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Today is Sunday September 19, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Hosea, chapters 1-6. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-19

Today's Message: Acknowledge Him In All Things
As Christians we are prone to thank God for seeing answered prayers or protecting us from some kind of tragedy that was avoided. However, we tend to forget that God gives us everything, blessings such as seeing, hearing, smelling, and talking are often disregarded. We have to be careful that we do not lose sight of all of God's blessings, what we think is just normal comes from God as well, and if we lose sight of the normal things we can lose sight of the amazing things and just forget God all together. The Bible says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” - Proverbs 3:6. While I do not think God gets angry if we do not always say “Thank you for blessing me with sight” every day, He does get angry when we do not acknowledge Him for the blessings He gives us or only acknowledges Him if we are in trouble. We can not serve God and live in the world, it is simply impossible, Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” - Matthew 6:24. Those who commit to live their lives for God, take His blessings for granted, and still live in sin are considered adulterers in the eyes of God.

The book of Hosea is the twenty-eighth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains fourteen chapters. The author of the book is Hosea and it was written to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The purpose of the book was to alert Israel to her sinful condition and bring her back to God. What we are to learn from the book is that, it is only from experience that we can learn of God's love, compassion, and grace for all who repent and turn to God.

Just because we accepted Christ as our Savior and are God's people it does not mean that we are exempt from the consequences of sin. It is one thing for example, to slip with the tongue and swear, you repent and God forgives you and forgets what you have done, but if you constantly do it with no regard of what you are doing and still want God's blessings that is when He gets angry and starts taking things away. The Israelites were the people God chose to set as an example for the rest of the world, His intention was to show all nations how blessed they can be by acknowledging and following God. However, from the time of the Exodus to their current state they did not always acknowledge God. The problem is, all it takes is for one person to stop acknowledging God and before you know it you have false religion and false gods everywhere and very few people acknowledging the One and Only Living God, which is where we are today. “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe....Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” - I Timothy 4:10,16. We are going to suffer from time to time, but as long as we trust God and acknowledge Him then we are not only blessed others become blessed as well.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel had no godly influence at all, out of the nineteen kings to reign not one of them attempted to lead the people to worship in Jerusalem as God had instructed. Hosea was a prophet who lived and prophesied just before the destruction of Israel in 722 BC. To illustrate and warn the people, He commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute, whom would become unfaithful to him. “The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel. And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. ” - Hosea 1:2-6. Hosea represents God and his wife represents the unfaithful, idolatrous house of Israel. The word Jezreel means, God scatters, and is probably indicative of the fact that God was going to punish and scatter the nation for its sinfulness. After the Assyrians defeated the northern kingdom of Israel, those who were left scattered (See II Kings 18-19), still today, families are scattered all over the world because of this.

Although Hosea's wife was faithful for a time she left him for all the pleasures she thought other men could give her. Hosea was heartbroken, he had a legal right to have her stoned and put to death, but he still loved her and chose to redeem her. Hosea actually purchased his wife's debt and brought her back home, then she turned from her wicked ways. “Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.” - Hosea 3:1-5. This is an exact mirror of Jesus Christ, because we are sinners we have a debt to pay and that debt is death. However, Jesus purchased that debt for us with His Blood and now we have been redeemed. Right now we can not see our king, but one day, sooner than we think, Jesus will return and every person who accepted Him will fear the Lord, and enjoy His physical presence and goodness.

Those that seek a relationship with God, must apply Christ to their lives, and become His willing people. Not only are we to fear the Lord and His greatness, but the Lord and His goodness, meaning not only His majesty, but His mercy. Though the first fear of God arise from a view of His holy majesty and righteous vengeance, yet the experience of mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, will lead the heart to reverence so kind and glorious a Friend and Father, and to fear offending him. God said, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.” - Hosea 5:15. God does not want us to suffer, He willingly and patiently waits for His people to return to Him. He even promises to return His blessings, but first they must acknowledge Him. “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” - I John 2:23-25. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and the Lord's day.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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