Hosea 5
Judgment Against Israel
1 "Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen, O royal house! This judgment is against you: You have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor. 2 The rebels are deep in slaughter. I will discipline all of them.
3 I know all about Ephraim; Israel is not hidden from me. Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution; Israel is corrupt.
4 "Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the LORD.
5 Israel's arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them.
6 When they go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, they will not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them.
7 They are unfaithful to the LORD; they give birth to illegitimate children. Now their New Moon festivals will devour them and their fields.
8 "Sound the trumpet in Gibeah, the horn in Ramah. Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven [a] ; lead on, O Benjamin.
9 Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of reckoning. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain.
10 Judah's leaders are like those who move boundary stones. I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols. [b]
12 I am like a moth to Ephraim, like rot to the people of Judah.
13 "When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sores, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and sent to the great king for help. But he is not able to cure you, not able to heal your sores.
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.
15 Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me."
Our Daily Bread Reading and devotional
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The Coming of the Lord 13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
December 12, 2007
Grief Is Messy
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READ: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. —1 Thessalonians 4:13 About this cover The film We Are Marshall tells of the November 14, 1970, plane crash that took the lives of most of the Marshall University football team, the coaching staff, and many community leaders of Huntington, West Virginia. Seventy-five lives were lost in the crash, which devastated the university and the community. Through the composite characters of Paul Griffen and Annie Cantrell, the film dramatizes the aftermath of the crash. Their stories intertwine because Griffen’s son, Chris, was Annie’s fiancé. When Chris died, their lives were plunged into a year of pain that seemed unbearable. Why? Because, as Paul told Annie, “Grief is messy.”
He was right, grief is messy. All of us grieve at one time or another—including those of us who are Christ-followers. For the believer, however, there is something beyond the tears, pain, and loss. There is hope.
Writing to a church family who had seen loved ones taken in death, Paul acknowledged the reality of grief. But he challenged them not to “sorrow as others who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). Loss and death are part of life, but believers can face them, knowing that Christians never say goodbye for the last time. We can comfort one another (v.18) with the hope of the resurrection and a future reunion. —Bill Crowder
The Lord has promised to prepareA place in heaven above—A home where we will always beWith Him and those we love. —Sper
Because Christ lives, death is not tragedy but triumph.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
December 12, 2007
PersonalityLISTEN: READ:
. . . that they may be one just as We are one . . . —John 17:22 About this cover Personality is the unique, limitless part of our life that makes us distinct from everyone else. It is too vast for us even to comprehend. An island in the sea may be just the top of a large mountain, and our personality is like that island. We don’t know the great depths of our being, therefore we cannot measure ourselves. We start out thinking we can, but soon realize that there is really only one Being who fully understands us, and that is our Creator.
Personality is the characteristic mark of the inner, spiritual man, just as individuality is the characteristic of the outer, natural man. Our Lord can never be described in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of His total Person— "I and My Father are one" ( John 10:30 ). Personality merges, and you only reach your true identity once you are merged with another person. When love or the Spirit of God come upon a person, he is transformed. He will then no longer insist on maintaining his individuality. Our Lord never referred to a person’s individuality or his isolated position, but spoke in terms of the total person— ". . . that they may be one just as We are one . . . ." Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your total person, and even your individuality is transformed. The transformation is brought about by love— personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another.
A Word with You, By Ron Hutchcraft
The Incomparable You - #5458 Wednesday, December 12, 2007
If you were the baby of the family, you may be able to relate to the occasional complaint filed by our youngest who's now all grown up. He kiddingly talks about how many pictures were taken of his older sister, then his older brother, and how we seemed to run out of film by the time he came along. You know, the last-in-line complex. When reflecting on another sibling comparison it led him to a happier conclusion. He said, "You built this big dollhouse as a gift for my sister. Then you built this big, fully loaded barn for my brother. Then you built a general store for me - about half the size of the dollhouse and the barn." At first, he thought, "Here we go again. They'll run out of gas by the time they get to me." But then, he said, he noticed that his store had something neither of his siblings' gifts had - a sign on the store with his name, identifying him as the proprietor. Our son said, "You know, I felt really good when I realized that what you gave me had my name on it!" Let's hear one for the baby!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Incomparable You."
Our son was evaluating his place in life in the same way many of us do - by comparing his life with someone else's. And when we do that, we usually feel like we lose. We always seem to compare ourselves to someone who has more of something than we do; they're better looking, better treated, richer, smarter, more talented. So we end up believing lies about how much we're worth and how much of a difference we can make.
Until we wake up and realize that God has done something totally unique when He made you. There's a life, there's a plan, there's a future that has your name on it and only your name. You are an original, so you can't be compared with anyone else! You are who God says you are; not what anyone else says you are.
God makes that so clear in our word for today from the Word of God. David's prayer here spells out the highly individual and deeply personal thing God did when He designed you. In Psalm 139, beginning with verse 1, it says: "O Lord, You have searched me and You know me ... You are familiar with all my ways ... You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful ... All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be."
Isn't that awesome? You are uniquely designed. There's a daily life plan that has your name on it! If you don't think you're one of a kind, put your hand up and look at your fingerprints! One reason we go through life never knowing our value and missing the destiny we were made for, is because we're away from the very God who gives us our worth. All the wrong things you've ever done have cost you a relationship with the One who made you and who loves you most. It took the greatest act of love in human history to give you a chance to belong to Him - the awful death of Jesus Christ on the cross, paying for every sin of your life. He didn't just die for the world. He died for you so you could be forgiven. So you could finally have the God-relationship from which all your worth comes.
In fact, not only is your name on the unique plan God has for you, but He wants to reserve a place in heaven with your name on it. The Bible says the only ones who will get into heaven are those whose names are written in God's book of life (Revelation 20:15) and He wants to write your name there today, if you'll give yourself to Jesus, the One who gave His life for you, who left His place in heaven so you could go there.
I've written this booklet about getting started with Him. It's called Yours For Life, and I really want to send it to you if you'll just let me know you want it. I think it can help you be sure that you really do belong to Him. You can get it by going to our website at yoursforlife.net. Or you can call us toll free and ask for it at 877-741-1200.
He made you. He loves you. He died for you, and He's come looking for you today. Don't miss Him.