God’s Sovereignty - Part 3

Why does God let bad things happen?

People who fall into the error of commanding God or questioning God’s wisdom are people who don’t understand the sovereignty of God. They become obsessed with the problem of evil. They ask, if God is ruler of the universe, then why do bad things happen? 

I submit to you that bad things happen because God allows it. God is omnipotent and omniscient and victorious and besides being omnipotent and omniscient and victorious, we know from the Bible that God is also good. We need to trust that Father knows best.

In Luke 18:18-19, we read that a ruler asked Jesus,  "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”  By the way, I’d just like to say here that in John 10:14, Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd.” No one except God is good. Jesus is good, therefore Jesus is also God. 

When we ask why bad things happen, what we are really asking is why things we don’t understand are happening.  We are asking why things that the world would consider to be tragedies are happening.  Why things that appear to be calamities are happening.

Beloved, we serve a God Who not only made us, but Who is also omniscient and omnipotent, which is to say He is all-knowing and all-powerful. More than that, He is just and righteous and loving and good. And He is wise. In the King James version, Romans 16:27 says, “To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.” Another translation [GOD’S WORD] puts it this way: “God alone is wise. Glory belongs to him through Jesus Christ forever! Amen.”

We are treading on dangerous ground when we start to question why God does anything. It is not our place to decide whether God should or shouldn’t allow something to happen.

In Isaiah 45:9 ESV God says,  “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?”

This theme is actually a repeat of Isaiah 29:16 NIV, where God says, “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘You did not make me’? Can the pot say to the potter, ‘You know nothing’?”

Instead of trying to second-guess God, we would do much better to be like Habakkuk or like Job, who set their hearts to bless the name of the Lord no matter what:

Here’s what Habakkuk said in Habakkuk 3 beginning in verse 17:

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

And here’s what Job said in Job 1:21 NIV, immediately after he lost all his flocks, all his servants, and all his children.  He said,  “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

I am extremely impressed by Job’s behavior—and so is God. (See Ezekiel 14:14, where God lists Noah, Daniel, and Job as examples of righteous men.

Margot Armer

God’s Sovereignty - Part 2

On Monday, I pointed out that sometimes our desire to get our own way interferes with our ability to interpret scripture.  Here’s an example. There is a verse in the King James Version of the Bible that goes like this: “Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.”

I can’t tell you how many sermons I’ve heard on this particular verse, almost always quoted out of context. This verse is Isaiah 45:11, and I believe that not only is it often quoted out of context, I  believe it is almost always quoted from a very poor translation of this passage.  The KJV is one of my favorite Bible translations, but I believe the KJV got it wrong on this one. No matter what certain preachers say, it is not our place to command God to do anything.  

So let’s read this verse in context, still in the King James.  I’m going to start in Isaiah 45:6, where it says: 6b I am the Lord, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.

I would like to pause right here and point out that verse 7 is another poor translation.  God doesn’t create evil. Other translations do a better job here. I like the JPS Tanakh, which says God makes weal and creates woe, or the NASB, which says God causes well-being and creates calamity, or the NIV, which says God brings prosperity and creates disaster.

Moving on, in the KJV this passage continues:

8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.

9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?

11 Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

Now let’s read that last verse in the ESV, which is a more modern -- and I believe a better -- translation of this passage:

11 Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: “Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands?

The 1985 Jewish Publication Society Tanach says:

11 Thus said the LORD,
Israel's Holy One and Maker:
Will you question Me on the destiny of My children,
Will you instruct Me about the work of My hands?

In context, this passage is talking about the sovereignty of God. It’s telling us not only that God is sovereign, but also that it’s not our place to question what He does. People who quote Isaiah 45:11 out of context or who read it in the KJV are ignoring the fact that in context, and especially when you read it in Hebrew or in most other English translations, this passage is all about the impropriety of a creation talking back to its Creator, rather than commanding Him to do something.

Margot Armer

Let’s Call it Sonday

I typically write Monday’s blog on Sonday. I’m spelling it Sonday today on purpose.

Except for Shabbat, Jewish days have numbers instead of names. The seven-day Jewish week starts on what I’m referring to as Sonday, and it goes as follows:

1. Yom Rishon (יום ראשון) - First day 

2. Yom Sheni (יום שני) - Second day

3. Yom Shlishi (יום שלישי) - Third day

4. Yom Revi’i (יום רביעי) - Fourth day 

5. Yom Chamishi (יום חמישי) - Fifth day

6. Yom Shishi (יום שישי) - Sixth day

7. Yom Shabbat (יום שבת) - Sabbath day 

The names of American weekdays come from the first century Roman week later adopted by Emperor Constantine in A.D. 321. Roman days were named after the sun, the moon, and five planets, along with the “gods” that supposedly governed those particular heavenly bodies. 

Today’s English day names are still derived from the sun, the moon, and those same five planets whose “gods” the Romans chose to honor. (Later on, some of the Latin names were replaced by the names of corresponding Norse “gods.”)

Exodus 23:13 says, “Be careful to do all things that I have said to you; and don’t invoke the name of other gods or even let them be heard out of your mouth.” (WEB) You may disagree with me about this, but when I refer to Sonday--even when I spell it Sunday--I am not referring to a heathen god.  I am referring to the first day of the week. Quakers, of course, would disagree with me.

Up to and including 1751 the Julian calendar was used in England.  English Quakers used the Julian calendar, but they objected to using the names of days (Sunday through Saturday) and months (January through August) that were derived from pagan gods. 

Up until 1752, Quakers had no problem with the months September to December, since those names were derived from numbers.  For the other months they used “First Month,” “Second Month,” etc.  For reasons unknown to me, when the Gregorian Calendar was adopted, Quakers decided to refer to all months by their number.

I don’t actually mind spelling Sonday the usual way.  Today Sunday refers to a day of the week, not the name of a heathen god. However, I like to spell it Sonday because I find it interesting that according to the Bible, two very Christian Old Testament holidays should always fall on Sunday. What the world calls Easter and the Old Testament calls Firstfruits should always happen on Sunday. What Jews call Shavuot always happens 50 days after Firstfruits—and since the fiftieth day after any Saturday is a Sunday, Pentecost always lands on Sunday too.

In other words, Firstfruits and Shavuot “just happen” to mark two exceptionally important Christian milestones:  the day Jesus rose from the dead (“Easter” Sunday) and the day the earliest Christians received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The way I like to think of it, both those holy days happen on a Sonday.

Margot Armer

God’s Sovereignty - Part 1

God’s sovereignty has enormous practical importance. It is because God is sovereign that He can keep His promises to us. Nobody can trick Him.  Nobody can defeat Him. Nobody can make Him do what He doesn’t want to do. It is because God is sovereign that we can trust in Him.

Sovereignty is a word that means supreme power and authority over a particular area. And since God created the universe, when we say God is sovereign, we are saying that God has supreme power and authority over the universe that He created. And God is in fact sovereign. He has dominion.  He has the power and the right to control everything. In Hebrew we pray, “Baruch atah Adonai elohenu melech ha olam,” “Blessed are you O Lord, our God, King of the universe.” Another translation of this would be “Blessed are you O Lord, our God, King of eternity.”  God is the ultimate ruler over time and space. He is King over the heavens.  He is King over the Earth.  He is King over everything.

The God of the Bible is the God of all power. The Bible says, “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns” (Revelation 19:6).

God’s sovereignty is based on His omnipotence.  Omnipotence is a word that means that God is all-powerful.  In other words, God can do anything that is consistent with His nature. But He cannot lie, He cannot die, He cannot change, and He cannot be tempted with evil. Let me give you chapter and verse for that.

1. God cannot lie. Titus 1:2 says that God cannot lie.

2. God cannot die. First Timothy 6:16 says that God is immortal.

3. God cannot change. James 1:17 says that with God “ there is no variation or shadow cast by turning” (HCSB).

4. God cannot be tempted with evil. James 1:13 says, “God cannot be tempted with evil”

So we see that God cannot lie. He cannot die. He cannot change.  He cannot be tempted with evil, or in other words, He cannot be tempted with wickedness. But when we preach about what God will and won’t do, it is important to line up our teaching with the Word of God, because God doesn’t think the same way we do. In Isaiah 55:8, God says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.

Right about now, you may be wondering why I’m re-hashing these basic Bible truths.  They need to be restated because there are so many preachers out there who are ignoring what the Bible actually says in order to preach what they wish it said. People seem to have forgotten that God does what He wants, and not necessarily what we want.  And sometimes our desire to get our own way interferes with our ability to interpret scripture.

Coming Thursday: Can we actually boss God around?

Margot Armer

Two of God’s Greatest Preachers Never Spoke in Tongues

When I first became a believer, charismatics used to insist that speaking in tongues was THE sign of having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  I no longer believe this. I do still believe that speaking in tongues is a sign of having been baptized in the Holy Spirit--I just don’t believe it’s the only sign.

Even though his story is contained in the New Testament, it’s clear to me that John the Baptist was basically an Old Testament prophet. And in Matthew 11:11 Jesus says something mind boggling: “Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.” 

From Jesus’ point of view, John the Baptist was greater than Moses.  Greater than Elisha. Greater than Elijah.  And yet we know that John the Baptist did no miracles (John 10:41). What did John the Baptist do that made him greater than the miracle workers we read about in the Old Testament?  Here’s what the angel Gabriel told John’s father Zacharias:

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:15-17 (WEB)

Elijah, of course, did many miracles--and his servant Elisha did twice as many.  What did John do? 

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. . . . He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:4-8 (WEB)

So far as we know, Dwight L. Moody never spoke in tongues.  Like John the Baptist, Moody did not minister healing or miracles.  Moody did, however, receive an infilling of the power of the Holy Spirit, after which hundreds began to be saved whenever he preached. If you read the account of what happened to Moody I think you’ll it’s fair to say he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Like John the Baptist, Moody was preparing a people prepared for the Lord.

I thank God that I do speak in tongues.  But it’s obvious to me these days that God is way more impressed with soul winners than He is with tongue talkers--unless those tongue talkers also happen to be about their Father’s business.

Margot Armer

P.S. You can read about “The Day Dwight Moody Was filled with the Holy Spirit” here.

Zechariah 14: A Prayer Request

“The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever.”
(Is. 40:8 WMB)

Zechariah 14 is a prophecy about the ultimate victory and reign of the Lord, the geographical transformation of Jerusalem, and the judgment of the nations. The chapter ends well, but it begins horrifically with a prophecy about a time when Jerusalem will be attacked by “all the nations.” 

Does “all the nations” refer to the United Nations? Time will tell.  

Here’s how Zechariah 14 starts:

“Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” (Zechariah 14:1-2 ESV)

I have always been troubled by Zechariah 14:2, but since the word of our God stands forever and Zechariah 14 is right there in the Bible, it seems inevitable that a time will come when there will be women living in Jerusalem who will be raped as Zechariah 14:2 takes place.

I don’t believe it would do any good to pray that God’s word won’t happen. Since “The word of our God stands forever,” I believe it’s inevitable that Zechariah 14:2 will come to pass. God’s word is going to happen. But what I can do—and what I’m asking you to do—is to pray that God will mitigate the circumstances. “God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb” isn’t in the Bible, but let’s pray that He will do just that:

• Zechariah 14:2 says “the women” will be raped.  Providentially, it doesn’t say that all the women will be raped. I am praying that God Himself will choose to keep many of Jerusalem’s women from being raped in the first place.  

• And since Zechariah 14:2 doesn’t mention men, and since I’ve read that men were also raped on October 7, I’m praying for the men of Jerusalem—that none of Jerusalem’s men will be raped at all.

• I am also praying that none of the rapes foretold by Zechariah will be exacerbated by the same horrific pattern of mutilation and extreme brutality that took place in Israel on October 7. 

• And while I am at it, I am praying for the speedy and safe return of all those Jerusalemites--half of the city’s population--who will be taken captive according to Zechariah 14:2.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” (Psalm 122:6 KJV)

Please join me in prayer.

Margot Armer

Dung Happens

Disclaimer:  Bad things happen for many reasons.  This is only one of them. 

Here’s what Jesus said:

He [Jesus] spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Luke 13:6-9 (KJV)

I asked Google how digging around a fig tree’s roots would help it to grow. Google’s AI said, “Digging at the tree's drip line and severing roots that extend past the leaves can encourage healthier root growth and make the tree more productive. Fig trees prefer restricted root systems, and root restriction can reduce leafy growth and increase fruit production. Digging a shallow trench around the tree can help it retain water that might otherwise run away from the base.

I don’t know about fig trees, and I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like it if my roots got disturbed.  And that’s not all the dresser of the vineyard recommended. He also planned to use manure (dung) to fertilize it.  When God’s people aren’t bearing fruit, dung happens.

Just saying.

Margot Armer

Tisha B’Av 2024

Disaster could have happened to Israel on Tuesday--but it didn’t.

I say disaster could have happened Tuesday because Tuesday was the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, which began at sundown on Monday, August 12, and ended at sundown on Tuesday, August 13. 

Tisha B’Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, a day of prayer and fasting for religious Jews, and the date on which many Jewish calamities have happened throughout history. Both the First and Second Temples were destroyed on Tisha B’Av. The Bar Kochba revolt was crushed on Tisha B’Av.  Ten thousand Jews were killed on the 9th of Av during the First Crusade.  Jews were expelled from many different countries on Tisha B’Av in many different years. The Nazi’s Final Solution was approved on Tisha B’Av. And that is just a short list.

This year Hamas launched 2 of its new M-90 rockets on Tisha B’Av. They were aimed at Tel Aviv. One of those rockets landed in the sea; the other landed in Gaza.  If Tuesday’s rockets had gone where Hamas wanted them to go, it would have been yet another Jewish calamity that “just so happened” to take place on Tisha B’Av. 

If God had wanted to send a message of gloom and doom to Israel, He could easily have done so on Tisha B’Av at the hands of Hamas. The fact that He didn’t is a very good omen indeed.

Margot Armer

How to Have Peace in Perilous Times

Let’s talk about peace. Even among Christians, there are a lot of people who aren’t experiencing the peace of God right now. It seems as though almost everyone is worried. Worried about getting sick.  Worried about losing their jobs.  Worried about food shortages. Worried about finding another job to replace the one they used to have. Worried about making ends meet. Worried about the economy. Worried about politics. Worried about the times we live in. (If  you haven’t given your life to God, you should be worried about the times we live in.)

I believe we are living in the end times. I believe Jesus is coming soon. How soon, I don’t know—I don’t believe anybody knows—but the apostle Paul told us that in the last days perilous times would come, and these are certainly perilous times. There have been perilous times of one sort or another from time to time throughout human history. But I happen to be old. As it happens, I am older than King David was when he died, and the Bible describes King David as having been “full of years.” And to put my age in even more perspective, I am not only older than King David was, I am also older than the Modern State of Israel.  I mention all this because one of the benefits of being old is that when you get to be my age, you know from your own personal experience what has actually happened within living memory. Old folks can remember what things were like 50 or 60 or 70 years ago. And any elderly person can tell you that times have definitely changed. But the Apostle Paul didn’t just tell us that in the last days perilous times would come. He also told us why those times would be so perilous.

We find Paul’s description of the perilous times that would happen in the last days in Second Timothy, chapter 3. The New King James Version captions this passage “Perilous Times and Perilous Men.” Paul says here:

​But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5a NKJV)

The Apostle Paul is telling us here the reason the perilous times will come. And Paul says that the perilous times will come for or because of the kind of people who will be living in the last days. (The Greek word γάρ means for or because.) 

Now I personally believe that throughout history there have been some men—and some women—who exhibited the symptoms Paul mentions.  I believe that there have always been some  people who were “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

What makes me believe we’re living in the perilous times that Paul said would come in the last days, is that today there are so very many people who exhibit these particular symptoms. And I believe they exhibit these symptoms because we are also seeing—certainly here in America we’re already seeing it—something many Christians refer to as the Great Falling Away. Many people have lost their moral compass because they are surrounded by—and brainwashed by—wickedness. And because wickedness has become the new normal, they’ve lost their love for God.

In Matthew 24, Jesus’ disciples had just asked Him to tell them the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. And beginning in verse 10 we see what Jesus said:

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9-14 NIV 1984)

In verse 10 we saw that Jesus said that at that time, “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate one another” and in verse 12 we see that it is “because of the increase of wickedness” that “the love of most will grow cold.”

In 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2, the Apostle Paul is writing “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him” (2 Thessalonians 2:1a NIV). In verse 3, Paul says: “that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 NKJV). I just wonder how many people will have to fall away for it to qualify as THE falling away.

I became a believer in the Jesus Movement of the early 70’s. The General Social Survey (the GSS) is a survey taken every two years by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Back in 1972, in the first GSS, only 5% of Americans self-identified as having no religious faith. In 2022, 29% of Americans self-identified as having no religion. And according to the latest Pew Research Center findings issued on January 24, 28% of Americans are now religiously unaffiliated. I would have to say that here in America we are definitely experiencing a falling away. And it is because we are experiencing this falling away that we are also experiencing perilous times.

Please don’t misunderstand me here:  I’m not saying that what we’re going through is THE Tribulation. In John 16:33, Jesus told us we would have tribulation. Believers have experienced tribulation ever since Jesus was here the first time.   But John 16:33 is also the verse where Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (NKJV)

Right about now, I’m sure you’re wondering why I titled this blog How to Have Peace in Perilous Times.  Here’s why: the Gospel is Good News.  The word Gospel means Good News. And the Good News today is that we can experience peace no matter what is happening around us. 

Back in the day, I used to see bumper stickers that said: Know God, Know Peace—No God, No Peace. That’s good preaching, because if you know God—really know God—you will have peace. But if you don’t know God, you won’t experience what Paul called the peace that passes understanding. Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV).

So I am here to tell you today that even in times like these, If you know God—really know God—you will know peace. That’s good news.

But if you don’t know God—if you don’t have a personal relationship with Him—if you don’t have God—then when times get really tough, you won’t have peace. If you don’t know God, you won’t have peace even when times aren’t tough. You may find distractions, but you won’t find peace.

For more on becoming a child of God, read Messianic Milestones.

Margot Armer

Psalm 83

Bible students disagree about whether Psalm 83 is historical, prophetic, or both.  It was written by Asaph, one of the chief musicians appointed by David to lead worship in the tabernacle, and it starts out this way:

God, don’t keep silent.
Don’t keep silent,
and don’t be still, God.
For, behold, your enemies are stirred up.
Those who hate you have lifted up their heads.
They conspire with cunning against your people.
They plot against your cherished ones.
“Come,” they say, “let’s destroy them as a nation,
that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”
For they have conspired together with one mind.
They form an alliance against you.
Psalm 83:1-5 (WEB)

Asaph goes on to list a number of ancient people groups that can be associated with modern regions and countries. The ancient people groups may have conspired against the descendents of Jacob back in Asaph’s day, but the fact that the Bible doesn’t record all of those conflicts leads me to believe that either:  (a) God answered Asaph’s prayer before some of the conflicts actually happened, and/or (b) Psalm 83 was a prophecy about the times we’re living in right now, because these same biblical conspirators are all nations that modern-day Israel contends with—and might find themselves at war with—at any time. 

Asaph lists these nations as follows:

The tents of Edom
The Ishmaelites
Moab
The Hagrites
Gebal
Ammon
Amalek
Philistia
Tyre
Assyria
The children of Lot

I’m not big on geography, so I had to consult Microsoft’s Copilot to find out which modern countries Asaph was referring to. Here’s the breakdown:  

The tents of Edom—Southern Jordan
The Ishmaelites—Saudi Arabia
Moab—Central Jordan
The Hagrites—Saudi Arabia and parts of Jordan
Gebal and Ammon—Northern Lebanon
Amalek—Southern Israel and parts of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula 
Philistia—The Gaza Strip
Tyre—Southern Lebanon
Assyria—Northern Iraq, plus parts of Syria and Turkey
The children of Lot—Jordan 

Believers, if you love Israel, don’t forget to pray:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Those who love you will prosper.
Peace be within your walls,
and prosperity within your palaces.
For my brothers’ and companions’ sakes,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of Yahweh our God,
I will seek your good.
(Psalm 122:6-9 WEB)

Margot Armer

Coffee Miracles

I became a believer in the first place  because I witnessed a number of supernatural healing miracles, and I’ve lived a life of miracles ever since.  I owe some of the miracles I’ve experienced to the teachings of Merlin Carothers. 

Back in the seventies, Merlin Carothers’ books were very widely read.  I read them and so did almost all of the other believers I knew.  According to Foundation Of Praise, “Carothers is the first author to have three books listed simultaneously on the top ten-bestseller list of the National Christian Bookseller Association. His unique concept of praising in all things brings results that can only be termed miraculous.” 

Putting Merlin Carothers’ teachings into practice certainly brought miraculous results for me.

Merlin Carothers went to be with the Lord in 2013. He taught that believers should praise God for EVERYTHING—good or bad—because Romans 8:28 says that “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.” 

Back in the seventies, Merlin Carothers’ books were so popular among charismatic Christians that occasionally one believer would say, “Praise God!”—whereupon another believer would ask, “What’s wrong?” 

I’ve witnessed and experienced many undeniable miracles since I became a believer.  Some of those miracles were huge and others were small, but all of them increased my faith--and as I’ve already mentioned, I owe some of those miracles to the teaching of Merlin Carothers. For example, back in the seventies I went to a Full Gospel Businessmen’s dinner and because most of the believers I knew at that time were steeped in Merlin Carothers’ teachings, I was shocked to hear the people I was sitting with actually complaining instead of praising God. They were complaining because at that particular dinner each person only received a single cup of coffee—no refills allowed.

I can’t remember exactly what I said to the people I was sitting with, but I do know it included “Praise the Lord!” Moments later, a waitress (or perhaps an angel) left the kitchen carrying a round glass coffee pot with a plastic handle. The pot was full of coffee.  The kitchen was on the other side of a very large, very full, very noisy dining room. From where we were sitting, the kitchen was way out of earshot. The waitress couldn’t possibly have overheard what we’d said, but she was headed in our direction.  She walked all the way across the dining room carrying the coffee pot high in the air. She then put the coffee pot right down in front of me, said “Here’s your coffee,” and left. I shared the coffee with my table mates. So far as I know, we were the only attendees that night who got more than one single cup of coffee.

Speaking of coffee, some years after that I attended Charles & Frances Hunter’s school of ministry in Kingwood, Texas. There was a somewhat cantankerous coffee machine in the basement of the big blue dome where we met for class. I continued to praise the Lord when I needed coffee, and I was always able to get the coffee machine to work, but I’m not positive there were any actual miracles involved.  However, every once in a while another student would find me and ask, “Margot, would you please come kick the coffee machine with your anointed foot?” So that’s what I would do. After all, faith without works is dead.

Margot Armer

LIGHTS OUT!

Paris was named the City of Light (Ville Lumière) at the beginning of the nineteenth century because it was the first city in Europe to use gas lighting to illuminate its streets. On the night of July 27, 2024 Paris did not live up to its nickname as a major power outage struck a large part of Paris. From what I can tell from various news reports, Sacré-Cœur was the only building in the blacked-out area that still had light. 

Sacré-Cœur is a beautiful Catholic church located on top of Montmartre, and because Montmartre is the highest point in Paris, anyone in the blacked-out area could easily see the church bathed in light and shining in the darkness. Matthew 5:14 (NKJV) says “a city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Neither could Sacré-Cœur.

I have been unable to find a news report on the natural cause of the blackout, but a lot of people are mentioning a supernatural one.  A day before the outage, the 4-hour opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games featured a tableau showing French DJ Barbara Butch standing with a number of so-called “drag queens” lined up behind a very long table.  The scene reminded many people of Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Towards the end of the tableau, a very large round serving platter rose in front of that display to reveal the nearly naked French singer Phillipe Katerine covered in blue makeup and surrounded by food. According to the Hindustan Times, “The rain-soaked ceremony saw the blue man, dressed sparsely in flowers and leaves, singing “Nu” (“Naked”) as he floated down the River Seine.” I don’t think God appreciated that particular display.

So do you think God killed the Paris lights to make His point?  I think He did--even if it turns out that the French electricians and/or other investigators are eventually able to find a so-called “natural” cause for the enormous Paris power outage. The Bible often uses “it so happened that” when describing things God does.

Margot Armer

By Reason of Use

I’ve heard it taught that tongues that have been interpreted are equivalent to prophecy.  I have a tendency to nitpick, so it seems to me that based on 1 Corinthians 14:6, tongues that have been interpreted are equivalent to revelation OR knowledge OR prophecy OR teaching.  I base this on 1 Corinthians 14:5-6 (ESV), which says:

“Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?” 1 Corinthians 14:5-6 (ESV)

Half a century ago I spent my first years as a believer as a member of Pittsburgh Church of the Brethren while Russ Bixler was still its pastor. Our Sunday morning services were strictly traditional, but on Sunday nights people came from all over Pittsburgh to see what God would do during our very charismatic Sunday evening prayer services.  I can’t remember ever missing a Sunday evening while Russ was still the pastor there, and I can’t remember ever experiencing a prayer service in which miracles did not take place. I’ll tell you about the miracles in another blog. The subject that’s on my heart right now is the importance of learning how to judge prophecies and messages in tongues.

In the King James Version (we all used the KJV back then) First Corinthians 14:29 says this: “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.” Russ took the importance of judging prophecy very seriously, and because tongues that have been interpreted can be the equivalent of prophecy, Russ also believed in judging tongues.  In fact, he believed in judging tongues even before they were interpreted.

Every Sunday night, three elders sat on a bench behind Russ that faced the congregation. From time to time, someone would stand up and deliver a message in what sounded like tongues.  As soon as that person stopped speaking, Russ would turn around and look at the elders, who would all three simultaneously nod either “yes” or “no”. I never saw the elders disagree, and I never saw them look at each other to see what the other elders thought. “Yes” meant the utterance was a message in tongues that should be interpreted and shared with the congregation; “no” meant “NO.” When the elders voted no, Russ would tactfully explain that the utterance wasn’t a message that was meant to be shared publicly.

After I’d been attending the Sunday evening services for a while, I realized that I always knew how the elders were going to nod.  I “just knew” whether a message was legitimate or not.  Hebrews 5:14 (WMB) talks about people “who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.” Eventually I found I “just knew” other things as well because I’d learned to pay attention to what the Holy Spirit was every so quietly telling me.

Every charismatic congregation has its own way of judging tongues and/or prophecies--or not.  I thank God that He placed me in a congregation that enabled me to exercise my spiritual senses.

Margot Armer 

Do you want to be blessed?

Do you want to be blessed? Bless Israel.

I listened yesterday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress. You can read the full text of his address here.  He said in part:

When Israel acts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons that could destroy Israel and threaten every American city, every city that you come from, we’re not only protecting ourselves. 

We’re protecting you.

My friends, if you remember one thing, one thing from this speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory.

Prime Minister Netanyahu was speaking about why America should help Israel protect itself and us.  He made a very good case for why our country should come to Israel’s aid.  Here’s another one: When we bless Israel, God blesses us.

When Abraham was seventy-five years old, God told him:

“Go forth from your country,

And from your relatives

And from your father’s house,

To the land which I will show you;

And I will make you a great nation,

And I will bless you,

And make your name great;

And so  you shall be a blessing;

And I will bless those who bless you,

And the one who curses you I will curse.

And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” 

Genesis 12:1-3 (NASB)

And Psalm 122 says:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

“May they prosper who love you.

“May peace be within your walls,

And prosperity within your palaces.”

For the sake of my brothers and my friends,

I will now say, “May peace be within you.”

For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,

I will seek your good. Psalm 122:6-9 (NASB)

As I’ve already mentioned, Prime Minister Netanyahu told us that “When Israel acts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons that could destroy Israel and threaten every American city, every city that you come from, we’re not only protecting ourselves. We’re protecting you.”

Similarly, if and when America acts to protect Israel, we wouldn’t just be helping Israel.  We would helping America by bringing God’s blessings upon ourselves. 

Margot Armer

What’s Your Superpower?

Some years ago, three of my grandchildren were asking each other, “What’s your superpower?” I had to tell them--and I also have to tell you--that unlike Spider-man and Superman, born-again believers are meant to be real superheroes with real superpowers. 

Here’s what Paul told the Corinthians about their superpowers:

Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. There are various kinds of workings, but the same God who works all things in all. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, and to another workings of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of languages, and to another the interpretation of languages. But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires. (1 Co 12:4–11 WMB)

If you’re a believer, what’s your superpower? In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” (NETFull)  If you haven’t received power—if He hasn’t come upon you yet—please read this page.

Margot Armer

Be Fruitful and Multiply

I can remember a time when even Protestants knew birth control was wrong.  I’m not talking about abortion here.  I’m talking about birth control. When I was young, although condoms and diaphragms were widely available, birth control was actually illegal throughout the United States. It wasn’t until 1965 that a law banning birth control was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Today, almost every believer is familiar with the passage in Genesis Chapter Two where God tells Adam he must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  But how many people realize God gave mankind an EARLIER commandment in Chapter One? The very first commandment God ever gave mankind is found in Genesis 1:28, and it begins, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.”

I suspect that back in the first part of Genesis nobody had any problem with Part A of that commandment (Be fruitful and multiply). But by Genesis 11 mankind had trouble obeying Part B (Fill the earth and subdue it). Instead, “Then they said, “Come, letʼs build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise we will be scattered across the face of the entire earth” (Genesis 11:4 NET Bible). 

We know what happened. God wanted mankind to fill the earth and subdue it. Mankind wanted to stay right where they were. Verse 8 says, “So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building the city.”

I am older than the modern State of Israel, so birth control is something I no longer need to worry about. But if you’re young and you’re married, and you’re seeking God’s will about having children, I can tell you what the Bible says:  it tells you to “Be fruitful and multiply.” It is the first commandment God ever gave mankind. I suspect He thinks it is important.

Margot Armer

God Votes Trump

Like it or not—and I happen to like it—it’s a twenty-first century miracle that President Trump is alive and well after Saturday’s shooting. I think it’s a sign that God votes Trump. We need to keep praying for His protection. 

If there’s one thing I envy about the British, it’s the fact that their national anthem, “God Save the King,” is actually a prayer—and a very long prayer at that. Here are my two favorite verses:

O Lord our God arise,
Scatter our enemies,
And make them fall!
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all! 

Not in this land alone,
But be God’s mercies known,
From shore to shore!
Lord make the nations see,
That men should brothers be,
And form one family,
The wide world o’er.

I especially like the first of those two verses. When it comes to America’s enemies (or Israel’s) I especially want God to “Confound their politics” and “Frustrate their knavish tricks.” I also hope I’m praying along with other Americans who may happen to see and sing these verses, “On Thee our hopes we fix, God save us all!”

Margot Armer

How To Walk On Water

“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” (Matthew 14:25-29 KJV)

If Peter wanted to walk on water, why didn’t he just pray, “Lord, give me the ability to walk on water?” Instead, he said, “Lord, if that’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” This passage doesn’t say this in so many words, but I’m convinced it was because Peter knew that God wouldn’t tell Peter to do something that Peter couldn’t do. When Jesus said “Come,” Peter walked on the water on the strength of that one word alone.

How does this apply to me today?

• If God tells me to love my enemies (and He does) I can love my enemies.

• If God tells me to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength (and He does that too) I can love God with every fiber of my being.

• If God tells me to forgive, I can forgive.

• If God tells me not to judge, I can refrain from judging.

Will I do these things perfectly? Probably not.  I may, like Peter, get my eyes on the storm and begin to sink. But I know what to do if that happens.  With Peter, I will cry out and say, “Lord, save me” (verse 30). And I have every confidence that Jesus will stretch forth His hand and catch me.

Margot Armer

You Can’t Take It With You, But You Can Send It On Ahead

My husband says he has never seen a hearse with a U-Haul trailer behind it.  

It has been said that there’s nothing wrong with possessing riches, but there’s everything wrong with riches possessing you. For one thing, you really can’t take it with you: “For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out” (1 Timothy 6:7 WEB).  

On the other hand, you really can send treasures on ahead:  Jesus said, “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 WEB).

People talk about “filthy lucre,” but money itself is neither good nor bad.  It is the love of money and what we do with money that gets people into trouble:  “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10 WEB).

Are you rich?  Here’s what Paul told Timothy to tell the rich people in Timothy’s congregation:

Charge those who are rich in this present world that they be not arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19 WEB)

And what if you’re not so rich?  Here’s what Jesus has to say to the rest of us:

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God’s Kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:30-33 (WEB)

Margot Armer

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Happy Fourth!

Many believers know that the nation of Israel was born in a day on May 14, 1948, in fulfillment of Isaiah 66:8-11:

Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day, or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God. “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her.” (Isaiah 66:8-10 NIV)

Israel isn’t the only nation that was born in a day.  The United States of America was also born in a day:  July 4, 1776, is the day when the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.

What about you?  Are you a believer? Like Israel and like America, every born again believer was also born in a day--and I’m not talking about your birthday, because no matter who your parents were, you can’t be “born Christian” or “born Messianic.” You have to be born again.  Jesus said  “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3 NIV). Whether or not we remember the exact calendar date on which it happened, there was a specific moment on a specific day when every believer was born again.

Freedom is something that none of us can take for granted--especially if we happen to be believers.  Please pray for Israel, for the United States of America, and for born again believers everywhere. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1 NIV)

Margot Armer