December 24, 2007 5:28 AM
Sam wrote:
Hosea 12. "Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day." Sometimes I think that is what we do. Like a 'chasing after the wind' as Solomon once wrote about. We seek fortune. And for what? To live 'better'??? I have come to the conclusion that 'better' is not always 'better'. When we chase after fantasies, we'll never catch them--just the same as Ephraim never being able to capture the east wind. Our real 'fantasy' should be chasing after Jesus...although we will never fully catch him (He is mightier than any wind), at least we can attempt to be a little more like him. And chasing wild dreams is not the same. Jesus was (is) real...and we CAN catch a little bit of him, simply by emulating His behavior. The lesson at church yesterday was a great one...we are really bad people (sinners), trying to do good now and then...NOT good people who sin now and then. We should be chasing, and trying to catch, an attitude which dispises the sin within us, and dealing with that sin every time we catch it. Tonight is Christmas eve...let's see if we can catch a glimpse of a bright star tonight...I'll bet Jesus is right behind it. And He's 'catchable'...at least his ways are. Reply to this
December 24, 2007 9:18 AM
Tony wrote:
Hosea 12...It seems to me that no matter what we do the Lord is still always there for us. God is always waiting for us to wake up and see what we are doing so that we can come back to Him. Always ready to forgive and, thanks to Jesus, forget. What would our life be if we had no God? I can not imagine what would control us if not for the Holy Spirit in us. We would all do as we wanted and not worry about anyone or anything else. How arrogant to be like Ephraim in vs 8," Ephraim boasts "I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin." We all have iniquities and sin in us! We need to acknowledge this and ask the Lord to forgive us. Without God in our life we are no better than animals. Let's remember that Jesus died for our sins, at least we could do is ask forgiveness to the Father. Reply to this
December 24, 2007 10:07 AM
Rich wrote:
Hope I am still welcome here. I have been absent too long. No good excuse. Some laziness, some frustration setting in with changes in church - again! This is the third church that we have belonged to that has disbanded. Beginning to wonder if it is me. God works in mysterious ways I guess. I am one of those people who like to know what is happening next, to have all in order. I also like to have control over my future. When things like this happen, I seem to go into tail spins. I have been struggling to stay close to God over the past couple of weeks. There have been distractions (family health issues) to be sure, but those are not reasons to slip away from God. Those should draw me closer. I hope that somehow I am learning that lesson.
I have read Hosea before and I did not understand it much then. I am understanding a little more now, but all in all, this is a difficult book. It is hard for me to keep all of the country names and meaning straight. Also, I struggle with prophesy scriptures. I know that there are prophesy of Jesus references throughout Hosea. I understand the broad picture, but the details of this is mostly lost on me.
That said, Hosea 12:8 is an amazing scripture. "Epraim boasts: I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin." America is the wealthiest country in the world. Do we not often act like this? We (you and I) are amazingly wealthy per world standards. Do we not also often think like this? And where did this wealth come from in the first place? Did not God allow me to be born in this country? Did not God give me the opportunities, education and job that I have? Is not all from God in the first place? What should my attitude be? The more I have the more grateful I should be. The more repentant, the more aware of my sin. Instead, I see myself like Ephraim. Boastful and proud. I hide my sin from myself and from others with my wealth.
I really need Jesus. I need to focus on him so much more every day. I have been thinking that I really need to read something about Jesus every day. The OT is great, but I think my best times occur when I am focused on Jesus. I think I am going to read another book about Jesus (any suggestions???). I really believe I need to focus on him more and more. What a better time to start than now - as Mac says, Christmas eve!!! Tonight I am going to read the birth of Jesus story with my daughter. Then, I am going to go outside with her to look for the brightest star in the sky and talk with her about thinking of Jesus right behind it. Thanks Mac.
Merry Christmas to all. Thank you for your love, support, friendship, patience, prayers, insights, confessions, listening, .... I love each of you very much. Reply to this
Hosea 12. "Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day." Sometimes I think that is what we do. Like a 'chasing after the wind' as Solomon once wrote about. We seek fortune. And for what? To live 'better'??? I have come to the conclusion that 'better' is not always 'better'. When we chase after fantasies, we'll never catch them--just the same as Ephraim never being able to capture the east wind.
Our real 'fantasy' should be chasing after Jesus...although we will never fully catch him (He is mightier than any wind), at least we can attempt to be a little more like him. And chasing wild dreams is not the same. Jesus was (is) real...and we CAN catch a little bit of him, simply by emulating His behavior. The lesson at church yesterday was a great one...we are really bad people (sinners), trying to do good now and then...NOT good people who sin now and then. We should be chasing, and trying to catch, an attitude which dispises the sin within us, and dealing with that sin every time we catch it.
Tonight is Christmas eve...let's see if we can catch a glimpse of a bright star tonight...I'll bet Jesus is right behind it. And He's 'catchable'...at least his ways are.
Reply to this
Hosea 12...It seems to me that no matter what we do the Lord is still always there for us. God is always waiting for us to wake up and see what we are doing so that we can come back to Him. Always ready to forgive and, thanks to Jesus, forget. What would our life be if we had no God? I can not imagine what would control us if not for the Holy Spirit in us. We would all do as we wanted and not worry about anyone or anything else. How arrogant to be like Ephraim in vs 8," Ephraim boasts "I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin." We all have iniquities and sin in us! We need to acknowledge this and ask the Lord to forgive us. Without God in our life we are no better than animals. Let's remember that Jesus died for our sins, at least we could do is ask forgiveness to the Father.
Reply to this
Hope I am still welcome here. I have been absent too long. No good excuse. Some laziness, some frustration setting in with changes in church - again! This is the third church that we have belonged to that has disbanded. Beginning to wonder if it is me. God works in mysterious ways I guess. I am one of those people who like to know what is happening next, to have all in order. I also like to have control over my future. When things like this happen, I seem to go into tail spins. I have been struggling to stay close to God over the past couple of weeks. There have been distractions (family health issues) to be sure, but those are not reasons to slip away from God. Those should draw me closer. I hope that somehow I am learning that lesson.
I have read Hosea before and I did not understand it much then. I am understanding a little more now, but all in all, this is a difficult book. It is hard for me to keep all of the country names and meaning straight. Also, I struggle with prophesy scriptures. I know that there are prophesy of Jesus references throughout Hosea. I understand the broad picture, but the details of this is mostly lost on me.
That said, Hosea 12:8 is an amazing scripture. "Epraim boasts: I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin." America is the wealthiest country in the world. Do we not often act like this? We (you and I) are amazingly wealthy per world standards. Do we not also often think like this? And where did this wealth come from in the first place? Did not God allow me to be born in this country? Did not God give me the opportunities, education and job that I have? Is not all from God in the first place? What should my attitude be? The more I have the more grateful I should be. The more repentant, the more aware of my sin. Instead, I see myself like Ephraim. Boastful and proud. I hide my sin from myself and from others with my wealth.
I really need Jesus. I need to focus on him so much more every day. I have been thinking that I really need to read something about Jesus every day. The OT is great, but I think my best times occur when I am focused on Jesus. I think I am going to read another book about Jesus (any suggestions???). I really believe I need to focus on him more and more. What a better time to start than now - as Mac says, Christmas eve!!! Tonight I am going to read the birth of Jesus story with my daughter. Then, I am going to go outside with her to look for the brightest star in the sky and talk with her about thinking of Jesus right behind it. Thanks Mac.
Merry Christmas to all. Thank you for your love, support, friendship, patience, prayers, insights, confessions, listening, .... I love each of you very much.
Reply to this