all is well with God and I, now bring on the blessings!  Joel says this is possible, but not a guarantee. So if you ask for forgiveness, know that you are forgiven, but don't be totally surprised if you aren't showered with blessings..... the forgiveness is blessing enough!

Finally, the reader is urged to "blow a trumpet," which acts as an indicator of the urgent need to do this thing. In essence, Joel is saying, "do this now!" Fast, worship, cry out.... as the vv. 16-17 finish, we are reminded that national repentance is everyones responsibility. Everyone in Judah was responsible... the people, the wives, the babies, kids, and priests. If national repentance was to come, then a national response was needed out of the Judaites.

Finally, Joel ends by giving some advice as to what the priests should say. They should, in essence, "remind" God that He has promised to protect His people and that what happens to His people is a reflection of Him.... this is similar to Moses' entreaty to God on behalf of the Hebrews after they made the gold cow.

Well friends, Mimi has risen from her nap and is crying for rescue. Just like Joel reminds, God is our source of rescue in the days to come. Joel gives us a brief snap shot of what the tribulation will be like. Perhaps he is alluding to the even John describes in Rev 9 with the demon locusts from hell... either way, the point is clear. The Day of the Lord will be a terrible, awesome, and horrific time for those not firmly rooted in God's camp. For the men of Judah- rooting themselves in God's camp meant national repentance, fasting, crying out to God, and going to the temple to offer sacrifices. Luckily for us, all we need to firmly cement ourselves in God's camp is Jesus Christ. Trust him today and get on God's roster for The Day- lest you find yourselves tormented by evil demon spawn locusts!

Oh How Horrific are those nasty insects, but Jesus is coming back! The Prophet Joel

Apologies are in order- sorry. I can vaguely remember posting that I would post on a regular basis. Well, that lasted for 1 post. But to my defense, mother-in-law was visiting, preached, taught Sunday school, and other things... but I know that is no excuse. Instead of dwelling on the past... let us dwell on the way past- 1200 years ago. 

Rather than blathering on about the introductory material to the prophet Joel, I thought I might just paste it here. This information comes from the handy sheet I created and linked on the first post. It gives a pretty decent intro to the Prophet Joel. Also, please disregard the lazy spelling error on my chart (I know indifference is spelled indifference, but I am indifferent).

Let me fill-in some info that is missing from this poorly presented chart. Joel was writing during the reign of King Jehoash. If you know your litany of biblical kings, you will know then that Jehoash is a unique king. Why? Because he was 7 when he became king. So the priests, namely, Jehoiada, kind of ruled as regency in his stead until he was old enough to rule (which lasted for 40 years).  Generally speaking, the bible says Jehoash was a decent dude, but there were some lingering problems in Judah that Joel confronts...

At the time of Joel's writing- Judah saw a severe draught and an invasion of locusts- which is normally a sign of God's judgement. Joel takes this sign of judgment and extrapolates it out a little further in his discussion of the Day of the Lord- both in his lifetime and in the future. Thus the "Day of the Lord," which pertains to pretty much any day where the Lord steps in to human history and does something (mostly judgement related), is at the fore in Joel and serves as a major theme.

To that end Joel points out the historical "days of the Lord," as they relate to Israel and the nations, the "illustrative" days of the Lord that point forward to the THE Day of the Lord at the end of time, and finally, Joel gives us a little taste of THE Day of the Lord, specifically as it relates to the 2nd coming of Christ.... so, is your interest piqued? Mine is!... Horay for Joel... let's get moving.

Without further adieu- I ask that you please open your Bibles to Joel 1 so that we can go through it together, as Bible buddies. 

Ok, done reading? Good. Does it make your skin crawl? If not- check out these youtube video about the destructive power of locusts.

Locusts are gross, no doubt. But even more- they are totally destructive, with the power to wipe out a lively hood and leave a village or city without vital food stores; hence Joel's lament. Everything has been destroyed. There is no longer any vines to make grapes, not more grain for the grain offering and drink for the drink offering. So not only is their livelihood destroyed, but they are now in spiritual turmoil because they have not sufficient goods to make the necessary sacrifices to the Lord.

 In Ch 1, Joel basically says, "the locusts have destroyed everything- everything- and we are ruined!" Did you catch v. 5? We get a little glimpse at perhaps a cause of this plague- too much drinking in Judah. It seems the men of Judah were enjoying their sweet wine a little too much and had incurred God's wrath. It is one thing to partake of a glass of wine here and there. But it seems the people of Judah were drunkards of the first order. As a result- they were invaded by a countless swarm of little soldiers, relentless and merciless.

The response? Vv. 13-14 give us the only response needed- repent. But more than saying "I'm sorry." Joel instructs the people to wrap themselves in sack cloth, fast, and cry out to the living God. These are actions that Joel hopes will, "get God's attention." If that sounds weird, its not. This kind of thing happened all the time. Take for example the Ninevites. God was ready to wipe them off the map- but they repented. The whole city came out in a display of "sorry," by wrapping themselves in sack cloth and sprinkling ashes on their heads? Why? Because this was uncomfortable. If you are doing something so uncomfortable, then God has a good idea that you mean what you say. And of course, God knows the heart of men, but an action drives the point home a little more. If you are really sorry, then you are willing to go the extra step and show a little apologetic spirit. This was not only a way of "getting God's attention," but of showing your neighbor that you are serious and that you recognize that sin is serious and demands a serious response.... I wonder if we have lost this mind-set? Maybe... 

In the final verses of ch1, Joel uses this example as an "illustration," of what the Day of the Lord will be like. In the same way, Joel implies, everything will be laid waste. There will be no food in the barns and no animals in the fields. Your way of life will be kaput. Your livelihood, your sustenance, your everything is laid bare. In essence, Joel is making the reader abundantly aware that, "though you have experienced a day of the Lord, keep this time in the front of your brain, because it will be nothing like THE Day of the Lord, and you want to be prepared when that day comes so that you are not on the receiving end of THE day, like you are today."

So here we have the close of ch 1. Locusts have come and completely devoured the fields. The people don't have any spare grain nor grape with which to give to the Lord, which is indeed a troubling turn of events. They are spiritually, albeit temporarily, separated from giving their thanks and worship to the living God! This would indeed be troubling. 

For us, we can't imagine something like this. We have the ultimate sacrifice of Christ which links us together and with God. We have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, interceding for us and ministering on our behalf to God the Father. As a result, His sacrifice finally ended the need for any other sacrifice. As a result, the risk of our separation from God is null... unless of course you are not a follower of Jesus. Therefore we, followers of Christ, are promised salvation from THE day of the Lord.

How wonderful it is that we never have to worry about being cut-off from worshipping God. Though we ought to heed the practical warning from Joel. Let's contain our sampling of the "adult beverages," lest we fall into the drunken ways of the men of Judah in Joel's days... we may not see a plague of locusts as a result- but a metaphorical "plague of locusts," might be headed our way!

Obadiah- Those Who Curse God will be Cursed

Introduction:

The name Obadiah means, "Servant of the Lord." There are 12 guys in the Old Testament that go by Obadiah, so it is hard to pinpoint who is who. Otherwise, what we know about Obadiah the prophet is only what he has written. He is, by most accounts, the earliest writing prophet among the minor prophets. Most scholars have him dated around 845 B.C., which was shortly after the kingdom was divided after the death of Solomon and about a year into Jehu's reign in Israel (2 Chron 21:16-17). Not only is Obadiah the oldest, it is also the smallest book of the Minors (its nice to start small, right?), with only 21 verses.

The theme of Obadiah is Yahweh the Divine Protector- or, God is on our Side. The message is very simple- If you curse God's people, you will be cursed. So then, the purpose of the book was to encourage Judah to stand strong and not give up, and to notify Edom that judgement was on the way.

Text:

From the very beginning we are told this vision concerns Edom. If you don't know much about Edom, allow me to enlighten you. Edomites were the descendants of Esau. If we remember correctly, Esau was the brother of Jacob, the burly guy with the hairy chest that loved to go hunting for days (he also loved his red soup!). The Judeans (Israelites) are descended from Jacob, who tricked Esau for his birthright. So, there is some bad blood between the two (there was "reconciliation" if we remember between Jacob and Esau, but generations don't always keep to that).

Edom has always been a thorn in the side of the Israelites. Their crimes will be recounted in more detail in vv. 10-11. Obadiah begins with the end, telling the Edomites that their judgement is near. The once great Edomites will be reduced to a small nation.

They were a proud people who were greatly benefited by their location (vv. 3-4).


If you remember the movie India Jones, when they were looking for the Holy Grail in Petra in modern day Jordan, this is where they lived. They were very protected by the walls of rock that surrounded them. Again, if you remember the movie, Indie, his Dad, and the other Brititsh guy rode in on horse back through a small road that cut through the rocks. This was basically the only way into Edom, through this tiny road through the rocks. Obviously this was a very good defendable position.

Not only was the entrance very safe, but they built their homes high up in the rocks- so it would have been very hard to get to their homes as well, if indeed some invading nation made it into the canyons. So, Edom was prideful due to their location- they thought they were invincible! But God promises to bring them down from their lofty heights- both physically and pridefully.

It also seems as though they were also rich (vv. 5-6). Edom was geographically located on a very important trade route known as the "Kings Highway." I used to have a great map of this (see map), here it is- not the highway and how it winds its way north to south, hitting all the major cities. Basically the Kings Highway was a main caravan route connecting Damascus in Syria to the seaport Ezion-geber on the Red Sea. Also, in the rocks were rich and abundant supplies of copper and iron that gave Edom some wealth. So then, they were also rich- and taking pride in this as well.

































Not only where they located in a very nice place and wealthy, the also had good alliances (v.7).  Apparently, these alliances would not help Edom, because even the allies will join the coalition against Edom!

Finally, they are guilty for the pride of wisdom (vv. 8-9). I guess since they were so rich and located in such a safe place, they could sit around and get smart. This kind of reminds me of the Romans, ancient Greeks, and of Us, today. A good by-product of success and safety is education. However, sometimes sitting around getting learned leads to laziness, but most importantly, arrogance and pride. This was yet another strike against the Edomites. They were very prideful and needed some humiliation.


The next verses, 10 and 11, give some specific reasons from God's particular anger against the Edomites (other than the pride issues listed above). The first, which I find to be quite interesting, is kind of a hold-over from Esau's dealings with Jacob. Now, if I remember correctly, wasn't Esau duped by Jacob? So shouldn't Esau had the right to treat Jacob harshly? No (why, see for example David's response to his men regarding why he wouldn't kill Saul). God's anointed is God's anointed, regardless. But that really isn't what is going on here.

Jacob and Esau had a covenant (remember the reconciliation comment above). But, the descendants of Esau were not making good on their side of the treaty. They continually harassed the descendants of Jacob. For example, when the Israelites were making their way to the Promised Land in Canaan, the Edomites refused to allow their brothers passage! Saul fought against Edom (1 Sam 14:47), David conquered it (2 Sam 8:13-14). Hadad the Edomites fought against Solomon. The Edomites took part in an invation of Judah (2 Chr 21:16). So then, the Edomites had a long history of covenant breaking. With covenants, their either comes blessing of curse. If you follow the rules of the covenant, you are blessed. If you don't, you are cursed. Edom didn't follow the rules- hence, a curse was on the way in the form of destruction.

Not only did they proactively pester Israel, v. 11 states that they passively did not come to her aid when needed. So they are both guilt of action and non-action- all kinds of worthy of punishment. Not only did they stand by when their brothers needed them, they gloated over their status and over the destruction of Israel (v. 12).

Obadiah finishes in v. 15 by assuring the Edomites that they will be punished. This might have been something for them to hear. They probably scoffed at Obadiah. Listening to this prophet of Judah talk about how they will be repaid the ill for the ill they meted out. Verses 15-16 are also interesting/important in that Obadiah promises that God will punish all nations for the crimes against God, and that one day all nations will worship the One True God. In this context, it was Edom's turn among the nations to receive her Day of the Lord, her judgement for her crimes- for which she will be cut-off from the people forever. So this is not only a warning from Edom, but a sterm warning for all nations who refuse to bow a knee to God.

Obadiah ends as many Minor prophets do, with a promise of a future hope in the establishment of the Kingdom of God over Israel.  That one day the house of Jacob and Joseph will stand stall and strong, a mighty fire burning bright, while the house of Esau will be nothing but a burnt out log like so many of the logs I see on the Jesusita Trail. Esau will be gone and the boundaries of the Davidic Kingdom (w/ Jesus as the head) will spread into Edom in the South, the Philistine Plane, the territory of Ephraim and Samarai, Gilead across the Jordan River, and as far North as the area between the Tyre and Sidom.... so here we see a promise of future restoration and some nice geographical boundaries of the future Davidic Kingdom in the millennium.

Just a quick word on the prophecy here in v. 21. The verse speaks of "deliverers (NASB) or saviors," that will come to save the Israelites (Mt. Zion) and punish the evil nations (Mt. Edom). The prophecy refers to both temporal and a final fulfillment. From Obadiah on, there would arise deliverers to lead Israel and to punish the nations in her time of need. Those would be the temporal fulfillments. But, it ultimately speaks of a final fulfillment, one where the nation is establish at Mt. Zion once and for all with the Davidic King ruling as head- where the nations will be finally punished and righteousness will reign. This is the element regarding the final coming of Christ to rule on the earth- the one that has obviously not taken place yet (depending on your theology), but is due to arrive.

There is also a divergent view at work in v. 21, and that is with the term "deliverers." Some say that this verse is solely talking about the Millennium and the "deliverers" are judges who will help rule in the millennial kingdom.....

Either way you look at, the point is that God will establish His kingdom on Earth and the other nations will be judged.

Here is something we can take from Obadiah. No matter how bad the situation may look, God is in control. Sure, Christians are getting picked on in the News Media and in the Universities and by others.... but we  know that is going to happen and we know that one day the Lord will come again to restore His people and punish the mockers. We can also take warning in the this verse, to guard ourselves from developing the attitude of the Edomites. We, in the US, have much of the same benefits that once benefitted Edom. We are nicely situated geographically, we have more wealth and safety than we know what to do with, and we are educated. We need to be sure not to have the same pride as the Edomites, to not take pride in what we have, but to be humble. To be aware that God is sovereign, and despite our location, wealth, prestige, and education, we are but a breath away from destruction.

So if you are feeling discouraged due to world events- don't be. This is the message of Obadiah. If things seem hopeless, they aren't. God will have is done one day. And as promised, the nations will be brought into submission and God's people will be eternally blessed. Those who curse God's people will be cursed- you can be sure of that. Be joyful today in the hope of the promised return of Jesus Christ! That we will one day enjoy the company of our Savior and that God's Kingdom will be established over Israel on Earth! Amen

PJ

Bloggin' the Minors- Redefining Awesome for a Whole New Purpose. The Prophets are at your fingertips, drink deeply friends!

Friends and family, a sad thing has just happened to me, something that I am sure you have experienced in your lifetime. I had just finished writing what was probably the most amazing blog ever- and then I went to insert a picture into it and BAM- gone! All of it, totally irretrievable, gone missing like the lost tribes of Israel. I will attempt to recount it for you here, but it will be a lackluster, disheartened attempt :(. The tears flow freely on this end of the mac.

In the lowest of moral I write these somber words- I will miss you forever lost blog of awesome....


Enough of that sadness- now to the good news. I am feeling very Joshuaish today- which means I am done wandering around the wilderness of randomness and am dedicating myself to sticking to a theme, for once, for this blog. What this means for you is this: you get the pleasure of going with me through the Minor Prophets! Yes, I am sure you jumped out of your seat with pure, uncontrollable joy, causing those sitting in your nearest vicinity to shockingly proclaim, "goodness man, what's wrong with you! (in your bestest British accent)!" But don't be afraid. Because I am here to argue today that the Minor Prophets, though often glazed over, are indeed awesome. They are chock full of messianic prophecy, national judgement, national blessings, and lots of good hope for the future. If you are thinking that this might bore you to death- have no fear, friends, because I promise you will not be bored, at least I hope...so buckle your seat belts and hold on tight-- Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Here is a little snap shot of why the "Minors are sooo not Minor"

This is the gist of this chart- there are 2 different types of prophets- there are the non-litearary, those who didn't write anything, and the literary, those who did write something. The non-literary prophets mainly addressed what was going on during their own time. But, the literary prophets, where the Minors fall, contain some 61% predictive material- which means that over half of their material deals with the future times. This is something to ponder indeed! What do they predict? Well, here is the 2 main themes that emerge out of them: (1) the 2 kingdoms will eventually cease to exist (Judah and Israel) AND (2) God will establish a new kingdom of a different kind, one that will attract all people (sound familiar?). The head of this new kingdom would be none other than the Messiah- who we have come to worship and adore as Jesus Christ...... see- the Minors are not minor at all! But I am getting into it too deeply right now....

Back to the basics. I have for you this very terrific summary chart of the prophets. Much painstaking work has been done by yours truly in its preparation. It reflects hours of mind numbing study, so enjoy. It is a very good summary of the Prophets in chart form. You can find it here on this new page I have established for the proliferation of all things "Minor": Awesome Prophets Chart .

Give that baby a good look, then come back to the page.

Ok, welcome back. I want to give you a little snapshot of the historical juncture we are at in the Minors. There resides at the furthest reaches of my book shelf a large book by John Bright called, "A History of Israel." Up to this point, I thought that this book was destined to a life of dust collecting and putting me to sleep at night. But alas, it has been resurrected and its has taken on a new significance in my life... at least in the life of this blog at this particular moment in time. For I have mined out of it a few gems, some very quality charts and maps. You know, the ones that you flip through in the back of your bible when the sermon happens to be particularly boring (unless of course you go to Oaks, then you don't know what I am talking about). I found a set of 3 charts, scanned by mine own hand (hence their shoddy appearance) that will be of extreme help to us in placing the Minors in their historical context. You see, I am a chart geek. I love to get a visual picture of things- helps me to wrap my brain around them.... Pay particular to the books in the brackets (Amos) (Hosea) (Micah) (Zephaniah) (Habakuk) (Nahum) (Obadiah) and (Malachi)

If those charts were super boring to you, my apologies. I find them quite helpful. Here is the gist- the minor prophets cover a pretty broad timeframe, but mostly coming toward the end of the Kingdoms (Judah and Israel), as least as they knew it.

Ok, well, you are in for a treat- if those charts were super boring for you- I have some very juicy tidbits for you here. Prepare for an informational Minor Prophet deluge... Hold onto your seats....

Whew-- too much to handle in one blog? I think not- one final chart (this is basically the same chart that I made. I wish, actually, that I knew of its existence before I created mine! Oh well, you learn more the other way.

Ok friends, that is enough for today. I hope this gives you a pretty comprehensive overview/preview of the Minors. For the next blog- read Obadiah. Its a short book, I look forward to enjoying some dialogue. I will assume you have read it for the blog.... and one more thing, I am going to be going through them chronologically, not in the same exact order they are in the Bible. If you are wondering why there is a difference, I have put a chart somewhere up there that explains it. If not, this will explain it:

That is all I have for today. This is a lot to digest- so enjoy. PJ

Medication- More DWebb for your brain

Ok, so I know I haven't released a new blog in the last week. I have been rather busy. But, I have another addition to your song library- another Derek Webb. I really enjoy this song. It is called, "Medication." The lyrics are poignant and spot-on, in my estimation. Enjoy- PJ


Here is the link: ---> Song

Song Devo: "I Repent" by Derek Webb

Please click on this link: Song

I will take you to my website and you can just click on the little play button beneath Derek Webb.

I do some explaining on the song (forgive the shoddy work, Mimi wasn't letting my fully experiment with the new garageband. Forgive me also for blaming Mimi for my shoddy voice over work.)

Enjoy!

PJ

Judges 10: Another Head Crushed by a Lady- GIRL POWER!

A theme in the book of Judges is beginning to emerge:

Step 1: Israel Worships Idol
Step 2: Israel Get Beat Around by Neighboring Tribes
Step 3: Israel Gets Tired of Getting Beat Around and "Remembers" God
Step 4: God, in His love and Compassion for His people, helps
Step 5: God rescues Israel in some miraculous fashion whereby only God can get the credit
Step 6: The people rejoice, the judge is proclaimed "ruler" or "peace-keeper," and there is peace
Step 7: The judge dies and the people "forget" God and immediately turn to idol worship
Step 8: Some crazy lady smashes a dudes head

Moral of the story: the ladies in Judges aren't afraid to crush skulls and the men are evil. This is a theme that any girl power advocate can stand behind.

Take for example the recent saga I just read, Judges 10. So, remember Deb and Jael and the tent peg through the skull of Sissy Sisera. Ok, so next Judge is Gideon vs. Amelekites (some kind of Ishmaelite offshoot, and various bad guys). God wins through Gideon, peace for 40 years. Gideon produces 70 sons, then dies (busy guy). Gideon has a son through a girl on the side (concubine, basically)- Abimalech. Gideon dies, nation turns to idolatry, Abimalech is a shady guy and has the other 70 brothers killed (Abi's mom was from Shechem, so not a full blood Jew, that is how he can rally support for the murder of the 70 bros). So then, to make a long story short, Abi does some dirty deeds, get in control, then God makes it so Abi's own people rebel. Gideon had one remaining son (the name escapes me right now, Joham or something like that) who somehow survived the slaughter. He leads a rebellion. Abi is fighting his own towns people, scares the people of this town up into a tower and Abi is causing all kinds of trouble at the base of this tower. Lo and behold our thematic element comes into play. Some random lady drops a huge stone on Abi's head (nice shot!) and crushes his skull. Two judges, two heads smashed by ladies, theme anyone?

Anyway, that is all I want to bring up today. Just more proof that the Bible (and God) isn't against ladies. Actually, so far in Judges I would say Ladies 2 Man: 0.... and Ladies: fair and virtuous, man: evil.... but that might be a stretch... haha. Anyway, this is my late night thought. Happy Easter Everyone. Celebrate with your family (:( tear for me not being with my family :(  ) Rejoice because our savior lives! Amen

PJ

Easter Blog: Don Francisco, My Most Favorite Easter Song! Old School!

Hello Ya'll, I have put my favorite easter song on my website for you. I had to make a movie of it so it could be disseminated (some silly iTunes restriction kept me from "sharing" the mp4). So then, just click on the link and watch the video/enjoy the song!

Happy Easter- He is Risen!

Don Francisco: "He's Alive"

Girl Power and Judge Dredd, Debbie, Barak (not O'Bama) and what they have to do with Judges (It's crazy, I know)

The bible is often mislabeled as a chauvinist manual for how to subdue and rule over helpless, weak women- that is wrong. I have heard this kind of thing and much more, but I don't want to get into that today. I am just saying that sometimes the Bible gets a bad wrap and its "perceived" viewpoint toward the lady folk. It isn't overly skewed in favor of the man folk nor does it purpose to place all women solely under the crushing heel of their manish overlords. But again, that is another story for another day (why? you scream!).

Since Mother's day is sometime around the corner, and since everyone else is talking about Easter (and rightly so), I want to share with you something I thought was very interesting from my reading yesterday and completely random. It relates to the lady folk- it is about girl power, so to speak. Hence the tie-in with Mother's Day (I had to tie it into something).

If you have a bible or the internet (which you do since you are reading this). Find Judges 4 and read it.

Ok, not too bad right? Judges is a book that is often glazed over. Why? Because there are a lot of random incidences with various judges. Here is the short summary- Israel would sin and get captured by some other tribe, they would be oppressed, then they would cry out to God for deliverance and he would periodically send a "judge." A judge was kind of like Jewish Judge Dread (if you know the reference, good for you, a personal favorite movie of mine Judge Dredd ). A person who was both a military and civic leader. A judge would administer justice- either in the "civil courts," or at the "national level," through military skirmishes. Well, this was a vicious spiral of Sin, Slavery, Asking for help, God giving help, then silence, until is started all over again (see picture, thanks Bible Knowledge Commentary!).

Anyway, for those of you who think the Bible never has anything good to say about women, allow me to introduce to you Deborah and her hard-core buddy Jael- both tough ladies. Deborah was one of the judges that God sent to restore the people back to a right relationship with Him. She was both a prophetess and Judge (see, Jewish Judge Dredd). The story goes like this.

The setting is the Jezreel valley (see map). God told Deborah that she needed to get in touch with Barak (a dude, but not O'Bama) and get 10,000 troops from neighboring friendly Jewish tribes, (because Deb wasn't a ruler of a certain people group, she had no troops) Nephtali and Zebulun. The plan was to get a hold of Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army (Canaanite King), and beat the army and kill him, and then kill Jabin. This was a big undertaking. Sisera had lots of heavy iron chariots (think Abrams tanks) at his disposal, 900.

So, Barak (not O'Bama) got the troops gathered and they mustered (yum, mustard). This is a personal favorite verse in this saga, Judges 4:9. Barak is like, "You can come along Deb." You know he is thinking, this lady Deb is going, but I'm the man around here and I am going to get the credit. But Deb had other plans. Here is the verse, "She said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take. For the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman." See, I told you girl power.

I am sure Barak is thinking, "yeah right, all my troops are dudes, but ok, whatever." So they go out and get into a battle with Sisera. As the story goes, the Lord gave the Canaanite army into the hands of Barak- all the army is killed, less Sisera. So Sisera sees that it is hopeless and bails. He goes running for the hills. He finds a nice seemingly hospitable tent to hide in- the tent of one hard-core chick, Jael. Jael is the wife of a guy named Heber, who is Kenite. The Kenites were currently at peace with the Canaanites and King Jabin. So Sisera was thinking, "oh cool, I can hide out here."

Sisera asks Jael if he can hide in the tent and if she can cover for him. He doesn't want killed. And Jael says, "sure thing Sissy Sisera (ok, she probably didn't say that)." The next thing is the crazy thing. So what does Jael do? She picks up a mallet, a tent peg, and drives the peg through Sisera's skull, pinning him to the ground. Talk about a hard-core lady! Side Note: It was "women's work" to put up the tent. She would have been skilled with both the mallet and the peg, plus tough enough to drive it through Sisera's skull.

Then Barak (not O'Bama) comes to the tent and Jael says, "hey Barak, check this out, I killed Sissy Sisera for you. He is dead, I brained him with a peg." I am sure Barak was both flabbergasted (not Cesc) and impressed. He might have even thought, "I'm not even mad I didn't get the credit, I'm impressed!" Who knows?

Jael is one tough chick. God used her to give an unlikely victory to the Israelites and a "victory" to womankind everywhere. I bet never in a million years did Sisera believe that Jael would drive a tent peg through his skull. But she did.

So this is what we learn today through this awesome story:
1. Never Doubt God- He will do what He says, regardless
2. You can't run from God
3. God is there for you if you cry out for Him, He will provide, even in the most unlikeliest of ways
4. God doesn't hate women- He loves all men and women just the same. He uses each according to His will
5. Never Trust a Lady named Jael or one who puts up tents for a living- She will drive a peg through your skull (j/k)
6. Don't be Canaanite

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as me. As I am reading Judges, I am sure I will come across some more gems. There is more to this Deb story. Check out Judges 5 for a very beautiful song sung by Deb and Barak (not O'Bama) about the provision and sovereignty of God.




PJ

PS: For your edification:

Mimiology: Easter Thoughts from my little Monkey

Eph 1:4-9: "But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved! – 6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast."



Since it is almost Easter I thought it only appropriate to post an Easter themed devotion for the day. I don't want to spend much time on it because God's love is simple and doesn't require much explanation. I was thinking about this the other day. I was looking at Mimi (as I often do) thinking how much I loved her. That I loved her so much I could just grab her and squeeze her and squeeze her forever. I couldn't imagine not having her around. To cheer me up with the joyful smile everyday when she wakes up. That I would do anything for her wellbeing. If you have a child, or have ever had a child, you know what I am talking about.

Then a thought dawned on me that caused exceeding joy- God loves me as much, nay even more, than I love Mimi. And to use technical theological words, that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. To imagine that God loves me just as much and more than I love Mimi. Knowing what I would do for her, it is not hard "to understand" why God allowed the death of His Son for us. The only thing I can wrap my mind around, and will never be able understand, is why? Why did God love us so much? What did we do to deserve this? I am continually failing God, yet He always loves me perfectly, more perfectly than I can love anyone else.

The only thing I can think of is Mimi, again. Why do I love her? Is it anything she did for me? Of course not, really, she has no ability to "do" anything for me that would seem to cause me joy. She, her smile brings me joy. Her little chuckles and silly things she does makes me laugh. But that doesn't necessarily engender love, per se. I love her though, by virtue of her just being there, of her being our progeny, she is special and loved so much. She doesn't have to do anything- we are hardwired to love our children (hmm, wonder where that comes from?) So I guess that is I my theological explanation of God's love- very complex indeed.

God's love is not based on anything we can do for Him. By virtue of being made in God's image- of being God's special creation- we are loved. And because we are loved- we have this tremendous gift, blessing, of eternal life that is available to us for free. God is a God of love and has made a way for our eternal joy and happiness- and that way is through His Son Jesus Christ. Who was crucified, buried, and was raised to life on the 3rd day. Who is reigning at the right hand of the Father, saying prayers for me night and day. How great it is this easter season to remember God's love!

Amen!

PJ

Further Reading on the Relationship between Judas and Peter

For all of you out there wanting a little more in-depth study on the relationship between Judas and Peter. I have posted an article for you on my little "dissemination" web site. All you have to do to download it is click the link below, then click on the file when you are at the page and it will download automatically.

Click here to get the file!

Thanks!

PJ

Understand Your Modern Cultural Milieu: Controversy on the Rise!

Recently there has been a slew of activity out there concerning Christian author's Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins. In fact, the the book was on the cover of Time magazine- talk about exposure! I'm sure you have heard about it by now, its caught the web on fire due to its incendiary content. If you know nothing about it, or want to know more, check out the Time cover story: Time Article on Rob Bell

It is a very intriguing article in Time, but it doesn't fully capture the true essence of the book. If you are wondering how to respond to this, or want to hear another perspective, I have linked for you a blog by Dallas Seminary Professor, Dr. Darrell Bock. For his extensive bio, click here: Dr. Bock's Bio

I suggest that you take a few moments to check out Dr. Bock's response on his blog. I have linked it here: Dallas Seminary Professor, Dr. Bock's Response . It is important to be able to dialogue with people if they ask you questions. Dr. Bock's blog gives a fairly comprehensive summary of the book, then goes into detail critiquing Bell's perspective. This is what is going on in our culture today. I'm not sure if it is just hype, but the book "could" spark a shift in the way a lot of "Christians" and non-Christians think about their faith and especially the redemption, salvation, and heaven and hell.

There is a decent amount of reading I have posted today. But I think it would be very fruitful to give it a gander, especially the Bock blog. Please feel free to dialogue about this afterward!

PJ

2 Movies- Last Sunday's Movie and New Movie!

This link will bring you to the posted movies: Sunday Movies!

This is the only way I could figure out how to post the movies. I kept violating copy write laws every other way. So, enjoy. I will be posting videos on here in the future.