THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

July 29, 2020

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

There are many fascinating things about the Bible! One that I find so very relatable is the fact that God often chose individuals to speak to or do His work that were just regular, ordinary people. In fact, some of those people we know very little about.

One such man was the prophet Nahum. He was important enough to have his book included in the Bible, but nothing is known about him. The only thing personal written about him is in verse 1, chapter 1 of Naham, that says that he was an Elkoshite. No one really even knows where Elkosh was located! Some have made guesses, but no one truly knows. So Nahum was an unknown prophet, who come from a village of an unknown location. Nothing is known about his family or heritage or background or life; but God showed up and gave him a vision. Through that vision, Nahum was given a message to the Assyrian people which was bad news for them; but also a message of hope for Judah.

About 100-150 years prior to Nahum, Jonah had showed up in Nineveh and preached a message of their need for repentance. The Assyrian people, as well as the king, showed sorrow for their sins and repented. But as generations passed, the people forgot about God and began to worship idols once again. They had strong military forces and other nations feared them. They had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and was lording their power over Judah in the south.

Assyria had and intimidating army, who was very cruel to the people whom they conquered in other nations. They were feared and terror reigned in anyone who tried to resist them. They were extremely cruel and ruthless and horrific acts were done to those who opposed them.

Here are just a few examples I found while researching Assyria: They hung the corpses of their enemies on posts; cut off arms, legs, noses, ears, and extremities, gouged out eyes; hung the heads of their enemies on trees around the city; skinned their victims alive and impaled them on stakes. They would deport people to other regions, or use them as slaves.

The Assyrian army also had weapons that other nations didn't have. They had developed iron weapons and had advanced engineering skills. They had well trained armies. They had military leaders who were brilliant at strategies and had no qualms of doing whatever it took to succeed. They thought that they could not be defeated and were very arrogant in their victories.

God gives Nahum a vision and message to the Assyrian nation. This time it was not a message of their need for repentance, but a message of their coming disaster that God would bring to this wicked nation.

Nahum's vision was bad news for the people of Nineveh. Their time of power was coming to an end. They thought they were better and stronger than anyone else, but all of their military expertise was going to end. In fact, God was going to completely destroy them, due to their continued wickedness and treatment of His people.

The book of Nahum describe the fall and devastation of Nineveh. Much of what they had done to other nations was going to be done to them. They were going to be exiled and plundered.

"I am you enemy!" says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. "Your chariots will go up in smoke. Your young men will be killed in battle. Never again will you plunder conquered nations. The voices of your proud messengers will be heard no more."

Nineveh was destroyed by the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians in 612 BC. According to historians, a river ran through the city, and it flooded. It broke the floodgates and part of the wall, which allowed the enemy to come in. The city was so destroyed by enemies and completely flooded by water, that when Alexander the Great fought a battle in nearby Arbela in 331 BC, he did not know there had even been a city there.

Nineveh was never rebuilt, which confirms Nahum's prophecy in chapter 1:9 that declares, "He (God) will make a complete destruction. Distress will not arise twice."

Nineveh was discovered by archaeologists in 1850; proof that it really had existed and had been destroyed.

God chose Nahum to reveal this vision and prophecy to; a man whom no one knows anything about or where he even comes from. Yet he was a man whom God trusted with this important mission.

Never feel as if you are inadequate or unimportant, and could never be used by God. It doesn't matter if others know your name or where you are from or anything about your history. When God chooses to use someone, or give them a vision or word for others, He never looks at their qualifications or how well known they are. He looks at their heart and willingness to obey Him.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

I'm sure there are millions of others who obeyed God, and brought about or helped bring about amazing things. There were warriors in David's army who are only briefly mentioned for amazing battles. And they weren't alone. There were many others that were mentioned as part of an army or crowd listening to Jesus.

I know it would be amazing to be named in a book that gets read 2,000 years from now, but it would also be awesome to be one of the crowd that joined in a great revival in Oklahoma. Either way, I know my name is in the Book of Life, which is kept by Jesus. That's even more awesome.

ON THE MENEWE:

Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chops

In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and all the spices; mix together. Rub the sugar/spice mixture on both sides of the pork chops and set them aside. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is nice an hot, place the pork chops in the pan and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through. Enjoy!

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

Doug Clay, who is General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, is calling the churches to a national day of prayer for our pastors this Friday, July 31^st. During this time of the COVID pandemic, pastors are facing decisions, divisions, and a level of stress that they have never had to deal with. Many times, no matter what decision a pastor makes, such as reopening buildings for services or wearing face masks or distancing for church services, they are faced with backlash and opinions from those in their congregation. I recently heard one pastor say that he feels as if he can't do anything right anymore, because every decision he makes causes conflict and strife; and no matter what he does, people are unhappy and let him know about it. Many pastors have become disheartened and discouraged. Let's pray for our pastors and be encouragers to them!

Here are five specific things that you can pray for your pastor, as well as other pastors:

1. Wisdom and Discernment -- specifically on actions and precautions they should take to keep their congregation safe.

2. Fresh Anointing and Empowerment -- that pastors would experience a fresh anointing for this season of ministry and that the Spirit will accomplish things in our churches that only He can do.

3. Perseverance and Hope -- that they would have an overwhelming and sustaining sense of hope from the Spirit that will fill his or her heart and mind.

4. Provision and Blessing -- that they will experience God's supernatural provision and blessing as he or she seeks first God, walking in obedience to their calling.

5. Healing and Protection -- that God will protect your pastor in this season and heal those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

You can't shack up with the devil and expect God to pay the rent. - on church sign

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org