Deuteronomy

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A Note of Introduction Hello! I’m thrilled that you’re interested in studying God’s Word with me! Before you jump into this study, allow me to introduce myself and explain what this study is about. I am a full time wife and mom who loves to teach God’s Word through our local church and through blogging. These studies spring from my training in the Bible department at Cedarville University, alongside my own study of the Scriptures and time teaching Bible studies based on the Old Testament books. What you will find in this e-book is a continued “big picture” overview of God’s unfolding story of redemption. I trust that what I have written here will be useful and helpful for you, but in no way is this intended to be read in lieu of your own Bible study. In fact, as you progress through these studies I assume that you are reading and studying on your own as we go. These are my words, not God’s. While I strive to be accurate in my explanations and applications, and while I have found these things to be true in my study of the Scriptures, nothing can take the place of your own time reading the Bible itself. I pray that as you open your Bible that God will challenge and excite you through the study of His Word. I also pray that through looking at the “big picture” of what God is doing in history that you will gain a deeper understanding of your own need for Jesus Christ and grow in your daily walk with Him. May God bless you! -

^Ü|áà|

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

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Colossians 2:6-7

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Don't skip God's heartbeat!

Image from Bible Picture Gallery: http://www.instonebrewer.com/bpg2009 When I was a student in Dr. Miller's Old Testament Survey class back in 1999, we covered the entire Old Testament in one quarter. Our class met five days a week, and usually covered a book per day! We were required to read each book as we covered it (which was a lot on top of the rest of our college course load), but were given a couple of "skips" that we could take if we didn't have time to read a particular book. I chose to use a skip on Deuteronomy, because I was so buried with other classes. (and come on, how much of the law can you read in one week?) I got to class the next day and Dr. Miller opened with, "I hope that you read Deuteronomy last night, because this book really encompasses God's heartbeat." Rats. Needless to say, I went back and read it. :) I think many people probably look at Deuteronomy the way that I did - yet another rehashing of weird laws that don't apply to us. Let's skip over to Joshua - at least we're back to an exciting story line! This is a huge symptom of not really understanding the Old Testament. Deuteronomy is a cornerstone book in the Old Testament. It is the most concise recording of the law, their complete "constitution." Almost anytime the phrase "Book of the Law" is used anywhere in the Scriptures it's referring to Deuteronomy.

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http://www.krististephens.com Another factor which should motivate us to read and understand this book is the great importance Jesus himself placed upon it. Most people who have been in the church for a while know that when Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, He responded to each temptation with Scripture. What you may not realize, however, is that each and every Scripture He quoted was from the book of Deuteronomy! Deuteronomy 8:3 "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord." Deuteronomy 6:16 (NLT) "Do not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah." Deuteronomy 6:13 "You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name." Later on, Jesus is approached by his enemies and put to a different kind of test - a trick question crafted by the Jewish leadership seeking to find a weakness. He was asked, "Master, what is the greatest commandment?" And yet again, Jesus replied straight out of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." Every book is in the Bible for a reason. There are no "mistakes" or unnecessary repeats. I'm going to keep this post short today, but do want to challenge you: if we truly believe that our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; if we truly want to think the way Jesus thinks and act the way He acts (still have one of those "WWJD" bracelets around somewhere?); if we want to understand the whole counsel of God, we must, MUST take a serious look at the Old Testament. If the gospels were all we needed, why didn't God start there? Deuteronomy is an incredible book... open up your Bible and ask the Lord to show Himself to you! Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever! Deuteronomy 5:29

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The "why" behind Deuteronomy

Image from Bible Picture Gallery: http://www.instonebrewer.com/bpg2009 We have established that Deuteronomy is an important book. But, you may still be wondering why Deuteronomy was necessary - most of it seems to be a repeat of the law! If you think about a timeline of what has happened, when Deuteronomy is given it has been 40 years (at least) since the Exodus. 40 years since they formed this unique covenant relationship with God. 40 years of wandering in a desert, eating manna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, sacrifices, coming to God at the tabernacle, and waiting for the unbelieving generation to die off. It's been a long 40 years. On top of that, this is a different generation! They did not see the Red Sea part or the miracles in Egypt (or they were very young), understanding first hand the uniqueness, sovereignty, and supremacy of Yahweh - the One who remembered them and kept His promises. They are not the ones who had that blood sprinkled on them at the base of the mountain and understood the solemnity of the covenant they were forming with a holy God.

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http://www.krististephens.com So, Moses gathers them together - they must understand their contract with God. They must understand their history, God's faithfulness to them, and the requirements associated with being a nation set apart unto Him. Deuteronomy is their "complete constitution" the most concise statement of who they were and what made their nation unique. This book follows the format of a "Suzerain/Vassal treaty." (Pull that out at your next Bible study - you'll sound so smart.) This was the kind of treaty that two nations in the ancient world would make when one (the suzerain) conquered the other (the vassal). They would write down: the history of what got them to that point [Deuteronomy 1:1-4:43], general and specific rules for the conquered nation [4:44-26:19], consequences (both good and bad) which would come from keeping or breaking the conditions of the treaty [27:1-29:68], record the witnesses present [29:1-30:20], and provide a way of safekeeping for the treaty document [31:9]. Now, you are probably asking, "Kristi, why do I care about a Suzerain/Vassal Treaty?" Honestly, you probably don't! But, this was a format that was very familiar to the people at the time - this was how international foreign policy was handled! And because they were familiar with the format, God was giving them a very clear picture of their relationship: I am your Supreme commander. You owe me your life. You have conditions in this relationship that you must keep. If you do, I will bless you abundantly. If you do not, I will bring negative consequences in order to bring you back into submission. Obviously we have a different relationship with God than ancient Israel did - we are not in a theocracy, we aren't under the law. However, we know that there are many things that we are commanded to do or not to do. [review "Be Holy for I am Holy" if you're rusty on how the OT law ties in with us...] In our human nature, we tend to chafe at God's authority. We feel restricted, resentful, rebellious. Why must I bow the knee? Guess what, friends? God is our Supreme commander. He created us. Period. He, not our feelings or experiences, sets the standard for what is right and what is wrong. We violated His character, earned death and separation from Him, and yet He redeemed us out of our sin and formed a relationship with us. I owe Him my all. What I have earned, what I deserve, is hell. In his grace, I was given life in Him. If that doesn't resonate deep in our souls and compel us to obey, I think we must examine the authenticity of our relationship with Him. I believe that many, many people in our churches today are somewhat like the Israelites at the end of the 40 year desert experience. Back the line in their families, there were people who had an authentic relationship with God - they believed Him, they saw Him

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http://www.krististephens.com work firsthand. Everything sounds familiar to them - it's been part of their family culture. Going through the motions of church, following rules, being "good." It's all well and good until someone starts to step on their toes with the Bible. "Now wait a minute. If God is love..." "If God is good..." and then they start questioning why God, in His goodness, would want to restrict them or make them unhappy in some way. He is the creator, the holy one, the sovereign God of the universe. Even if you do not fully understand Him and His ways, not bowing the knee is not an option. And one day, all will be set right - whether people want to admit it or not, He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Just like the Israelites reviewing their history and their covenant relationship with God, we all need to take a serious look at our lives and make sure our faith is genuine and personal, rather than cultural. Do I really believe, or am I riding on the coattails of those before me? Have I personally bowed the knee to my Creator and Lord? ...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11

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40 years in review... and lessons to learn

Image from Bible Picture Gallery: http://www.instonebrewer.com/bpg2009 As mentioned in the "Suzerain/Vassal" discussion, the first four chapters of Deuteronomy summarize the history of the nation. The first three chapters are a summary of the 40 years in the desert. What I would like to focus on today is chapter four. As mentioned before, Deuteronomy is a whole lot more than a list of rules. Chapter four is a great look at God's heart - there are three repeated themes that I want to highlight. Moses emphasizes obedience - watch yourselves and be careful to obey! Don't fall into idolatry! Deuteronomy 4:6 “Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’" Deuteronomy 4:14-19 “And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess. “Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at

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http://www.krististephens.com Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure... And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage." ****************************************** Secondly, throughout this beginning section of Deuteronomy he emphasizes that they must be careful not to forget. Teach your children! Rehearse what God has done and what He requires of you! Deuteronomy 4:9-10 “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ Deuteronomy 4:23 “Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you." ****************************************** Thirdly, he looks at their unique relationship with God. Yahweh is utterly unique, and His relationship with His people is unparalleled! Deuteronomy 4:7-8 “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?" Deuteronomy 4:20 “But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day." Deuteronomy 4:25-26, 29-40 [this is long, I know... but it's good!] “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed... But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for

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http://www.krististephens.com the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him. Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day. Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” ****************************************** I am always moved by the repetition of God's call to His people to not forget. It's easy to look back at Israel and think, "Come on, guys, get it together." The nation had been supernaturally created, given amazing promises, and guided directly to a land that God hand picked for them. God had revealed Himself in amazing miraculous ways! How could they forget? How could they turn to idolatry? I am convinced that a key part of this is the command to teach their children. Back in Genesis, we looked at this some in "Memory Loss." When parents fail to train the next generation, in very short order the entire society will turn away from God. In Judges 2:10, the Scripture states, "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel." Thus began a shocking downward spiral that ends with some incredibly debase, shocking, sickening accounts. Here is my challenge to the parents and grandparents out there: we must teach our children the Truth! Assuming they will "absorb" it somehow in Sunday school (or Christian school) or from our family culture is not enough. Be intentional! I'm sure that all of these generations grew up going to the tabernacle, celebrating feasts, etc. However, their parents apparently failed to instill in them a deep understanding of God's character, His ways, and His Word.

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http://www.krististephens.com How do we do that? [I would love some experienced parents out there to post their thoughts, by the way.] Joshua 3 and 4 records the momentous crossing of the Jordan river. God was fulfilling His promises! They were entering the land! Joshua commands them to do something very interesting: "‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight...that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:2-3, 6-7 I love this picture of setting up memorial stones. They purposely put them in a place where the people would frequently pass them, setting up an opportunity for conversation with their children about God's great faithfulness. All of us who have walked with the Lord for any length of time have stories to tell about God's faithfulness, answered prayer, miraculous intervention, clear leading, etc. How are you memorializing God's faithfulness? Several years ago my husband and I went through a very difficult time - he had lost his job, I was a stay-at-home mother, and God was stretching us in a variety of ways! During this time my dad sent us a letter. He called it his "pile of rocks," referring to this custom of memorial stones, and in it he shared major times of my parents' marriage when God taught them, provided for them, led them. Many of these stories sounded familiar - I grew up hearing them during family devotions and over the dinner table. Having them written down during that time was very encouraging and solidifying for us! I am so grateful for parents who recognize God's working and purposely share it with their children! Ironically, although I love to write, I have never been able to consistently journal. One thing that has meant a lot to me for the past 10-12 years or so is a little wooden box packed away in a drawer upstairs. It is filled (actually, I need a bigger one because I've run out of room!) with small items from times in my life when God has taught me meaningful things. It would look like a box of junk to anyone else, but I know the story behind each trinket. There are the small cloth straps I've had since I was 15 (writing this still brings tears to my eyes). I was on a missions trip to Haiti. We were miraculously able to get paperwork pushed through to enable us to take some malnourished and dying children out of the "Abandoned Children's Ward" in the Port au Prince general hospital and move them to a Christian orphanage. In the hospital these children are not fed, held, comforted. They are left to die. Those cloth straps were tied around the wrists and ankles of a little 2 or 3 year old girl we affectionately named "Jump" (she had a lot of energy!) - as I physically untied her from a bed where she surely would have taken her last breath and carried her into the

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http://www.krististephens.com sunlight to life and freedom, God impressed on me the deep meaning of "...then you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." I, too, had been imprisoned and dying in the dark of sin - I was utterly helpless to save myself. Only God in His mercy could save me. It was not by works, but by grace that I had been saved. Also in that box is a hospital bracelet from my dad's hospitalization from a heart attack while I was in college. It was then that I faced head on the question, "Is God still good if He chooses to take my Dad? Will I still trust Him no matter what?" There are programs from funerals I've attended and sat wrestling with why God allows innocent babies and children to suffer and die, or why He didn't answer fervent prayers for a faithful believer's healing. There is a sticker from the front of an alarm clock my grandmother sent me while I was a camp counselor. I woke up one morning and my alarm clock was broken. It was a small, annoying problem (I had a cabin of 12 campers with me 24 hours a day and no way to get a new alarm clock until the weekend) that I didn't even mention to anyone. Later that same day, I checked the mail counter and was surprised to see a box from my grandmother. She is a Jehovah's Witness, and since they don't celebrate birthdays or Christmas, getting a card, let alone a gift, from her has not been a common occurrence in my life. Imagine my surprise when I opened it to find an alarm clock, complete with batteries! I shook and cried and laughed as I held that weird gift, knowing that my amazing, faithful, personal Jehovah Jireh had so orchestrated the details of that day to provide for my insignificant need in a very personal and meaningful way. That is my pile of rocks. I have been able to pull that box out at various times in my life to share about the goodness of my God, or remind myself that nothing is out of His hands. I am looking forward to sharing those stories with my children, just as my parents shared with us. You have a unique story to tell because you serve a God like no other. Obey Him. Trust Him. And remember what He has done.

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What God fundamentally fundamentally desires

Image from Bible Picture Gallery: http://www.instonebrewer.com/bpg2009 Chapter five gets into some familiar territory - part of the "hot topics" of recent national conversation! Deuteronomy 5:6-21 (abbreviated) "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image... You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain... Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you... Honor your father and your mother... You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife...or anything that is your neighbor's."

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http://www.krististephens.com Yes, the 10 commandments. Now, right off the bat, many people are uncomfortable with the word "commandment." Sounds restrictive, therefore we don't like it. I think vague familiarity with the 10 commandments may be why most people have a negative view of the Old Testament - it's just a bunch of rules and regulations. Not so! Guess what? Even the 10 commandments are based on God's personal relationship with His people! Let's think about it this way: God's relationship with Israel is often, in His own wording, compared with a marriage. So, look at the first four commandments with this in mind: how would these be reworded to apply to a marriage? You shall have no other gods before Me. No other men/ women should infringe on our relationship! You shall not make for yourself a carved image... Get rid of your ex-girlfriend/boyfriend's pictures; "oh be careful little eyes what you see!" You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain... Don't talk bad about me! Treat me with respect! Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you... Set time aside to spend with me - make our relationship a priority! I think it's fairly obvious that if a man or woman would not abide by the previous "restrictions" for marriage, they should not get married! In the same way, these are very basic, relationship-based commands for God's covenant with Israel. God is not being harsh and controlling - He is forming a relationship with them. Along with that, let's touch on a phrase found in Deut. 5:9 - "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God..." This is not jealousy in an improper context. Just like I, as a wife in a covenant relationship with my husband, should take issue with other women who might infringe on my relationship with my husband [wouldn't it be odd to say, "Go ahead, honey. Have an affair - I love you that much."], God is completely in the right to demand His people's singular allegiance! He is the Lord! He created them, chose them, redeemed them, formed them into a nation, made a covenant with them... He is the only true God! To say, "Serve me and only me" is utterly appropriate. The fact that we rebel against that is a statement about sinful human nature, not about a blemish in the character of our God. The rest of the commands go hand in hand with what we discussed in "Be Holy as I am Holy" - they are moral commands based on the character and nature of God. If He truly is their God, if they believe Him and are set apart for Him, it is logical that they would act like Him. Just in case you think this is all a little fishy, take a look at the rest of the chapter and ask yourself: is this a vengeful, controlling God looking to restrict His people, or is this a God who loves His people and wants them to obey in order that they would prosper in a healthy relationship with Him? "'Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!'...

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http://www.krististephens.com You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess." (Deuteronomy 5:29,33) Now, I want to briefly touch on the debate in the US courts regarding the 10 commandments. Two questions for you: 1 -What are people ultimately upset about? 2What should this compel us (as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ) to do? 1- What are people ultimately upset about? I, like many others, find it ironic that the courts will rule to take the 10 commandments out of the schools and then simultaneously be upset about murder, sexual promiscuity, stealing and cheating, lying, etc. So, why are people so adamant to get rid of them? The 10 commandments inherently imply that there is a God who has authority to make such rules. We wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes by saying that they should obey them - they might not believe in God! I think most believers are probably aware of the worldview issues that make this a hot topic. I want to tilt the discussion slightly, however, with my 2nd question. 2- What should this compel us to do? For a while now, the Christian community has responded en mass by wanting everyone to protest, write their senators, hire lobbyists, etc. Thankfully, we live in a country where we have the freedom to do this. It's not wrong to address the issue from this side, so knock yourself out. However, I don't think it's going to work, and it's not surprising to me that by and large, it hasn't. If we're only looking at this politically, we have completely missed the point. I could care less if the 10 commandments are hanging in my local courthouse if no one inside gives a rip about God and His authority. Hanging a plaque on the wall with Deuteronomy 5:17 is not going to make a serial killer or abortion provider reconsider their actions. Remember the precept, principle, person of God discussion? (also from the "Be Holy as I am Holy" post) We live in a culture that has no understanding of the character of God anymore. All we're doing is standing along the side screaming precepts at them, and it doesn't make sense to them anymore! "The Bible says not to kill/lie/have an affair" is just not an effective argument to someone who A- doesn't know who God is, B- doesn't know a thing about the Bible, and C- sees no problem with murder/lying/adultery and finds that it has benefited them in some superficial way. So, what do we do? Remember back to Exodus 5:1-2, Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh,

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http://www.krististephens.com "Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.'" And Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go." Pharaoh found God's command completely uncompelling because he did not know Yahweh. Why should he obey Him? (It brings to mind a kid yelling to their babysitter, "you're not my mom..." - under whose authority can you tell me what to do?) How did God respond to this? (you can review "King of kings and Lord of lords.") He introduced Himself. In a big way! He showed Himself to be the One true God, the Lord of all, Yahweh. Here is my proposal. Stop getting so hot under the collar that the courts don't want the 10 commandments in public, and fall on your face before Him. We have an entire culture that has forgotten who He is. How would they bow the knee to a God they don't know? Stop protesting and start sharing Truth with the people around you. I recently had a discussion about this with one of the pastors at our church. What would happen if each and every follower of Christ had even one authentic relationship with a non-Christian? What if each one of us invested the time to share with them not only the "Romans Road," but went past that - what if we taught them WHO GOD IS? I'm not against the Romans Road. But looking someone in the eye and saying, "Jesus died for your sins" just doesn't make sense if they don't believe that there is a sovereign God who created the world and has a universal standard of what is true and right. What is "sin?" Who are you to say that I'm a "sinner?" Why on earth does it matter that Jesus died if there was nothing He needed to die for? Just a note for further study: I love the contrast in Acts 17 between how Paul shares the gospel with Jews and how he shares it with the pagan philosophers. In 17:3, he shares with the Jews by starting with the Scriptures and prophecies of Jesus (17:3 ...explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.') However, when addressing the philosophers he starts from their own culture, and then goes back to creation! (17:24 "God, who made the world and everything in it...") Why? God's Word has no authority and Jesus' death and resurrection have no meaning if God is not the Sovereign Creator and Lord of everything. We're not talking to a synagogue anymore, folks. We're in a pagan culture. We have to start with who God is before the 10 commandments will make a lick of sense. Remember: the 10 commandments were all about relationship! We obey them because of relationship!! Without a relationship, they make no sense. Are they still true? Absolutely. Are they compelling to a person without an authentic relationship with God? Not at all. And ultimately, if I love that person I'm sharing the Truth with, I should be more concerned with if they really know the one True God rather than if they are really good and can follow the 10 commandments.

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http://www.krististephens.com "...so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being..." Acts 17:27-28

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The Great "Shema"

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is often called the Great Shema (shema is Hebrew for "hear" because "hear" is the first word of the passage). Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (6:4-9) As you can see in these pictures, Orthodox Jews still follow this passage literally. They put copies of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 in small boxes on their doorframes, tie boxes with these verses on their hands, and bind them on their foreheads. What is God trying to impress on them? Doorframes of your house: as you go in and as you go out, your private and public life should be dominated by one theme - belief in the One True God and love for Him that consumes your heart, soul, and might. The text further elaborates saying that this should be the dominating conversation and subject of training in our households. Bind them on your hands: every single thing you do should be dominated by this same theme- belief in the One True God and love for Him that consumes your heart, soul, and might. The New Testament emphasizes this idea as well. *1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to

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http://www.krististephens.com the glory of God. *Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. *Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men... Bind them on your foreheads: for illustrative purposes, hold your fist up to your forehead - what do you see? Everything you look at is overshadowed by your hand. This idea of tying the Truth to your forehead is that everything you look at, everything you perceive, everything you think about is filtered through belief in the One True God and love for Him that consumes your heart, soul, and might. So, while I don't think that we need to follow this literally, it's not a bad idea! Our love for God is supposed to be so consuming that it will affect how we live on a minute by minute basis (publicly and privately), every single thing we do, and every thought in our minds. This is no one-day-a-week religious ritual. This is consuming - love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your strength. In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus uses this passage to answer the question, "Master, what is the greatest commandment?" He says that on this law (and on the command to love your neighbor as yourself) hang all the Law and the Prophets. What did He mean? Why isn't "have no other gods before me" the greatest commandment? Because if I love the Lord with all that I am, I will not serve other gods. Why isn't "thou shalt not kill" the greatest commandment? Because if I love the Lord with all that I am, I will not degrade and seek to take the lives of those He created and loves. Remember our previous posts about the law - the law was not a means to salvation by works. Following the law evidenced true faith - true relationship. If a person truly loves the Lord their God with ALL their heart, with ALL their soul, and with ALL their strength, the rest of the law falls into line! Relationship comes FIRST, obedience comes second. This same idea shows up in first John: Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. (1 John 2:3-5) Have you ever wondered if you really are saved? You are not saved by the things that you do. If you think to yourself, "of course I am saved - I'm a good person," then you probably are relying on your own good works to earn your salvation rather than being dependent on Christ Jesus alone. However, if you are aware of your sin and your utter dependence on the work of Christ to save you, and have truly confessed that sin to the Lord and asked for His redemption, you will want to obey Him. It will disturb you to fail Him. (and you will - we all do.) And the pattern of your life will be a desire to know and obey your Lord.

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And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. 1 John 2:28-29

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Lest you forget...

Image from wikipedia After the great Shema comes a section of Deuteronomy that I highly recommend everyone memorize. It comes to my mind frequently and is a great reminder to hold on to, no matter what the economy looks like! "So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant— when you have eaten and are full— then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." Deuteronomy 6:10-12 This passage is always very striking for me. Remember, this comes directly after the Great Shema and the associated discussion of posting the Truth on the door frames of your houses and binding it on your hands and forehead. Moses' warning? Once God has fulfilled His promises to you and prospered you, don't forget Him! Don't turn to other gods! It is amazing how quickly we humans turn away from the Lord. In times of difficulty, we question His character and sovereignty. In times of prosperity, we forget Him. Honestly, I have been avoiding the news like the plague for the past few weeks - there seems to be a general spirit of panic about the economic downturn everywhere we look. For me, I have found that in order to keep my eyes on the Lord and not allow a spirit of fear into my life, I have to stay away from all of the discussion. I want to generally know what's going on, but then need to step away and give it to the Lord.

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It's amazing, though, to watch people in times like these. We fret, we worry, we watch political debates with ashen faces wondering which candidate can save us out of our peril. Guess what? Neither can! These things we are grasping onto so tightly aren't even ours to hold - they are God's! "Well, I worked hard for my __________ [car, house, 401K, vacation, etc.]" Who gave you the ability to work? Who allowed you to find your job? "God helps those who help themselves, you know!" [Shockingly little known fact: this statement isn't from the Bible! God never said this, Benjamin Franklin did!] Actually, the Bible is full of the theme of God's grace to the broken, utterly dependent people. Once we feel like we have accomplished something on our own and therefore deserve something good in return, we have begun to worship ourselves, feel autonomous, entitled. When I taught High School Bible I frequently heard the mother of several of my students quoted by other teachers. I don't know if I ever even met her, but her words have stuck with me ever since! Anytime someone would say, "Oh, good for you - you deserve it," or some related phrase, she would answer, "No, I don't deserve it. I deserve hell. God gave me grace." Amen! This wise woman understood that we are entitled to nothing except the earned punishment for our sin. Anything else is a gift. So, as you watch the news tonight, remember: What's the worst that could happen? What if we lost our income? Our house? Would God forget us? Is He unable to provide for us? Even in the very worst of times, God has never lost control - He is very firmly seated on the throne of the universe. His plan might look different from yours - but you can trust Him. Over the past few months AG and I have learned about birds off and on. Obviously, the most common visitors to our little bird feeder are sparrows. I love to tell her what Jesus taught about the sparrows: "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Luke 12:6-7 Those little birds are so common and insignificant, I sometimes wish they wouldn't eat all the birdseed so that we could save it for more exciting visitors! But God knows each one. How much more does He know and value us, His creation, the ones He purchased out of bondage and made to be His own? We live in an exceedingly prosperous nation. At our worst we are better off than most of

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http://www.krististephens.com the world. And we have forgotten that it is all a gift - that God, in His great mercy, has blessed us in order that we would be a blessing. That He purchased us from bondage and showered us with undeserved blessings. Beware, lest you forget.

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A God like no other

Image from Bible Picture Gallery: http://www.instonebrewer.com/bpg2009 At the end of Deuteronomy 12, Moses gives some instruction which is intriguing to me: "When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it." Deuteronomy 12:29-32 In addition to the many warnings in the beginning of Deuteronomy to not forget the Lord, this passage warns to not adopt pagan practices of worship and apply them to their worship of Yahweh. [This clearly does happen, most notably to me at the end of Judges when Jephthah offers his daughter as a burnt offering to the Lord, thinking that it is what the Lord would require.]

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I am currently beginning to read my large stack of books on Worldview that have been mostly gathering dust for years, preparing for our Biblical Worldview Bible study this winter. Doing so has again reminded me of the many ways in which contemporary Christianity has lost its foundation of Truth. I think most Christians don't even realize how far off base their thinking and actions really are! I don't believe that this gradual wandering from Truth has been purposeful on the Church's behalf. A small tweak to make us more "seeker sensitive." Neglecting to teach and preach about passages in the Bible which make people uncomfortable or may cause conflict and debate. Parents assuming that their church or the local Christian school is doing an adequate job in discipling their children. Lack of serious Bible reading and study on an individual and corporate level. Intellectual challenge from the world against a religious viewpoint that has not been intellectually thought through or taught. You could add a million things to this list... but one after the other, small step after small step, we have lost our foundation. We don't even know how to think anymore. Unfortunately, this slow adoption of our culture's perspective has caused a lack of understanding of the ways, works, and Word of our one true God. Just like this passage in Deuteronomy warns, we have begun to blur the lines between our God and false gods. We don't really know what He requires anymore. [By the way, I think this applies to legalism, as well. Check out 12:32 - Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. Adding to what God has said blurs the Truth just as much as taking away from it!] Burning children in the fire might sound over the top to you and me - certainly our "civilized" society would never do such a horrid thing. Most of the time, Christians equate this with the modern day holocaust of abortion. True, but I think it's even deeper than that. Barbara Mouser, in the study Five Aspects of Woman, claims that we will all end up sacrificing our children to whatever or Whomever we worship. I will quote her here, as she says this much more eloquently and succinctly than I can: "We always become like our gods, and we always give our children to our gods... Your god, whoever he or she is, is the one to whom you give all... To whom are we going to give our children - to the world? To success? To monetary security? To what purpose are we going to devote them?... There is no such thing as not giving your children to your gods. Whether a man worhsips money, his career, the bottle, or something else - his children will in some way bear the marks of his devotion, just as surely as the pagans' children did. Certainly we want our children to bear the marks of our devotion to the True God." When we do not use the Truth of God's Word and character as our absolute plumline (not culture, not tradition), we will fail to understand who He is and what He requires.

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I have heard believers say that they cannot serve in their church, because they are too busy making money - once they made a lot of money, they would give it to the Lord and that would be much greater service (pretty much in those words!). Please quote me one Scripture passage that supports this idea! Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it... I have heard women say that they "must" work outside the home, for God has called them to a "greater ministry" - they even said that their small children were being spiritually strengthened by watching Mommy's great work (from where, day care?) Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it... I once had a room of high school seniors (most of whom were almost finished with 12 years of Christian schooling and church ministries) argue with me that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego wouldn't have had to defy the king's order to bow to the idol they could have just "pretended" to do it and have been looking at the grass! (see Daniel 3) I was completely unable to convince them that God's servants even appearing to worship a false god was unacceptable. The thought of sending these students into secular universities terrified me - what were they willing to compromise on in order to save face? Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it... I could go on, but you get the point. Are we really thinking Biblically, or are we irreverently approaching a holy God, sloppily using His inspired Word, and then justifying our own folly as "the right thing?" We think that we are worshipping the True God, but in fact, we have adopted the perspective, values, and gods of our culture. And we will inevitably sacrifice our children to those gods. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. Deuteronomy 13:4

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God's relentless pursuit

Image from www.BiblePlaces.com We're going to take a giant leap in our survey here and go to Deuteronomy chapter 28. Review "Don't Skip God's Heartbeat" and "The 'Why' Behind Deuteronomy" if you're wondering why the law is repeated in Deuteronomy. In chapter 28, God tells them exactly how they will be blessed for their obedience and how they will be cursed for their disobedience. Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today... (28:1) Blessings for obedience: *Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. (28:3) *Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. (28:4) *Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. (28:5) *Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. (28:6)... This is a great deal! Now, for the flip side. But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you... (28:15) Curses for Disobedience:

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http://www.krististephens.com *Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. (28:16) *Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. (28:17) *Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. (28:18) *Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. (28:19)... [This is a really long section, so I'll stop quoting there and you can read the rest of both the blessings an cursings on your own.] Did you notice anything there? In the curses, God "undoes" everything He has done for them! It is the exact opposite! If you read through all the curses, it is pretty rough stuff oppression, natural disasters, sieges, captivity... This is not a side of God that we're accustomed to talking about, which can lead us to some wrong conclusions sometimes. Wrong conclusion #1: This is always how God works. If I obey Him, I can claim this promise that He will bless me. If there are bad things happening in someone's life, it's because they're not following God. A fancy name for this type of conclusion about God is "Retribution Theology." Job and his friends viewed life from a perspective of retribution theology - Job's friends looked at his suffering and concluded that he must have sinned - obviously if you're suffering it's because God is punishing you for wrongdoing. The righteous don't suffer like that! Job looked on his suffering, knowing that he was innocent of great transgression, and concluded that God was wrong! There was some book-keeping error somewhere! (hang on a few months and eventually we'll have the book of Job up on this blog to further discuss!) Obviously, both Job and his friends were wrong. Here's the thing: This was the covenant God made with the NATION of Israel. Unless you are the nation of Israel, this does not specifically apply to you. Now, you may be saying, "Well, Kristi, isn't it true that God blesses us for obeying?" Yes! In many ways, there are blessings for walking with the Lord, and there are consequences for rebelling against Him. However, you can't necessarily assume the opposite is true. Ie: My life is pretty good, so obviously God is pleased with me... OR Things just don't work out for that guy - He must not be a good Christian. The fact of the matter is, often the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper, as David himself wrestled with. Wrong conclusion #2: It makes me uncomfortable to read this. I prefer to read the New Testament where God is a God of love instead of anger. Hopefully if you've been reading this blog, you KNOW that this is not true. We serve a

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http://www.krististephens.com God who is the SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER! (Hebrews 13:8) Even the law is based on relationship! Now, let's add an additional thought to that: even the curses are based on relationship! Our God is a relentless pursuer. He formed a covenant with Israel out of His love for them. He knew that they would turn away. The curses were supposed to be what would drive them back to Him. Look at the beginning of Deuteronomy 30: Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. (30:1-6) Here's a question to ponder: Has this happened yet? ...we'll get to that on a later post. :) Indeed, you love the people; all your holy ones are in your hands. They follow in your steps and accept your instruction. Deuteronomy 33:3 (NLT)

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Watching the sky...

Image from Bible Picture Gallery: http://www.instonebrewer.com/bpg2009 I ended our last post with a question: Has Deuteronomy 30:1-6 happened yet? Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to

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http://www.krististephens.com love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Jeremiah 31 (among other places) also refers to this: Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah - not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer.31:31-34) Although Israel did experience exile and a partial return to the land later in the Old Testament, was this prophecy ever fully fulfilled? What is this referring to? Let me just say... no, it hasn't happened... YET. One day, Christ will rule, Israel will be restored (not only politically or financially spiritually restored to Yahweh). And the "someday" is getting closer and closer to us! [I am definitely in agreement with a pre-mil, pre-trib view of the end times. I will not rehash everything here - I am no expert, and there are many resources from people much more qualified than me to detail prophecy. But, let me give you a quick crash course if this is a new thought to you.] According to Bible prophecy largely found in the books of Revelation, Daniel, and sprinkled throughout other books, this is the general order of events we expect to happen: [I am referring to Charles C. Ryrie's "Basic Theology" - again, I am not an expert, but I believe this to be the most Biblically supported position on prophecy.] *The Church (all people who have placed their trust for salvation in Jesus Christ alone) will be "raptured" or taken instantly to heaven without experiencing death- ie: we will all disappear without a trace. *7 years of tribulation, or great difficulty on the earth will follow. The event signaling the beginning of the tribulation will be the signing of a covenant, or treaty, between Israel and the leader of Europe (the "anti-Christ"). This covenant will provide protection from the West for Israel and allow the temple to be rebuilt and the sacrificial system and other temple worship to be re-instated. *Many judgments will be poured out on the earth during the Great Tribulation including great war and bloodshed, famine, death from plague and disease, a great earthquake, and

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http://www.krististephens.com the sun being darkened. *During this time, it appears that Russia will be forming allies with Persia (modern Iran), Sudan, Libya, and Turkey. They will together attack Israel, and will seek to wipe them out. God will intervene and these forces will be completely destroyed. *After the destruction of Russia ("Gog and Magog"), the antichrist will gain more power, demand that the whole world worship him, break the treaty with Israel, and control international commerce by forcing everyone to receive a mark on their forehead or hand with his name or his number (this is where the reference to "666" comes into play in Scripture). *More supernatural judgments will continue: (among other things) hail, fire, and blood from the skies, part of the sea being turned to blood, pollution of fresh water, changes in the sun, moon, and stars, and demonic attacks on mankind. *At the end of the tribulation, at the battle of Armageddon, Jesus Christ will return to earth to conquer and reign. The armies of heaven will conquer the armies of the earth, and the 1,000 year earthly reign of Christ will begin. This is the time when those promises in Deuteronomy 30 and Jeremiah 31 will be fully fulfilled! Like I said, that was a very brief overview - many people have read the "Left Behind" series by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins, which does a good job of theorizing what this might be like. I was hesitant to write anything about end times, because it is a debated topic even within Christian circles. We get caught up on when the rapture will happen, who all the various nations are, etc. But, here's the gist: Jesus is coming back, and He told us to watch! That is why this blog is called "Run the earth, watch the sky" - I am striving to live this life to the fullest that God may be glorified, but I'm keeping an eye on the sky - someday He's coming back, and it very likely will be soon! Did you catch that part above about Russia (that is where the descendants of "Gog and Magog" mentioned in Revelation settled) forming alliances with Persia, aka: Iran? How about international coalitions in Europe, leading to international control of commerce? Did you know that Orthodox Jews are READY to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (check out the Temple Institute website)? All they need is access to the temple mount! (enter the anti-christ and his covenant). Current events seem to be accelerating toward the scenarios and political climate that are foretold in the Bible. Even if you disagree with my eschatological view, please understand: Jesus IS going to come back, not as a suffering servant, but as the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. All of the promises to Israel will be fulfilled! My husband and I realized a few years ago that we had similar experiences as children.

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http://www.krististephens.com We had both grown up in Baptist churches, and had taken in a steady diet of RBP flannelgraph images. Many of you know what I'm talking about. ;) We both remember times as kids when we looked at the sky and saw the clouds parting with the sunlight streaming through, and we had the same reaction - JESUS IS COMING BACK! That's what the flannelgraph picture looked like, so this must be it!! We both remember trying to tell our parents as quickly as possible - Jesus is coming! - and being shut down with, "that's just how the sky looks sometimes." Oh, the utter disappointment! We laugh about it now, but there is a reality behind that: are we expectantly waiting? I don't know if it will be in my lifetime, but it could also be today! Do we long for His appearing? Oh, to see Jesus face to face! To be in His presence! To fall at His feet in worship and gratitude! It's all about Him, friends. And someday, I pray soon, it will happen. Believe Him. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus! "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)

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