Does God Really Hate Divorce?

Does God Hate Divorce?

Yes, he does. But many misunderstand the verse in Malachi 2:16, which in some cases is translated, “God hates divorce,” or “God hates putting away.” Often the verse is taken out of context so it is important to look at the entire section to see what is really meant.

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭2:14‭-‬16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.

It is not the actual filing for divorce that God hates. It is what led up to the filing – breaking faith with your spouse. 

Many have the idea that being unfaithful simply means adultery. But the above verse demonstrates that it goes beyond that. Hating the one you should love is being unfaithful. The man or woman who abuses the other is being unfaithful and doing violence to the one he should protect. Simply put, marriage vows go beyond simply abstaining from sexual immorality. To violate those vows is to be unfaithful.

Seven years ago, I went through my divorce. It was the most excruciating time for me, as well as the time of my life when I felt the most ashamed. I was not innocent by any means but the situation had become completely unlivable. 

At some point in the proceedings my attorney said, “Men don’t leave their wives and children unless they have fallen in love with someone else.” I was taken aback because I had not fallen in love with anyone and wanted nothing to do with a relationship at that point. The last few years of my marriage were hell on earth and I was not interested in repeating the experience. I told the attorney that being with someone else was the last thing on my mind. 

“Believe me,” He chuckled. “I’ve been in this business a long time. I can tell almost immediately whether a man or woman I am representing is seeing someone. And no, you are not seeing anyone.” I said, “I don’t follow.” He continued, “When a man or woman falls in love with someone else and leaves their partner it’s because the relationship has become boring and they think they have finally found their soulmate. However, when a man or woman leaves their spouse and DON’T run into the arms of another, they aren’t leaving. They are ESCAPING. They know the grass won’t be greener but the present situation has become unlivable and they simply cannot go on like this.”

I heard about one woman saying to her husband as she left, “ I don’t need you in order to have a miserable life. I can do that by myself.” That woman’s words were a wake up call to the man and he truly repented and today they have a beautiful ministry together.

A Word to Pastors and Counselors

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭7:10‭-‬11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.”

Often we read just the first part of that passage and stop. Any time you see the word ‘but’ or ‘however’ in a sentence or paragraph, it is what comes after that word that’s important. God does allow for a person to leave as long as they are willing to live single. They have not violated anything at that point.

Pastors need to understand that the only authority they have is what the scripture gives them. If a man or woman leaves their spouse the only condition placed on them is that they remain single. Pastors do NOT have the authority to enforce any conditions beyond that.

If you have someone come into your office and tell you they are leaving their spouse the first thing you need to ask is if they have found someone new. If they have, they are automatically in the wrong. That is adultery.  But if they haven’t, then they are most likely escaping a situation that has become unlivable. Pastors, you need to get out the magnifying glass and carefully scrutinize the person they are leaving and try to determine what made that individual rather be alone than live with that person. Instinctively, we know that divorce is not the easy way out. So, unless they are being carried off by illusions of romance and excitement they are probably in a horrible, abusive situation.

THEY ARE ALLOWED TO LEAVE!

Pastors have no authority to tell anyone that they must remain in a situation they find unlivable.

Emotional Abuse

This is an area that the church needs to educate themselves on. It is more complicated than physical abuse because it’s not as obvious. Mental and emotional abuse is often difficult to identify but the Bible does give us some principles to guide us.

Men are commanded to love their wives as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25) and honor them as the weaker vessel (1 Peter 3:7). And wives are to love and respect their husbands. Now, for a marriage to work will require both a husband and a wife to practice repenting, forgiving and extending a LOT of grace because WE ARE ALL going to fall very short of that standard. But, if a man or woman relates to their spouse in ways that are not characteristic of love and respect then at the very least, it is heading in the direction of emotional abuse.

One thing people, and pastors especially, need to be aware of is that emotional abusers are manipulators. Not only are they manipulating the one they are abusing but they are also trying to manipulate those around them. Pastors, if you are potentially in a position to be counseling this couple be aware that you are the number two target of the abuser. You need to be very wary of their gaslighting tactics. A lot of people, pastors especially, are fooled by these people.

This is especially true if the abuser ever loses control over the one they are abusing. At that point they will do everything they can to control what other people think of that person, especially their children if they have any. 

Concluding remarks

A few points to remember:

• If you haven’t heard both sides you don’t know the story. Don’t let either spouse try to get you to take sides. 

• If a spouse leaves but not for someone new, they are most likely escaping a situation that is unlivable.

• If a person left simply to get away, be aware that the other spouse is going to try to get you to believe the other person is the bad guy.

• Pastors, don’t attempt to go beyond the authority the scripture specifically gives you. You don’t have the authority to tell people what to do if it is not specifically stated in the Bible.

Beyond that, try to be there for the people but don’t become too emotionally involved in the situation. They need us to keep a level head.

We have to understand, at the end of the day, we are all accountable to God and that includes the couple who are separating. It is ultimately God who will judge them. We can try to help in whatever way we can by being supportive and counseling and encouraging them to reconcile but ultimately they will answer to God and God will judge. When it is clear that one or both of the spouses has acted in ways that are contrary to the biblical mandates for conduct in a marriage and refuse to be corrected, then we should stop wasting our time with them. 

Sometimes reconciliation is not possible.

One obvious question is whether the people will ever be allowed to remarry. The answer is that there are situations where people are allowed to remarry but that’s a subject for another blog. Ultimately that is between them and God as well.

When Jesus was asked about divorce he said that it was never intended that men and women would be separated except by death. But it was allowed because of the hardness of the people’s hearts. That is essentially what Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 7:10; people should not be separating. But because of the hardness of people’s hearts it may be necessary. A Godly husband or wife is not going to be manipulating and abusing their spouse. So if you are being abused and manipulated you are not required to remain in that situation. And if you are the other spouse, you need to do what the man whose wife left saying that she could be miserable by herself did: 

Examine yourself and repent!

God's Covenant people. What About Israel?

‭‭Romans‬ ‭11:17‭-‬21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

[17] "If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, [18] do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. [19] You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” [20] Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. [21] For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either."

We have seen and been horrified by the events that have been happening in the nation of Israel recently. As can be expected the prophetic prognosticators have come out of the woodwork in full force as well.

But how are we to understand what the scripture says about Israel as it relates to the modern world and to the gospel? There are two predominant views that carry some truth to them but also a lot of error. They are 'replacement theology' and 'dispensational theology.' Both of these ideas are much too in depth and complicated to go into here but we'll just do a very basic overview here as it relates to the ethnic nation of Israel.

Replacement Theology

This is the idea that the church has replaced Israel and that all of the unfulfilled covenant promises are to be fulfilled in the church. This idea goes back to the mid-2nd century promoted largely by Marcion. It asserts that God is finished with Israel because they broke the covenant and he has instituted a new covenant with a new people group -- the church. 

Dispensational Theology

This is a much more recent idea promoted by James Darby in the earlier part of the nineteenth century. Dispenasationalism was not part of teaching for nearly all of the church age. This belief system goes into many areas such as the covenants, prophecy, and eschatology. These are also too complicated to go into here. What we need to know for the purpose of this talk is that dispensationalism makes a distinction between Israel and the Church. It largely interprets the book of Revelation as the Church having been raptured before the tribulation and these events mostly affecting the nation of Israel. It should be noted that the rapture is also an idea that was previously not part of early church teaching. Some have even gone so far as to assert that God has a separate plan for saving Israel than for saving the Church which is completely heretical.

If the replacement view is correct then the image Paul presents in Romans 11 should be one olive tree being uprooted and a new olive tree being planted. If the dispensational view is correct then the image should be two olive trees, one representing Israel and the other representing the Church. 

But what we actually see is a single olive tree with natural branches broken off (ethnic Israelites) and unnatural branches (Gentiles) grafted in. It is one covenant people that now includes Gentiles.

Same Covenant people but a New and Better Covenant

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:31‭-‬34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

[31] “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. [32] It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. [33] “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [34] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭8:7‬-8, 13 ‭NIV‬‬

[7] For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. ‭‭[8] But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.

[13] By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Between verse 8 and 13 of Hebrews, the writer had quoted those verses in Jeremiah. Note that Jeremiah says that this 'NEW COVENANT' would be with Israel and Judah. After Jesus ascended and Peter preached his first sermon on Pentecost there were 3,000 people who were saved that day -- ALL JEWS. For the first decade or so the only Christ followers were Jewish -- ethnic Israelites. 

By the last half of the first century the tipping point was reached when there were more Gentile Christians than Jewish Christians.

As unpopular as it is to say in our world of politcal correctness, the early persecution of the Church was at the hands of the Jews, not the Romans. The first martyr, Stephan, was killed for calling the Jews out on their hypocrisy. They accused him of speaking against Moses and he reminded them of their history, one of chronic disobedience. As Jeremiah said, they had broken the covenant.

This brings us to Paul's words in Romans 11. Natural branches have been broken off because of unbelief and unnatural branches have been grafted in. It is still the same covenant people but a new covenant.

What is a Jew

‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:28‭-‬29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

[28] A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. [29] No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

This really needs no commentary. Bloodline doesn't make someone a Jew. With that in mind when we see verses like Romans 11:26:

...and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.' 

It seems to imply that when the New Testament speaks of Israel, it refers to Israelites who have received Christ. Note in Romans 11:28 the word 'only.' It does not say, "A person is not a Jew who is one outwardly," it says "ONLY OUTWARDLY." That seems to imply that to be a true Jew means BOTH outwardly and inwardly.

Ultimately, those who reject Christ as Savior, both ethnic Jew and Gentile will not be saved. So, when it says that all Israel will be saved it refers to those who are both outwardly and inwardly Jews.

Earlier, John the Baptist had warned the Jews about claiming their ethnicity in Luke ‭3:8‬ (‭NIV).‬‬

"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham."

Being an ethnic Israelite will not save them. Repentance and faith in Christ will be the only thing that will, for both Jew and Gentile.

What About End Time Prophesy?

I have heard some who hold a covenantal view say that the fact that an actual nation of Israel exists is completely insignificant. I don't see how they can say that because even on a historical and geopolitical level the existence of a state of Israel is very significant. All of the conflicts in the middle east stem from the conflicting religious beliefs of both Jews and Muslims that believe the land belongs to them. And that goes back to Abraham.

But how does that figure into end time prophesy?

The honest truth is we really don't know. So spending too much time speculating about end time prophesy is somewhat pointless. 

Obviously, God is completely sovereign and is completely in charge of the unfolding of history. That means it is part of his sovereign plan that an actual nation of Israel exists today. But how that actually works out is still a mystery.

Romans 11 does seem to imply that there will be, for lack of a better word, an influx, of ethnic Israelites who will come to saving faith in Jesus Christ as their Messiah and these natural branches will be grafted back in. 

Yes Lord, may it be so. 

In the meantime, we have Kingdom work to do and we need to be about our Father's business.

Refuting Universalism

 

The universalist has an idea that eventually everyone gets to go to heaven because God loves everyone. 

Here's a question to ask:

"Does Judas Iscariot eventually get to go to heaven?"

If the answer is no. Then universalism is false. Not everyone gets to go to heaven.

If the answer is yes. Then Jesus was either lying or he was wrong. Either way he isn't the savior because he said in Matthew 26: 24 that it would have been better for him if he had never been born.

If even Judas eventually ends up in heaven then his ultimate end will be good and Jesus's statement was false.

There is no ambiguity in that statement. Nobody comes back from hell!

Dante had it right when he pictured the sign over the entrance into the inferno:

"Abandon all hope who enter here!"

"And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

Revelation 14:11 ESV

But what about the Greek word for eternity, 'aionios' Which translates as 'an age?'

That word can either mean an age or eternity. 

One problem with the universalist's assertion is that if you look at the context the word is used it is obvious it means eternity. The other problem is it is the same word used to refer to eternal life. By that token we would have to assume the possibility that heaven will only be temporary as well.

Universalism is nothing new. The reason people embrace it is because we don't like the idea of an eternal hell. Especially the idea that some of those we know as 'good people' may end up there. God has a few things to say about that:

1. There are no good people.

"...as it is written: 'None is righteous, no, not one;' "

Romans 3:10 ESV

2. Only God is good.

"And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.' "

Mark 10:18 ESV

3. Our righteousness is not acceptable to God. 

"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Isaiah 64:6 ESV

 

And this is where we really get in trouble:

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."

Proverbs 14:12 ESV

Universalism is simply a human idea. But it ends in death.

We need to scrap our ideas and take to heart what the Bible actually says.

When Peter preached on that first Pentecost after the ascension his message was one of warning:

"And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, 'Save yourselves from this crooked generation.' "

Acts 2:40 ESV

If universalism was the proper way to understand the gospel then Peter would have said in verse 38; "Repent and be baptized so that you may be among the first to get into heaven and get a better reward." 

If you get to go to heaven regardless then there is no reason to go to church, endure persecution or suffer for the sake of Christ. There is no reason not to indulge our fleshly lusts and morays. 

But there is a reason:

Because the wicked have their place in the lake of fire. 

And they don't ever come back.

Sometimes We Should Ask God to Send Someone Else

 IS IT EVER APPROPRIATE TO ASK GOD TO SEND SOMEONE ELSE?

"But he said, 'Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.' ”

Exodus 4:13 ESV

If you are familiar with the call of Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt you will remember that Moses raised all kinds of objections as to why he was the wrong person to lead them. After God had answered all his objections Moses showed his hand -- he simply didnt want to go.

So the question is; Is it ever appropriate to ask God to send someone else? I believe there are times we should ask God to send someone else and I'm going to give some examples that Moses DID NOT use.

1. Will this mission put me in a compromising situation where I might be tempted?

James 1:13 says;

"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.' "

If you are a married church elder and there is an unsaved attractive single woman at your workplace it would be risky to meet her for coffee to share the gospel. You might be able to share discreetly at the workplace but it would be wise to ask God to put someone else in her path who won't be tempted. (Thankfully I have a wife who I can suggest.)

2. Is this going to distract from what God has already called you to do.

I'm reminded of the story about the prophet who was told to prophesy against Jeroboam in 1 Kings 13. God had told him precisely what he was to do and another prophet came and told him that God had told him to tell the prophet to deviate from his original plan.

This was disobedient. If God has given you clear direction through his voice he will not speak through a different voice to change your direction. 

Sometimes a seemingly new call may be a GOOD thing but not a GOD thing. In that case you should stay where you are on the original mission but it is perfectly appropriate to ask God to send someone else who can fulfill that mission

3. When you truly cannot be effective. 

In a situation where someone is blatantly hostile toward you for whatever reason they are not going to receive anything you say to them. There's no point in stirring up more hostility but asking God to send someone else where there is no hostility that they would listen to is totally fine.

Sometimes it may simply be that you've already done everything you can. In that case maybe it's time for someone else to pick up where you left off. 

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."

1 Corinthians 3:6 ESV

Even Paul didnt do everything. Apollos picked up where Paul left off.

4. Sometimes our own motives for wanting to go aren't the best.

This one is difficult because our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Often we can convince ourselves that our motives are pure when they really aren't. Years ago there was an opportunity to go to Africa on a mission trip. I was excited about going but then I was convicted that while I did care about reaching the people with the gospel my real motives were about my hunger for adventure. I wanted to see Africa. When I was honest with myself I realized that my reasons were more about myself than caring for others. Therefore I passed on the opportunity and someone else was able to go.

So these are a few reasons where it may be completely appropriate to ask God to send someone else. Remember we have an enemy who is very good at imitating God's voice. He is very subtle in distracting us even by things that may be good, but just not for us at a particular time. You will notice that Moses didnt use any of these objections because they didnt apply. But if these objections do apply, then stay put and ask God to send someone else.

Potential Danger Of Prophetic Spiritual Gifts

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

2 Corinthians 11:13‭-‬15 ESV

We have a very deceptive enemy.

A problem that has found its way into the modern church, particularly those churches that are more open to the active, present work of the Holy Spirit is the emphasis on operating in spiritual gifts. Often this becomes the central focus and there is little or no emphasis on bearing spiritual fruit. 

I want to make it understood that I am not a cessationist by any means. God has not died. The Holy Spirit has not been on vacation since the last book of the New Testament was completed. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) The same miracle worker that was active in the Old and the New Testament is still very much alive and well today.

We also need to understand that Satan is still very much alive today. He is loose and he is out to deceive and seek who he can devour. The above verse says that he disguises himself as an angel of light. In other words, “He does a good imitation of Jesus.” So good in fact that Jesus himself said that if it were possible even the elect would be deceived. (Matthew 24:24)

In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus said:

“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “

There are a few things I need to point out here:

1. Jesus said ‘many,’ not ‘few.’ There would be a lot of false teachers. Possibly they would make up the majority.

2. They would exercise spiritual gifts, specifically prophetic. They also performed miracles and cast out demons. 

3. In spite of their giftedness in ministry Jesus said these were people he never knew. They were not his.

Satan has his counterfeits for just about everything. Never forget the slave girl in Acts 16:16-18 who was gifted by a demonic spirit of divination. Apparently she was very good at it because she made her owners a lot of money. She even proclaimed that Paul and Silas were servants of God proclaiming the gospel. Yet Paul knew that her words were not from God even though everything she said was true. How many people in churches today would have heard her and been deceived into thinking she was speaking the words from God and not the devil?

Prophetic danger

The main reason I am focusing on the prophetic is because the prophetic can be used to do untold harm to individuals and to the body of Christ as a whole unless it is handled properly. That means it is crucial to learn how to determine what IS and ISN’T truly prophetic.

If the prophetic is being used by someone who is not truly bearing fruit of the spirit, it can often be used to manipulate and control people. This is even the case of true believers who simply haven't matured to the point they can use the gift wisely.

In the Old Testament, claiming to be a prophet when you weren’t was a very serious offense. In Deuteronomy 18:20-22:

“But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”

 

And how many chances did this prophet get? ONE!! That's how serious it is. I have seen many cases where people had these glowing ‘words from the Lord’ that ended up not coming true and it was simply dismissed as if it was no big deal. Claiming to have a word from the Lord that doesn’t pan out is a violation of the third commandment; “Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”

In churches where the prophetic is encouraged one very seldom hears any warning against making false prophecies because they don’t want to discourage the prophetic gifts. But the words of God in Deuteronomy would have made many ‘prophets’ keep their mouths shut.

In the words of Zechariah:

“And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, but he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.’ And if one asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’ he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’ Zechariah 13:2‭-‬6 ESV

Prophecy is not something to take lightly.

In Chapter 13 verse 3 of Deuteronomy God says that he sometimes allows the false prophets in order to test his people to see if they will be deceived into falsehood or not?

Years ago I remember a pastor explaining the need to be a man or woman who is a devoted student of the Bible when determining whether a word was from the Lord: “The Holy Spirit can speak to you and he does speak. But there is another spirit, a very unholy one, that also speaks to you. And the only way you can know whether it is God or the devil is by knowing what God’s written word says.”

Keep in mind, this is not just a distinction between those who are truly prophetic and those who aren’t. The devil will do everything he can to speak to the truly prophetic in order to deceive and do harm.

Prophetic words need to be weighed.

In 1 Corinthians 14:29:

“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.”

Often it is simply assumed that whatever a supposed ‘prophet’ said was a good word simply because it sounded good. But the only true criteria is God’s word. Does it line up with what God has already said? 

Here are some suggested criteria that will help to determine whether a word is truly from God and the problems with such criteria.

1. It should encourage. Problem – sometimes a truly prophetic word is a harsh rebuke. That may not seem very encouraging.

2. It is convicting, not condemning. That depends on who the word is directed at. If it is to edify the saved then it will convict. But if it is directed to nonbelievers then it may very well be condemning. The gospel does have a message to the unrepentant sinner – judgment is coming.

3. Old Testament prophecy was the very direct 'Word of the Lord,' whereas in the New it is not as direct and needs to be weighed by other believers. Actually, when Agabus prophesied about a coming famine in Acts 11: 28 it was very specific. Some have charged that when Agabus prophesied that Paul would be arrested in Jerusalem by the Jews he was somewhat inaccurate because he was actually arrested by the Romans. This is not unusual even for Old Testament prophecy. Josiah was told he would die in peace before calamity fell on Judah. He was actually killed in battle. Neither of these prophecies should be considered inaccurate because Paul was arrested at the provocation of the Jews and Josiah died in relative peace compared to what was coming. Either way, true prophecy hasn't changed from the Old to the New Testaments. Most Old Testament prophecies were addressed to rebellious, unregenerate people. They would not have the capacity to weigh the prophecies whereas New Covenant believers who are indwelt with the same Holy Spirit that gave the prophetic word have that ability.

4. Old testament prophecy was directed to a nation. New Testament prophecy is directed towards the church. That may be true in general but the New Testament has much to say about the judgment coming on the nations. Even in the Old Testament some of the prophets spoke against nations other than God’s chosen people. Obadiah prophesied against Edom. Jonah and Nahum prophesied against Nineveh. Habbakuk had words of judgment against Babylon, and there were others, Egypt, Tyre, Sidon, etc. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. And the spirit of prophecy is as well. 

The only sure way to determine whether a prophetic word is truly from the Lord is to weigh it against Scripture. That means we need to become astute students of the Word. As it says in Acts 17:11, we need to search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are true.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Here is some practical advice:

1. Don’t be hasty in sharing your words. It’s usually not an emergency. Pray into it. Meditate on it.

2. Share it with your pastors or elders privately. Pastors should be careful about allowing ‘words’ to be shared without carefully evaluating them first. Just allowing people to get up and speak is opening the door for Satan to speak to the people.

3. It’s OK to say, “I feel like I should share this and let you weigh it for yourself" rather than say, “The Lord showed me.” If it turns out to be a ‘dud word’ so to speak, you didn’t take God’s name in vain. And if it turns out to be a solid word, we can all give God the credit then.

When you look at the entire New Testament as a whole there is very little written concerning spiritual gifts. That is because spiritual gifts are not the end goal. They are given by God and they pretty much take care of themselves. 

Spiritual Fruit

Jesus said in John 15:8:

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

This should be what we emphasize. He did not say his Father was glorified if we manifest many gifts. We are to bear much fruit. Fruit is growing in the image of Christlikeness. God gives the gifts as he sees fit in order that the church may be built up. Often we get it backwards and we make it about the gifts. 

The gospel is about God saving his people and producing fruit in his people. It is not about gifts. Satan seeks to deceive and he deceives not by overtly inserting wrong ideas but by being very subtle. He just has to get us off little by little.

Let us stay focused on the main thing. Desire the true spiritual gifts so they can be used to build up the church but don’t make the gift the central focus.

We All Die. Then what?

"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,"

Hebrews 9:27 ESV

One of the most prominent landmarks in Palm Beach County, Florida is the Breakers Hotel in the town of Palm Beach. In the lobby of one of the high rise condominiums where I did some work, there was a picture of a beach party at the Breakers dated in the 1920's. I remember looking at the picture of the crowded beach front seeing the people enjoying the warm sunshine, salt water and seabreeze having a great time when a profound thought occured to me:

These people are all dead now.

But the picture showed mostly young adults in the prime of life, full of youth and vigor enjoying life on the beautiful shores of Palm Beach. Yet as I looked at the picture none of these people are around anymore. They are all dead. The youth and vigor had given way to age and frailty and finally could no longer maintain and had returned to the dust of which we are made.

It is safe to assume that at the time this picture was taken none of them gave any thought that I would one day be looking at this picture, preserved for posterity, nearly a century later and they would be gone, largely forgotten except for this old photograph. 

We need to realize that this life is temporary. It will end. We are going to die eventually. Even while we are in the prime of life and we feel like we are invincible there is an inescapable truth. We are going to die. 

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12 ESV

I remember Pastor John MacArthur being interviewed after the events of 9-11 and I believe he was asked if God was punishing the victims in the twin towers. Dr. MacArthur responding by saying something to the effect that nothing had happened to them that isn't going to happen to every one of us. We all have an expiration date that God has predetermined. 

Jesus responed to a similar situation as Dr. MacArthur did in Luke 13:

"There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.' ”

Luke 13:1‭-‬5 ESV

The real question is, "Then what?"

The message of the gospel starts with the bad news. We are a condemned race. Most people (even unbelievers) know John 3: 16. But very few know what verse 17 says and almost nobody knows what verse 18 says:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

John 3:16‭-‬18 ESV

THE WORLD IS ALREADY CONDEMNED!!

It was condemned back in Genesis chapter 3 when Adam and Eve sinned.

"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,"

Hebrews 9:27 ESV

In the words of Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, "The gospel has a message to the unrepentant sinner, judgment awaits." 

There is a day of judgment coming. Jesus talked a lot about judgment and about hell, even describing hell in quite some detail. Contrary to the universalist view, it is not a place you ever return from. Dante had it right in his Inferno when he described the inscription on the sign over the entrance, "Abandon all hope ye who enter here."

 The apostles warned people to save themselves from judgment. 

And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” (Acts 2:40 ESV)

Modern Evangelistic Preaching

It has become popular in modern preaching to only focus on the good parts of the gospel message. Sometimes it is just glossing over the bad news. Often, new converts are told to start reading the gospel of John. In retrospect, reading at least the first 3 chapters of Genesis, preferably the first 6, before reading John would instruct an understanding of the fall and the serious ramifications of our sin nature. It is important to understand the bad news first before reading the good news.

Often modern preaching is simply preaching what people want to hear. 

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3‭-‬4 ESV)

In the words of Charles Spurgeon: "The time is coming when in the church instead of shepherds feeding the sheep we will have clowns entertaining the goats."

Some evangelistic outreaches have made the gospel all about the miracles, prosperity, and 'your best life now.' We've seen the hyped up evangelistic crusades which seem to thrive on sensationalism. 

That isn't what Jesus and the apostles taught.

Yes God performs miracles today. He blesses and he does heal. But let's put that into perspective. I had a pastor once who did this very well. He said, "When we pray for healing and God miraculously heals that person we celebrate, rejoice and praise Him. But we have to understand that when someone is healed in this life it is only prolonging the inevitable. Even Lazarus would still need his tomb."

And then what?

Judgment

"The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death." (Isaiah 57:1‭-‬2 NIV)

We are all going to die. But death for the saved is completely different than it is for the unrepentant.

For the repentant:

"Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6 ESV)

For the unrepentant:

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15 ESV)

If we are to be judged by what we have done then we will be found guilty. Isaiah 64:6 says:

"...and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment."

The only righteousness that God will accept on that day will be the righteousness of his Son, Jesus Christ that was imputed on our behalf.

2 Corithians 5:21:

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Lazarus and the rich man

There are some things we should briefly observe from this narrative:

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

Luke 16:19‭, ‬21‭-‬31 NIV

Because this narrative differs from Jesus's parables in that Lazarus and Abraham are specifically named, some have speculated that this is not a parable but something that actually happened. I personally think that's a flimsy foundation to base a doctrine on but nonetheless, there are a number of things to understand about the final judgment from this:

1. People don't return. There is no chance for a redo.

2. Jesus actually did return from the dead and people still did not believe him. Thus proving that people would not listen and believe even if someone were to return from the dead.

3. It is significant that Lazarus and Abraham are named but the rich man is not. While in this life he had prestige and honor, in the next life he is a nobody. If in fact this is an actual historical narrative, then those of us in Christ will one day meet Abraham and this Lazarus. We will never see this rich man. That is the fate of the unrepentant. Proverbs 10:7 says that even the name of the wicked will rot.

Repent while it is still the day of grace and mercy

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18‭-‬21 ESV)

When Jesus quoted this passage from Isaiah 61 he stopped before he read the next line which is, "and the day of vengeance of our God." That part of the passage was not fulfilled at that time. The day of judgment is yet future but do not doubt, IT IS COMING.

When Jesus came the first time it was to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. That day is still now. But that day will come to an end and then it will be too late. If you have not repented of your sins, I implore you to throw yourself on the mercy of Jesus Christ. Let his blood cleanse you of your sin. Let his righteousness be placed on you while it is still today. The day of his vengeance yet to come, will be too late for you.

It is appointed unto men once to die. It is appointed unto the wicked to die twice. There is no resurrection from the second death. Turn to Jesus Christ so that you may have your part in the first resurrection on whom the second death has no power!

May God richly bless you all.

A Handful of Earth

 I consider myself to be a nostalgic futurist. 

As I am writing this my wife, Christine and I are enjoying a week at the old family farm near Mankato, Minnesota. My mom lives in the old farmhouse that she grew up in. And when we come up to visit we stay with her. 

NOSTALGIC:

It never fails to bring back memories from my childhood. I can honestly say that the very happiest memories growing up were when we could travel back to Minnesota and stay a week or two on the family farm with our Grandma Woods and Aunt Doris. We would spend the time exploring the farm, walking to the Blue Earth River. Of course, the best part was getting to see our aunts, uncles and cousins. Usually during our visits the entire family would come out to the farm. Aunt Doris would saddle up the horse, Pal and we would take turns riding. We would often make a fire and have a hot dog roast too. Sometimes a couple of years would go by between visits but it was always something we looked forward to and hated when we had to leave.

As a child I often dreamed that I would come back and actually run the farm and restore it to a fully functioning family farm, maybe as a ‘U-pick-it’ vegetable farm. I wanted to have sheep, chickens, and maybe a milk cow as well as a sizable vegetable garden. Of course, I would make the fields into pastures and huge produce fields. 

But for some reason after a visit around my eighteenth birthday I never made it back. 

It would be seventeen years before I would return with my own growing family just long enough for my sister’s wedding. It was the last time I would see my Grandma Woods as she went to her heavenly home just a few years later at the ripe old age of 95. 

Fifteen more years passed. 

In the autumn of 2016 just after my marriage of 24 years ended I made the drive from Florida back to the old Woodvale farm. Coming down the old gravel road brought back bittersweet memories of vacations spent with our grandma and relatives. Grandma wouldn’t be here now. The farm is still beautiful and Mom has really done a fantastic job keeping up the old farmhouse and yard. But it isn’t the same.

Since then I have made it back every year. The last five times I have come back with my wife, Christine. Every time we turn down the gravel road and head into the woods I have vivid memories of making the long trip from wherever we happened to be living and realizing the trip was almost over. Coming to the farm literally felt like coming home. I always felt like I belonged here.

As I walk the farm property I can remember sheep in the pasture across the road. I remember the horse, Pal and the pony, Sally. I remember walking down to the old swimming hole on hot summer afternoons to cool off in the fresh cool water of the Blue Earth River.

If I sit on the old swing in the yard and close my eyes I can almost see Grandma walking along the sidewalk to do a little work in her garden, either picking some vegetables to add to supper or some flowers to put in a vase. If it was winter she would be walking towards the chicken house in her long overcoat and scarf to feed Pal and Sally. And none of us can ever forget the wonderful music that came from the old upright piano when Grandma would sit down and play.

This morning I walked up to the mailbox and looked over to what once was the old Hanel farm. Herbert Hanel was my grandma’s younger brother. Usually visits to Minnesota included having supper with Uncle Herbert and Aunt Leona. Uncle Herbert had taken over the family farm from his parents. It was where my grandma grew up.

She literally married the boy next door. 

But Uncle Herbert and Aunt Leona have been gone for many years and their farm has long since been sold. Today as you walk towards the mailbox the pond Uncle Herbert made is obscured by mature trees and the farmhouse was torn down and the new house is barely visible from the road.

Most of the old buildings on the Woodvale farm are deteriorating and have fallen into disrepair and are no longer in use.The fences were taken down years ago and some of them are rolled up by the old corn crib which is falling apart.

This farm was purchased by my great great grandfather, Isaac Woods in 1856 and it has been in the family ever since. The farmhouse where my mom still lives was built back in the 1870’s. It’s sad to think that someday the farm may no longer be in the family.

But it is reality. 

FUTURIST:

I fully understand that the generation after mine doesn’t have the same kind of nostalgic attachment to the Woodvale Farm that my cousins and I do. Many in the next generation never met Grandma Woods and those that did, remember her very differently. I remember a strong farm woman who would sling hay over the fence with a pitchfork. By the time the great grandchildren came along she was old and frail. Most of them never heard her play the piano. They never rode Pal. They don’t remember the barn. They didn’t spend the time out here and do the things that we did. Grandma has been gone now for more than eighteen years. Three of her four daughters are now in their eighties, and most of us cousins who played out here as children are past middle age.

This is where the ‘futurist’ in me comes in.

Years ago I heard a wise man say, “If your dreams don’t come true, dream new dreams. And if you fail to achieve your goals, set new goals.” I dreamed I would one day come and run the farm. That dream didn’t come true. So I’ve had to dream new dreams and set new goals. And I’ve done that. The fact is life goes on and time doesn’t stand still. The only thing in life that is permanent is change.

And it will change.

I realize each trip I make back here may very well be my last. One day the farm won’t be here to come back to. Someday there may not be a compelling reason to come back to Minnesota at all.

It’s not a bad thing. The fact is farming is so different today that it would not really be practical to attempt to restore this farm to what it once was. It is not a bad thing that the next generation may not care to keep the farm in the family. Their experiences growing up were very different…and that’s OK. Life goes on and time flies.

The property that was affectionately nicknamed ‘Gracie’s Woods’ is finally being sold. It is a 40 acre woodlot located across the river from the farm. It’s main purpose originally was to harvest firewood for use on the farm and to sell in town. We hiked there earlier this week. I believe the last time I was there was when I was 16. That was over 40 years ago. One of my cousins is actually buying it so that part of the property will technically remain in the family…at least for now. In many ways I believe it should have been sold years ago. It hasn’t done much except cost the farm money in property taxes. At least by being sold now it won’t be something the next generation will have to be concerned about. I really hope it turns out to be a very good thing for my cousin.

I am now 56 years old. If 56 represents ⅔ of my life then I will live 28 more years. That will make me 84 when I cross the finish line. That would be old and full of days. In a blink, me and my generation will be ready for our departure. Then it will be up to those who come after us.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:18‭-‬19 NIV

Maybe it’s time to let things go. We still have memories and we remember them fondly. But that’s all they are, memories. Life is going on, time is flying, things have changed and the future is coming soon, to a theater near you.

In the meantime, we are still here, walking the sod and we have work to do. My wife and I have jobs, two duplexes and some farmland acreage in Tennessee that need to be maintained and developed. We both have ministries and people there who need and depend on us. So we need to get back to the task at hand until God calls us home. 

“It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”

Matthew 24:46 NIV

So we will be heading back to Tennessee and our home near the Great Smoky Mountains. Hopefully, we will be back next year but just in case we aren’t, I am taking a handful of earth home with me.

Yep, still nostalgic.

You Think it's Tough Now?

 “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"

Jeremiah 12:5 NIV

Many years ago I heard a message from a visiting pastor and he imagined what any one of the apostles or disciples of the early church would think if they came back today and could hear us talk about our struggles in the western world. They would be embarrased and ashamed of us. These were people who were literally signing their own death warrants just by uttering the phrase, 'Jesus is Lord,' and yet continued to proclaim Jesus as their Lord and continued to meet together and spread the gospel in spite of constant threat of persecution. Often it meant imprisonment and or death.

In our country we have not had to worry about the threat of persecution on a systematic scale. Our country was founded on the principles of freedom which included freedom of speech, freedom to bear arms, freedom to own property, etc. That does not mean freedom from responsibility or consequences of our actions. Yet somehow we have adopted that idea in our modern culture. 

What has the result been?  

We have gone from 18 year old young men having the courage to storm the beaches of Normandy to needing a 'safe place' to protect themselves from being triggered by someone who simply disagrees with them...all within a lifetime.

In the words of G. Michael Hopf: “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”

Since World War 2 we have had relatively good times and we have created weak men. 

The church has not fared much better. Persecution has always strengthened Christianity so it stands to reason that lack of persecution has weakened it. I forgot where I heard this quote: "It seems you can't swing a dead cat in any direction without hitting a church steeple." Yet we are having almost no effect on our culture. During my lifetime (56 years) We have gone from looking at same sex relationships as being deviant to completely normal and acceptable. When I was in high school if a man decided he identified as a woman and wanted to join the women's swim team he would have been put through psychiatric evaluation and likely committed. A person who has lost touch with reality is insane. But now, saying such a thing is considered hate speech.

And what do we hear from the church? Crickets.

In 2020, we had shutdowns from a 'mysterious' virus. With few exceptions, the church in America voluntarily allowed themselves to be shut down. And what was the driving force behind the shutdowns?

FEAR!!

And what does scripture say about fear? Do NOT be afraid!

Christians from the first century through the Reformation met under threat of having the door kicked in and being hauled off to prison, even death. What would they think of us? Would they even consider us being worthy of being called Christians? 

Now some of you might be upset or offended that I would suggest such a thing. In response I would suggest that we all take the admonition in 2 Corinthians 13:5:

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"

This is something followers of Christ should be doing constantly.

The irony is that even with the masks, shutdowns, and social distancing, most of us still got sick...and most of us completely recovered. So what were we afraid of?

Now you might say, "Well somewhere in the neighborhood of a million people in this country died from this virus." 

Answer: The mortality rate in percentages was slightly more than the previous year but was lower that the year before that. Most of the tabulated deaths were actually from other causes. There was no pandemic.

Objection: If they hadn't gotten this virus they would still be alive.

Answer: We can't possibly know that.

To conclude, I'll requote the lead off verse: 

  “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?"

Or:

If you were afraid of a cold virus, then...?

My Mountaintop Experience. What God Showed Me.

It was early November, 2017, when I was on my way to hike to the top of Mount Cammerer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A friend I went to church with said she thought I would really like this hike because there is an old fire lookout station at the top which provides amazing panoramic views. Apparently there is a trail up that allows for horseback riding, or at least did at one time.

I moved to Tennessee after my divorce was final in 2016. I fell in love with the mountains and I tried to go hiking as often as I could. Hiking was significant for me because a few years earlier I had been in a hospital bed with chest pains. Tests showed that I had not actually had a heart attack but I needed to make some changes or I would. I really believe that the symptoms were caused by the tremendous stress I was under during the last few years of my troubled marriage.

This hike was going to be challenging because during the first two or three miles the trail climbs over 2,800 feet. Then it meets the Appalachian Trail the rest of the way to the observation tower. Up and back would be a total of 11 miles -- not for the faint of heart.

It was an absolutely beautiful morning as I drove on Interstate 40 towards the North Carolina border where the exit was. However as soon as I got off the freeway I found myself driving through a dense fog that I can only describe as creepy. Mount Cammerer was in my GPS. I was following it deeper into the forest and farther from civilization. After a time my GPS said, "You have arrived." I was on the road in the middle of nowhere with the slope going up to my right but no trailhead or anything that even looked like a trail.

I realized I had simply put Mount Cammerer in my GPS but not the trailhead. I hadn't even looked up to see where the trailhead was. Of course I had no cell phone signal, so I had to find my way back into town where I could get enough signal to find out where the trail began and then find my way there.

The trail actually started at the Cosby Campground in North Carolina. By the time I got there, it was about 9:30 in the morning and the sun was fairly high. I was actually hoping to be on the trail by around 8:00 because I knew the days were getting shorter and I didn't want to be stuck on the trail after dark. The strange thing is I never made this mistake before and was shaking my head and even thinking about how creepy the fog was that morning. As I was musing over all of this, I suddenly sensed the 'still small voice' say something to me:

"I'm going to show you something when you get to the top."

It could not have been more real if it had been an actual audible voice. Now I was filled with excited anticipation. I also had a little bit of trepidation because I thought of God taking Moses up to the top of Mount Nebo to show him the promised land but then he died up there. I somewhat wondered if this was how it was going to end for me. I figured if it was, then I would simply be ushered into the presence of my savior so it would be fine. 

About halfway up, the trial meets the Appalachian Trail and continues for another 2 miles or so. Once you are on the trail it levels out a lot which is good because after 3 miles and climbing nearly 1,000 feet per mile I was feeling my knees. At this point I caught up to a couple of women. One of them seemed to be about my age and the other quite a bit older. We hiked together for a bit and then I noticed that the older lady dropped back a ways leaving me with the younger woman who I learned was her daughter. She seemed to be enjoying hiking with me and we were having some really good conversations. I began wondering if this was what God was intending to show me. 

We continued together the rest of the way to the observation tower and when we arrrived we somehow ended up separated. I went inside and looked around. It hasn't been used as an observation tower for a long time but it is maintained for trail hikers to be able to stop for the night. I went outside on the outer deck and looked around. The views were quite amazing but I found myself wondering about the voice I heard. Maybe God just wanted to show me some beautiful scenery or maybe I had simply imagined it all. I was convinced that a future wife was not what God intended to show me. She was nice and attractive but I was still licking wounds from my broken marriage and just didn't have it in me to have a relationship at this point. I didn't know if I ever would be able to and in reality, I was enjoying my single life and had no interest in changing that.

Generally people get to the tower about lunch time so there was quite a group of people there eating lunch. Some of the hikers had come up another way and told us that the trail they had come up started in the Cosby campground as well. It was a couple of miles longer but the slope was more gradual and therefore easier on the joints. That kind of appealed to me but I didn't want to be alone on the trail. There was another couple that decided they would take the Lower Cammerer Trail down and we agreed that while we wouldn't actually hike together we would keep each other in sight. 

So we started down the other way which meant another few miles on the Appalachian Trail. At around 2:30 we got to the trail where the homeward trail branched off. I reached it first. I read the sign which said, "Lower Cammerer Trail, Cosby Campground, 7 1/2 miles." I turned to the couple behind me and said that we had a long ways to go and only about 3 hours of daylight left. We were going to have to hustle! 

We didn't waste any time! We maintained a very brisk walk and didn't stop to take pictures or enjoy the vistas. The gentleman was somewhat upset because we were told it was a couple of miles longer when it reality it was five miles longer. One thing was true, the trail descended much more gradually which did make it easier on the joints. 

We kind of 'leap-frogged' the rest of the way. Sometimes they were in front and sometimes I was in front, depending on someone needing to step of the trail briefly. Towards the end we actually were hiking together. I found out the lady was a marathon runner and the gentleman regularly worked out. They commented that I seemed to be in pretty good shape and asked what I did. I kind of joked that I sometimes drive past a gym. The fact is that I mainly I work a physical job which helps me stay in shape.

We finally made it back to the campground just after the sun had gone below the horizon. In another 30 minutes it would be dark. There were still some cars in the parking lot so I said goodbye to the couple and said I was going to wait and see if there were more people on the trail. After some time people started coming to their cars and it was apparent they were picnickers and fishermen just hanging out nearby, so I decided it was OK to leave.

It was dark on the way home and I could barely feel my legs by this point. After I got onto the interstate I started musing about thinking I had heard the 'still small voice' tell me he was going to show me something at the top. All of a sudden I heard the voice again, clear as a bell:

"I did show you something. I showed you another way down."

I was puzzled, but the voice continued:

"Three years ago you were in a hospital bed with chest pains not sure if you had a heart attack or not. But today, at 51 years old, you just hiked 16 miles, climbed and descended more than 2,800 feet in just over 7 hours. Not bad for an old bull. The truth is, you have a lot of life and a lot of living left in you. You are not even close to the finish line."

It was a little hard to drive the rest of the way home with tear filled eyes. I had not realized how much the previous several years had taken out of me but I knew I was feeling better and stronger than I had in a long time. I also felt encouraged that God wasn't finished with me yet and I was now looking forward to what he had in store for me next.

Well that was 5 1/2 years ago and I'm still going strong. I met the love of my life (not the woman on the trail) and married her a year after this hike. God has given both of us health and vitality and a good bit of work to do so it is good that he has kept us as strong as he has.

I am totally convinced that God does speak to us. Generally, I am skeptical when I hear someone, even myself, say that God told them something. We shouldn't discount it but we do need to test any word we might get. In this case, I think time has shown that this really was a word from the Lord and he took me up to Mount Cammerer to show me that my story wasn't finished yet.

I hope you are encouraged and inspired by this story of mine.