“Did ya get that on camera sport?”

In middle of all the presidential candidate spouting off, came this ordinary guy spouting off about religion. He was concise, to the point, and intense. He ended it with: “Did ya get that on camera sport?” He took total control of the moment and spouted off. Think of it–“Take control and spout off…” (Seems to be how you get press coverage these days). It was how the press got hold of this guy: he spouted off and got it “on camera sport.” I think we need to rethink the “spouting”–especially if it is just for the sound bite. (Did ya get that on camera, sport)? Here is a idea to dissect and ponder:

Hosea 14:9–“Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them. But the transgressors shall fall therein.”
If you stayed with me this far into the old King James Version then you are interested enough to dig a little deeper into this idea in Hosea’s prophetic word!
Four things linked together:
1. Wisdom: (chakam) means to work at being intelligent, work at being artful, work at being skillful. Get the idea? “Work it..Work at it..”
2. Prudent: (biyn) means to–through considering something–be able to distinguish and thereby understand.
3. Right: (yashar) means to be straight up honest; straight up clear; straight up life; (A straight up person).
4. Transgressor: (pasha) means to break away from the authority basis and have your own way…”rebellion.”

Hosea 14:9—(Refined Version): “Whoever works at understanding through listening and not spouting off your mouth will gain understanding. Whoever considers things through separating your emotional reaction from the spiritual truth will know how God is working. God expects us to be straight up honest–in communication and in behavior–if we do we will see Him at work. Those who become “full of themselves” and ignore God’s refinement through circumstances will stumble and fall apart.”

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“Go Back and Submit to Sarah”–Is Still True Today–BUT No One Wants to Hear It!

The promise made to Abraham that his descendants would number more than the stars of the sky was made while his wife Sarah was known (to them at least) to be barren–as in–no children, EVER. In an effort to take the short cut, appease the moment of pressure, or be a pleaser in a difficult situation the remedy Sarah (and then Abraham by agreeing) was to have Abraham use Sarah’s slave girl, Hagar to be the surrogate. Hagar became pregnant with Abraham’s child. Sarah has a hard time dealing with what happened between her husband and her slave (even though Sarah thought it up) what happened next is what ALWAYS happens: trouble, conflict, bitterness, distain, distrust, etc. etc. In the face of the abuse from Sarah, Hagar makes a run for it. God, in his great compassion, moves in to speak to Hagar–alone and afraid–“You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his had will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” (Genesis 16) God does what He always does–REACH OUT TO US. But what is important to understand is, there isn’t any “wiggle room” in God’s remedy for what we need to do next. God promised Hagar that her descendants would be renowned, but she had to GO BACK AND SUBMIT HERSELF TO SARAH. There wasn’t any room for debate or excuse. Hagar followed God and went back and submitted to Sarah. She stayed around for quite a while, or until Sarah became pregnant with (and delivered) her son, Isaac. We know from this Genesis 16 story that God’s remedy is for the descendants of Hagar (the Palestinians) is for them to submit to the descendants of Sarah (the Hebrews). There in is the conflict that makes everything in the world tense and on edge: “the spirit of the wild donkey.” God warned Hagar that her son’s descendants would be a wild donkey and his hand would be against everyone and everyone’s had would be against him. The remedy today is as simple as it was when God spoke directly to Hagar, the mother of Palestine, to back and SUBMIT to Sarah. As unlikely as it would seem in the natural, it is something every Christian should pray for: That the enemies of God would come and submit to God. Prayer is a defensive cover–exercised in faith and prayed using Biblical models like this Genesis 16 passage, prayer becomes an agent of spiritual warfare that will strengthen the armies of God to bring things in line in these last days before Christ’s return to earth.