211 Thursday, July 30, 2009

211 Hosea 1 - 4; Acts 21.27 - 21.39

It is your first assignment in the military, or as salesperson, or better yet as a prophet for God and you are told to go marry-- what? I hope you have read your chapters first because it will wake you up. Here is the opening verse,
Hosea 1:2 (MSG)
2 The first time God spoke to Hosea he said: "Find a whore and marry her. Make this whore the mother of your children. And here's why: This whole country has become a whorehouse, unfaithful to me, God."
The first time God spoke to Hosea he is told to go and marry a very unfaithful woman. Oh, by the way, have a family with her too! Hosea becomes the sermon unto Israel. He becomes the parable of what has happened between God and the chosen people of Israel. Make sure you catch the names of the children. Hosea is told to dump her and then to take her back. It is to show how the relationship has been between God and Israel. Listen to these words,
Hosea 3:1 (MSG)
1 Then God ordered me, "Start all over: Love your wife again, your wife who's in bed with her latest boyfriend, your cheating wife. Love her the way I, God, love the Israelite people, even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy."
Israel has acted as an unfaithful wife and yet God continues to chase after Israel. God could have totally dumped Israel and started over, but He chose not to take that kind of action. God will always come after us. God comes to us with outstretched arms. It is we who run from Him.

Paul is in the temple and actually participating in a Jewish rite. Some Jews discover that he is there and begin to spread the word that the liar is among them. The one who is spreading lies against the Jewish religion. Here is where all that goes wrong,
Acts 21:35-36 (MSG)
35 But when they got to the Temple steps, the mob became so violent that the soldiers had to carry Paul. 36 As they carried him away, the crowd followed, shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!"
With all of this going on Paul has a request and that is, he wants to speak to the crowd. I can think of many requests at this time, but I am pretty sure that speaking to the crowd would not be one of them for me. Yes, I peeked ahead and Paul just has to tell them his story. It is a great story. What is your story? When is the last time you have told your story? Please tell it and let God use it!