• Matthew Henry - “sin is a violent thing and when it breaks out blood will touch blood - murders touch murders. An abundance of murders will be committed in all parts of the country in a constant series and succession.”
• 1973 - Roe vs Wade legalized bloodshed.
• Innocent blood brings guilt to a nation.
• 42 after Roe vs Wade, what's happening in America?
• This is the same as what happened in Moses' day.
• Ezekiel 35:6 - because they didn’t hate bloodshed, it pursued them.
• Pharoah killed the babies and 80 years later God filled the Nile River with blood.
• Because our nation doesn't hate bloodshed it's now pursuing us.
• God is speaking - are we listening?
• Amos 4 - bloodshed continued because they did not return to God.
• If we return to Him and repent, as a church, He will hear, forgive, heal our land (2 Chron 7:14).
• Genesis 6:11 - when God is removed violence fills the void.
• When wickedness becomes general violence is not far off (Matthew Henry).
• Hebrews 12:23 - Abel’s blood cries out vengeance, but Christ’s blood speaks a better word - He covers all sin and brings forgiveness.
Hosea 4:2 (12/3/15)
San Bernadino Massacre
December 3, 2015 • Benham Brothers
Hosea 1:2 (12/5/13)
December 5, 2013 • Benham Brothers
God had to "make" Hosea the message before he could speak the message Before God does something THROUGH you He wants to do something IN you He didn't want Hosea to just speak the word, He wanted him to live it first Hosea 2 was God's message - "Israel has cheated on me and I will punish her, but then I'll take her back!" Hosea 3 - God now tells Hosea to "do" the very thing He was going to do for Israel - take his adultrous wife back! Rev 12 - 3 ways to overcome the devil: 1) Blood of Lamb 2) Word of Testimony 3) Not loving your life A testimony is powerful! It's a first-hand experience of God working in and through you God gave Hosea a testimony before He gave him a message The question is - do you have a testimony? Often times it's a choice
Hosea 2:2 (12/6/18)
December 6, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* God rebukes his people for three things. * These same three things will rip apart a marriage, as it did Hosea’s: * 1) Idolatry - competing affections. * God must be #1 in your life or you violate the law of priority. * 2) Ingratitude - this is received as rejection. * Ingratitude separates those who should be joined together. * 3) Hypocrisy - they said one thing but did another. * You cannot live a secret life.
Hosea 2:14 (12/7/17)
December 7, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* This is a great verse for men who’ve lost their loving feeling for theirs wives. * Allure - the quality of being powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating. * In dating attraction leads to affection. * Then we get married and things will inevitably change as real life hits. * But in marriage it’s reversed - affection leads to attraction. * Affection - a bent of mind toward a particular object. * Affection takes place in the mind first. * Matthew 6:21 - Jesus tells us where our treasure is there our hearts will be also. * Our hearts will go where our minds take them. * Our attraction will go where our affection takes it. * Hosea 2:14 shows us this - even though the Israelites had cheated on God, He was going to win them back through the power of allure. * God would “speak tenderly” to her (affection) and this would win her back (attraction). * So do you want to be mysteriously and powerfully attractive to your spouse again? * Then be proactively affectionate even if you don’t want to, and just watch what happens.