We tend to complicate things. But in today’s Bible reading* Micah lays out God’s simple requirements for His people. And it all comes down to relationship and character traits. We tend to think in terms of Dos and Don’ts. You know, do the Dos and don’t do the Don’ts. But God presents his simple requirements…
With today’s Bible reading* we read the first half of the book of Hosea. God command this prophet to marry a prostitute. And to no surprise, his wife, Gomer, acts just like a prostitute, leaving her husband to follow other lovers. Hosea learns that his life is an object lesson demonstrating God’s relationship with His…
Amos completes his prophecy in today’s Bible reading*. He declares a lot of doom and gloom for God’s people. Of all of the bad things Amos predicts, I think the worst is revealed in Amos 8:11-12. Look, the days are coming— this is the declaration of the Lord God— when I will send a famine…
One of the most insightful classes I had in Pastoral Ministry class in Seminary wasn’t taught by the professor. He was out that day and his grader stepped in for him. He used an illustration of placing “Danger! Bridge Out!” signs on a mountain road. He pointed out the church’s strength of warning of the…
Seven times in today’s Bible reading,* we encounter the term “valiant warriors” (CSB), “mighty warriors” (ESV, LEB, NLT), “mighty men” (KJV), “fighting men” (NIV), “warriors” (MSG). The word translated as warriors/men refers not only to their fighting occupation but to their strong/noble character. One Hebrew lexicon says, “Although [the book of Chronicles] generally uses the…