Missions Paul

It doesn’t matter how dark or how difficult life is …

“In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.” (Luke 1: 5-7)

In the time of “evil” (Herod) there was a man named “Jehovah has remembered” (Zechariah) who belonged to the priestly division called ‘worshipper of Jehovah’ (Abijah). His wife was called ‘the absolutely reliable one’ or ‘God is my promise’ (Elizabeth). Like her husband she too traced her priestly ancestry but all the way back to the founder of the Israelite priesthood.

So let’s do this again:-

In the time of a murderer of 2 of his sons, nearly all his wives and his father in law there lived a couple who believed that God remembers His promises.

Are you seeing this? Let me try again:-

In the time of one of the most wicked, self-absorbed, ambitious, and jealous (even to the point of massacring innocent children) rulers there lived a couple who had built their whole life on worship. The foundation of their family tree was one of praise and sacrifice. Their family stories were that of hosting the presence of God within the Holy of Holies, where hurts and offences against each other were sins against God and the liturgy constantly worked towards reconciliation and forgiveness.

It matters not how dark the world can get nor who rules the land we live in. In the midst of fear from the threats of man and the lies and manipulation of selfish people there can live lights shining bright, waiting and available to the story of God. Faithful names holding on to a much more faithful God. People of God who hold worship as the foundation of their life.

But to do it when it seems like God has not responded the way you had hoped is even more special.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were faithful, obedient and people who followed God’s ways. They were righteous but the desires of their heart were not being met.

Deuteronomy 7: 14 “You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young.”

People took this further and said if an individual was barren it actually showed the disfavour of God.

When you have Bible promises but also people using the Bible to discourage you further, how do you survive?

This couple were both very old and they had accepted things as they were, Elizabeth was unable to conceive and they didn’t know why. They lived in a tough time and their life was tough. So how did they survive? They did so by worship and trust. There is no indication that they walked away from God at all. Can you be trusted to carry a heartache? Will you trust in the tough times.

The true assessment of character only happens when there is lack. Trust is born in lack.

In a few days Advent will have begun! But today Christmas Advent calendars will begin to be opened and we will be enjoying a chocolate every day!

So I wanted this year to go on a journey with some special Christmas daily devotions. I hope they bless you and that God uses them to speak to you.

Day 1: Prophecy of Micah

“Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.

² ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’

³ Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labour bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.

⁴ He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

⁵ And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders,
⁶ who will rule^[c] the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.  He will deliver us from the Assyrians when they invade our land and march across our borders.

⁷ The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or depend on man.
⁸ The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue.
⁹ Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed.

¹⁰ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord

Micah 5

The key message for today: Though the circumstances are difficult. Though your abilities seem inadequate. It is always who is inside you that is of importance. Greater is He that is in you than is in the world.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times

Bethlehem (whose name we have to use the region of Ephrathah for because there are other Bethlehem’s in order to determine which one we mean).

• You are not unique. There are others like you.

 Well, not exactly like you, because you are small, weaker and more insignificant actually.

That was the description of But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah.

However, King David was born in your town.

I love this.

Maybe today you feel more like the description of Bethlehem Ephrathah. You believe you cannot influence the situation you are in. Life is a struggle.

Look back – See what God has done in previous years through you.

Bethlehem! … King David was born in your town!!

 He was your ruler, strong, majestic, secure and great.

You may need to go back to a previous generation or it may be within your own personal history, but God is there to be found.

Believe again – It can happen again. God can come again.

Out of you will come for me one.

 And not just one but The One!

 The One who is everlasting, who is from of old, from ancient times, the One who is peace.

Live in the light of that fact

Thrive in the place you are – be like the “dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass” and don’t “wait for anyone or depend on man”. Do it now.

Live victoriously – “in the midst of many peoples” be a “lion among the beasts of the forest”

A new day will come – “in that day” is the Lord’s Day of miracles and moves that you cannot do yourself.

Look back, believe again and live in the light of that fact. Though it is tough at times who is inside you is of huge importance. Greater is He that is in you than is in the world. The King not just of David but of all kings is with you!

This is the final devotion on Hosea. An old prophet has not only spoken into his generation but also to mine here in 2023.

I am committed to doing what the first hearers failed to do and to listen.

Hosea, in the north of Israel, prophesied around 755 to 710 BC at the same time as prophet Amos who with Isaiah and Micah were prophesying in the southern kingdom. Sadly Assyria did invade and destroy the northern kingdom in 722 BC, God’s people had not listened.

What is the book of Hosea all about? Here are 5 big themes.

1. Spiritual decline
2. The influential power of sin
3. God faithfully loves us
4. God is our Redeemer
5. The cost of following is worth it. The cost of not doing so isn’t.

Can you imagine being Hosea?

I sat with a Pastor yesterday who was expressing how after a few years of trying they have begun to feel like a failure. I explained to them that a failure is someone who hasn’t gone when God said go.

Was Hosea a failure? His wife kept wandering away to other men and then the generation refused to listen to his message from God and destruction came.

When Hosea began his ministry, Jeroboam II (782-753 B.C.) was still reigning in Israel. Hosea’s ministry spans the last six kings of Israel from Zechariah (753 – 752 B.C.) to Hoshea (732-722 B.C.)

Of those, 4 were murdered and the last taken captive to Assyria; so confusion and decline characterized the last years of the northern kingdom.

Hosea was the last writing prophet to minister to the North before the fall to Assyria. We don’t know what happened to him or how he died.

In the world’s eyes he may be viewed a failure. He paid a high price. But the cost was worth it because he did what God asked of him and therefore he was a success.

“Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them.” (Hosea 14:9)

Following God, walking in His ways, being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a choice.

You can enjoy the benefits of ministry without paying the cost of walking in His ways.

You can be known as a ‘nice Christian person’ you can be a member of a church and join the choir and never have made the choice of discipleship.

You can instruct others on being a disciple and be a great orator of the Bible without paying the cost of walking in His ways.

Those who pay the cost of walking in His ways carry a personal message that says, “It’s not about me.”

Those who pay the cost of walking in His ways carry a personal message that says, “I will lay my life down for others.”

Those who pay the cost of walking in His ways carry a personal message that says, “I don’t know it all”.

Successful kingdom followers pay the cost and walk in His ways. Failures don’t but they pay a higher cost.

What is the book of Hosea all about? Here are 5 big themes.

Spiritual decline

The influential power of sin

God faithfully loves us

God is our Redeemer

The cost of following is worth it. The cost of not doing so isn’t.

What is the book of Hosea all about? Here are 5 big themes.

1. Spiritual decline
2. The influential power of sin
3. God faithfully loves us
4. God is our Redeemer

“I long to redeem them …” (Hosea 7 v 13)

“I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?” (Hosea 13 v14)

Overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro is the world’s largest statue constructed between 1922 and 1932, Christ the Redeemer. It is an amazing picture for the whole of Brazil’s Christian faith. Christ the Redeemer has His arms stretched out to the whole world today. No one is beyond His reach.

His reach is far and wide and there are no lengths that He will not go to bring us back. God will chase after a wayward wife, a prodigal son and a lost sheep. He will run after you too. He is your Redeemer.
We all need rescuing from time to time.

He saved you. He heard you. He turned to you. He was gracious to you. He gave righteousness to you. He protected you. He has been good to you. He delivered you. He dried your eyes. He steadied your feet. He brought you to life. In the presence of suffering, in the presence of liars, in the presence of all His people, even in the presence of death, He freed you, freed you to serve, freed you to praise and freed you to live. For the ones who have fallen on hard times. For the tattered and the torn and those who have been forgotten. For the ones that have run out of second chances, burnt every bridge, and hit rock bottom… You are never too dirty, never too deep, never too far, to find hope, find relief, to find the Redeemer.

Let us never stop telling the ancient stories.

There are stories that our children and our grandchildren need to hear us say. We don’t need to rewrite our history to make the story more palpable. But we do need to let grace rewrite our story.

You may have a story of a life of work. A story of marriage and family. A story of life containing failings and achievements. Speak it out.

The blood is greater. It is greater than my fearful future. The blood of Jesus overcomes the powers of sin and death, racism and hate. This is my story. This is my song. Shout it aloud of your Redeemer! His arms are outstretched towards you today.

What is the book of Hosea all about? Here are 5 big themes.

1. Spiritual decline
2. The influential power of sin
3. God faithfully loves us

The story of Gomer, the adulterous wife, is the heart of the message. Hosea continued to love Gomer even when her actions was the opposite of love. Where she was the epitome of unfaithfulness Hosea was the embodiment of faithfulness. The prophetic message revealed that just like Hosea in his marriage, God was faithful to His unfaithful people.

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” (Hosea 11 v 1)

Not every display of love is God. Even idolatry contains love.

But every display of God is love. When He speaks love is spoken. When He sends love is coming. When He shows up love is here.

Love is challenged continually across the world by preachers who are concerned about a sinful Church. The fact is the Love of God is the answer to a sinful Church.

To live by love means you are not denying or trying to forget the sin in your life, but by allowing love to expose it you find who you really are. Love calls you to keep coming back to God.

God will not fail to fulfil His responsibilities even if we fail to fulfil ours.

God is always true, right and faithful even in His punishment/judgment.

God making all things right doesn’t mean it wasn’t wrong and deserving judgment. Sin is never right. But God is here and He faithfully loves us. This is a major theme in Hosea and it is found in chapter 11.

“How can I give you up? Even if I could, I wouldn’t. I called you and you came to me

But then others called you and you left me. Yet I stuck with you then and I don’t intend to change my pattern now.

I taught you to walk, I led you, I bent down and lifted you up. It is within your DNA to walk away from me. Every time.

But I am committed to you. And that is final.

So I ask, How can I give you up? How can I let you be ruined? I cannot. For I am not like you.

I am the Holy One, the different One.

And I am here with you. I will win you back. I cannot let go. I will not let go. I know you will return. I am waiting.”

What is the book of Hosea all about? Here are 5 big themes.

1. Spiritual decline
2. The influential power of sin

If only spiritual decline was self-contained. But it isn’t. It impacts on others. What happened in the northern kingdom where Hosea was prophesying seeped into the territory of the south, into Judah.

If you have ever seen the negative impact from someone’s decisions to walk away from God then you know it is often more than a stone in the water causing ripples. Sometimes it can be a tsunami of impact. When people fall from grace they always take others down with them.

There is however one thing worse than this and that is to lead others astray.

“Though you, Israel, commit adultery, do not let Judah become guilty.” (Hosea 4 v 15) Judah was as open to idolatry as the Northern Kingdom. It didn’t take much for Judah to go astray.

“Israel has forgotten their Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I will send fire on their cities that will consume their fortresses.” (Hosea 8 v 14) Judah’s history reveals they were only spared the destruction that happened in the north because their waywardness was interspersed with revivals. Nevertheless what happened in the north impacted the south. Sin doesn’t stay still, it grows like a cancer that consumes and spills out and continues to invade others. Sin impacts those closest to us and then it continues to hurt, damage and lead astray as many as possible. Whole communities can turn to idolatry because of charismatic personalities who behind the scenes are committing idolatry in various forms.

So what can we do to protect ourselves from sinful influence?

• Not everything you hear can be trusted and believed blindly.
• Not everything that is inspirational is from Him even though it might make you feel good.
• Not everything that is false looks false at first otherwise there wouldn’t be a possibility of being led astray.
• Everything must be filtered through this one test: Jesus is the Christ in flesh sent from God.
• Every religious experience must come under the submission of the orthodox teaching of and about Jesus Christ.
• Everything the Spirit of Christ does points to Jesus and if it doesn’t then it is the spirit of the antichrist.

From around 755 to 710 BC Hosea, at the same time as prophet Amos who with Isaiah and Micah were focusing on the southern kingdom. Hosea was in the north. Sadly Assyria did invade and destroy the northern kingdom in 722 BC, God’s people had not listened.

One of the reasons was that they were spiritually blind. They were blind to their blind spots and they declined spiritually in their relationship with God.

• Their knowledge of God grew less not more over the decades.

The pain of seeing Gomer not being satisfied in knowing Hosea but drifting to know other men is mirrored by the pain of God’s own heart. His people do not know Him. They believe in Him. They sing to Him. They talk to Him. There is evidence that they do know Him. However there is also evidence that they don’t.

“No one is faithful. No one loves. No one knows the first thing about God.” (4 v 1)

“My people are ruined because they don’t know what’s right or true. Because you’ve turned your back on knowledge, I’ve turned my back on you priests. Because you refuse to recognize the revelation of God, I’m no longer recognizing your children.” (4 v 6-10)

Like Hosea, alone in the marital home; or like the father scanning the terrain for his prodigal son; God is standing, waiting; for those who have left, for those who have gone their own way and for those who have lost their knowledge of God.

When you get to the end of your life there is one thing you will never regret and that is your pursuit of knowing Him!

These last few words sum up the whole prophetic message of Hosea.

Are we walking in the ways of the Lord?

“The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (Hosea 14 v 9)

There is a beautiful verse in Exodus 33 v 11 where “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”

A way is not just a thought, or a perceived attitude about something, it is how one lives their life.

It is the customs, institutions and achievements of a particular nation, people or group, it is called culture.

Is it possible to know the ways of God? Is it possible to truly know God? To know His culture?

Remember how Moses was around 81-82 years old when he asked God for something new? His task was to lead 10s of 1000s out of a country – these people were dysfunctional generationally. It was a hard task but the result would be wonderful. What does he pray? Was it, “Oh God help me, bless me, anoint me, appoint me, prosper me, help me, deliver me, fill me, reach me”?

Exodus 33 v13 Moses asked, “Teach me your ways.” Moses is asking God to show him His culture. I need to understand your culture, your ways, absorb your character into my character.

Hosea our prophet ends this message with a call for us all to know God’s culture, to pay heed to His commands and above all to walk and not stumble.

But at times God’s ways can be very strange. Hosea marry a prostitute? Why? Looking back we can see why but at the time that is a hard difficult way to walk. But that’s the Bible and the story of God isn’t it? Look at the cross!

The more we walk with what we know of God the more we will know His ways. The less rebellious we are the less we will stumble. It takes a lifetime and more to fully know the ways of God.

Maybe you don’t fully understand what God is doing or asking of you. You might not fully grasp the meaning but all you know is you need to surrender all and that is what you do.

And that my friend is all He asks of you!

Understanding the season that you are in and having self-awareness so that you are not blinded to the truth of the moment is the discernment that all of us need.

Wisdom is needed and so is discernment.

“Who is wise? Let them realise these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (Hosea 14 v 9)

Please join me in my prayer this morning:

Lord, I need to know your ways. I need to know what is from you and what is from man. I need to know the counterfeit. I need discernment.

I desire wisdom in dealing with people. In my listening and in my speaking I need to not fail. I don’t search for wisdom of my mind only, I do need to grow there in my intellect. But this is a wisdom of my spirit that I seek.

There are days when I walk with what seems to be a flickering candle. Today I ask for more than a candle. I ask for divine beams of revelation so that I may know you more in all that I do. Lead me from the shallow end where the deep calls to deep. Let my words become far more significant. Words are just words. Yet words that are illuminated, that come from the place of wisdom and revelation carry so much more weight. I want my spirit, soul, mind and strength to be in my words. I want my words to move people.

Break me so that I no longer love the dark or the candle. Break into me so that the shekinah fills every part of me. I seek no idolatrous God-shaped substitutes. I seek the glory of You that cuts and burns and melts and removes all strange fire within me. I was made for your good, for your pleasing and for your perfect will. Give me discernment.

Amen.

As we enter into the final verse of this prophecy of Hosea we do so looking back on many great themes of redemption, faithfulness, the sovereignty of God, His unending love and the result of turning our backs on Him.

Remember how it opens with ““The word of the Lord that came to Hosea”. Isn’t that needed today? Another Hosea? Well perhaps. But definitely a word from the Lord.

Are you carrying in your life a message from God? Has He spoken to you through the Bible, a prophetic word, a sermon?

If the answer is yes then now read this last verse:

“Who is wise? Let them realise these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (Hosea 14 v 9)

Do you realise what God is telling you?

You may be in difficult situation. The temptation may be to focus solely on the difficulty instead of asking for wisdom to know what to do and how to live in such a situation. Wisdom is found with God. Reading the Bible every day, meditation and receiving the Spirit’s presence is the path of wisdom.

When you sit with God and ask for wisdom you are sitting with someone who knows everything. He saw it and He made it. He had knowledge and He was able to practically apply that knowledge.

God’s people turn from reliance on idolatry and look to Him. They take heed to His instruction. They listen to His message. They carry this prophetic word from Hosea and apply it to their lives. Today and the next day and the next day we live for you. They are wise.