October 16th, 2008 by Kristi Stephens

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 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 judgements 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 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 judgements 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. We had both grown up in Baptist churches, and had taken in a steady diet of RBP flanelgraph 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)

October 14th, 2008 by Kristi Stephens

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:
*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 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)

*Picture from www.BiblePlaces.com

October 9th, 2008 by Kristi Stephens

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.]

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.

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

October 8th, 2008 by Kristi Stephens

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.

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 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.