read in context (part3)

Joel-    only time church goers might hear from this book is if the pastor is taking about Pentecost.

The 'Day of  the  Lord'  shows up here but again, most wanna avoid that. It's only 3 chapters, look for mercy amidst judgement. Let's not mix up things here, when talking about when God pours out His Spirit.

The set up, for the religious leaders to miss Jesus as Messiah begins here, or times similar to these.
How is that?

Because scriptures were read back then, as they are now,

They read themselves into Old Testament prophecies, looking for a kingdom that's applied to 'them' because after all, their chosen.
They sought a leader to rise up and rescue them, too change the world.

Sound familiar?

We read ourselves into same prophecies, but now it's completed and that kingdoms here (although, in a vague sense) and we're in it, cause after all, we're saved?
We seek church leaders to rise itself up, too change the world.

Everyone wants to change the world.

If anyone whose reading this Bible in context, hasn't by now seen clearly, the constant missing the point, my prayer is you will see.

From the beginning, the problem was sin.

As your reading in context, take what your currently hearing coming from pulpits, movies, books and music that calls itself Christian and plug that into the cultural atmosphere, that was in ancient Israel, the culture God continually addresses throughout scripture, and discover for yourself, what God thinks of it.

The common denominator in missing God's truth is, in the changing of God's Word.
satan changed it, Old Testament prophets changed it and modern day paraphrase changed it.

Read Joel and see what God thinks.

Amos - a farmer, who gets around. Speaks God's Word to the north & South.
Forgive me as I repeat myself, but can ya see a pattern developing here as we read this book in order? There is a continuous theme that began in Genesis but so many never see it. The way God speaks and interacts with us. It's literally criminal to miss it. To often, Amos is only referred to when church goers are asked to check there own witness as compared to his (Amos)

Again, note the mercy amidst judgement here. Each book has this.
What does that say about us?
What does it say about God?
What does it say about how you used to read this Bible?

Obadiah - ok, when was the last time your church read this book? You say ya got no time for one chap? It speaks to Edom. Does the church goer even know what Edom is?

  Also, the Day of the Lord as well as the kingdom. You can stamp on this book.. God never forgets. Incredible, where the Bible started, where it brought us (this book) and where it's taking us too. If ur reading the Bible straight thru, by this point, you should be getting it.

Getting what?

Ask yourself, why are these minor prophets not read from the pulpit, but rather pushed aside to some week day night?

Your answer = "getting it"

Jonah - continuing in the theme of God's Word is Jonah, a powerful example. The details of the account find there way into many sermons but the fact remains, it all points to Jesus.

Understanding who Nineveh was sheds light on Jonah's reluctance.

Sometimes we might ask, "what does a nation repenting look like?  Does every person need to repent?" 

Americans say "we need to repent" but what does that mean and how will we know if we did?

These are good questions and there really not hard to answer when you read and understand God's patience and mercy.

Every person in a nation of millions, repenting, is not realistic.
So what is?

I'm thinking that's pretty clear to the one reading God's Word in context.
If your not sure just go check out what Jesus said concerning Jonah.

Micah - as we continue to read these books in order, the consistency of its messages of warning & hope are seen.

Jesus is again foretold.
Makes one wonder if we'll ever "get it". These messages are cast in the light of "what does God think"  and when we see that we ourselves do similar things, it should wake us up. Swords into plows is in here but That's reversed in Revelation . Makes ya wonder.

So many similar issues we today deal with are addressed in these books rarely read. From them we see what God thinks of class warfare, border control, free speech.

Wouldn't take one too long to see why these books are not popular.

Nahum - this guy saw what Jonah wanted to see. So much occurs in our thinking as we continue to read in context. We see so much, how God wants the same things for us as what we want for our kids. Parents count to five (seconds) slowly when wanting a child to think about what there doing. God counts but by centuries. Funny how Judah was ok with this guy's Prophecy  cause he wasn't specially speaking to them.

A constant message of judgment & mercy should by now have a profound effect on the one reading in context.

Habakkuk - now here's a guy who may not be welcome at some churches. Why? Because he asks questions. We can't have that.

Difference here is, Habakkuk's questions are answered and man, when they are, he's sorry he asked.

He, like us, just couldn't fathom how God could use the wicked to judge His chosen.

But the wicked will be judged, and when they are, there will be rejoicing among the saints. (something else we don't understand)

What bugs me most is when some leader uses God's answer in chap 3 as some kind of evidence that WE should write down what WE envision expecting that WE will get whatever WE envision. It's a sorry church that talks that way.

Also note : when it says "the righteousness shall live by faith" how the New Testament, in separate places, deals with those 3 aspects (righteousness /shall live / faith)

Zephaniah- this guy prophesied during the time of a good king, Josiah. Kinda like our culture, if we ever had a good president, like the 80's (pause for effect)

Notice, the themes not changed, message not different. By now, someone going straight thru the Bible has had there fill of messages of judgement and mercy. There also having there fill of being told the things they like, God hates.

Gee, no wonder folks cherry pick this book. If u haven't figured it out yet, there's a problem. So much of our thinking is completely backwards but ya won't see that unless you read this book as intended. As a book.

Haggai - now this guy had to "kick the Jews in the butt" sort ta speak. Many things occur in one's thinking as they read straight thru and one of these things, for my wife and I is, gaining a fuller awareness of just doing, what we already know, what we should be doing. That's a full time job alone. If I fail at it, it's not always necessary to come up with a new plan. Just go do what you already know. The ideas I have are good ones and will work, if I just do them. Pretty straight forward. The Jews knew what they should have been doing.

Zechariah -for the person reading straight thru their Bible, by the time they get here, they are tired, and rightfully so.

If Haggai encouraged the people to rebuild, Zechariah encourages them to repent.

The constant judgement /mercy message any person reading straight thru receives up to this point has them entering the New Testament tired but hopeful.

A person's brain just can't comprehend all this judgment let alone all the mercy so they enter the New Testament with their brains scrambling to put things together

and usually the first things that get joined are Israel and the church. If Israel's distinction (a distinction that remains all the way to the Great City in Revelation, coming down) isn't clearly seen by the time one gets to this book, adjusting the New Testament is right around the corner.

Word of advice, relax. Entering into the New Testament longing for the day Jesus will rule, which is kinda what He's been saying all along, up to this point, does not require reassigning Israel. But the mystery, known as the church, gives its self headaches as they attempt to squeeze themselves into the Day of the Lord, as participants rather than administrators. Maybe that's not said right, point is, we'll be there, just not in the role some think. Zechariah has amazing language concerning a great and terrible Day.

Malachi - given the height of arrogance displayed here, from man to God, makes me wonder if the soon coming 400 years of silence, while getting Rome into place, wasn't a cooling off time for God.

Slight tongue in cheek there but still? The notion that man asks "when did we do" (whatever charge was). Man even gets backwards, when God said He loved Jacob but hated Esau.

Man asks "how could He hate Esau"  but the repentant believer asks "how can He love Jacob" (or us) 

The only time many churches open this book is when those who abuse blessing & curses of another time to guilt the New Covenant believer, to tithe more.

By the time one reaches this point, going thru the Bible, so many things occur.
For me, the biggest thing was in seeing how constantly unclean I am.

Many churches frown on believers having this view and I don't understand that.
When I think of what I'm capable of doing, apart from Christ, it frightens me.

By understanding the Tabernacle, the temple, all the rituals and laws, the genealogy, all those sacrifices.. By understanding this, it's prepared me so much better now to receive the continuous cleansing power of God's shed blood, for me.

When I see how far mankind will go in denying this, that also frightens me. 

By understanding the Old Testament, I can better see the heresy the New Testament warns of. 

I know it wasn't my intelligence that revealed this too me.
I also know that the only thing consistent , in my life, all these years was in the knowledge of there being absolute truth, in God.

I don't know what kept me from God's Word, I don't know why I finally read it.
There's many things I can't explain and those things just happen to be what's real in my life.
I suppose if I could explain it, that just might destroy what God's shown me so I'll just keep reading in context and sounding strange.

I have developed quite a religious crust over my thinking, during all those years not in God's Word so many of my thoughts (and I  gotta be honest) on this blog are accompanied by hypocrisy.
I always want to be honest as I post things but that's not easy sometimes.

My prayer is, as I prepare to begin again, that I might redirect my passion more towards knowing Jesus more intimately.

I've spent much time searching for, and finding, how God's Word became so twisted in this culture.
Out of every hundred believers (just my guess, here) there might be one who wonders, what's going on in the church these days.
That's the one I think I can talk to intelligently now.

I'm positive, my next time thru will bear much needed fruit.

But for the person who's reading straight thru, by this point, they are aching to see the mystery revealed and who it's for and how will it end. Hang on, Jesus is coming to earth, PTL!