He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is his name. (Amos 4:13) There's a great scene at the end of "The Wizard of Oz" where Dorothy and her friends finally make it to the Emerald City. They had been on the hunt for the Wizard, and ... [Continue Reading]
Just Like Everybody Else (Amos 1-3)
This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent. Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed...” (Amos 2:4) There's a tension as it comes to Christianity. It's complicated, really. The tension is that we receive ... [Continue Reading]
Be Careful, Keep Calm, Don’t Be Afraid (Isaiah 7-8)
Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid.’ (Isaiah 7:4a) The phrase, "Keep Calm and Carry On" dates back further than World War II. The story goes that the British government developed a number of posters to be placed in public areas to improve the morale of its people. Though more than 2.5 million posters were printed, they were never circulated publicly. ... [Continue Reading]
Not Me! (Isaiah 5-6)
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) Life with a one-year-old certainly presents some interesting learning situations. Right now we're working on teaching Madelyn to eat whatever is given to her. She has a special gift of evading a spoon full of food that she doesn't want ... [Continue Reading]
Tired of the Game (Isaiah 1-4)
Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. (Isaiah 1:13) Solomon's wasn't kidding when he said, "there's nothing new under the sun." He was especially right as it comes to the whole game of religion. In fact, the temptation to make religion a game is just as ... [Continue Reading]
Getting Too Big for Your Britches (2 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 26)
But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. (2 Chronicles 26:16) Pride is often hard to see in the mirror. We recognize proud people when we see them, but they don't recognize themselves as being proud. Perhaps that's why pride is such ... [Continue Reading]
Gracious Provisions (Jonah)
Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17) There is a perspective about God that once you make a mistake, He writes you off for good. From my perspective, this is one of the most incorrect views about God that floats around because nothing could be further from the truth. The story ... [Continue Reading]
Swept Away in the Moment (2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25)
The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?” (2 Chronicles 25:10) There are times when the emotion of the moment gets us, and we find ourselves doing things that we wouldn't otherwise do. If we were to stop and think rationally, then ... [Continue Reading]
Listen Up (2 Kings 12-13; 2 Chronicles 24)
Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen. (2 Chronicles 24:19) When I was in elementary school my brothers and I loved playing in the creek near our house. I remember one snow day when we adventured out, and I really wanted to walk on the ice. My older and wiser brothers ... [Continue Reading]
Managing Your Lion (2 Kings 9-11)
So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. (2 Kings 10:28-29) Have you ever seen a lion on a leash? A couple of years ago I had the privilege of visiting the Greenville Zoo in Greenville, South Carolina, and one of ... [Continue Reading]
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