A lot of the book of Amos is fairly brutal and bleak. Then the Sovereign Lord showed me another vision. In it I saw a basket filled with ripe fruit. “What do you see, Amos?” he asked. I replied, “A basket full of ripe fruit.” Then the Lord said, “Like this fruit, Israel is ripe for punishment! I will not […]
Read More MWTM: Amos Part 2 – Hope of RestorationThe scope of the prophecies of Amos is intriguing. Amos comes from the southern nation of Judah, but the majority of what he is told to say is for the northern nation of Israel. It doesn’t end there, though, for Amos has a remit to speak to a range of nations and powerhouses to let […]
Read More MWTM: Amos Part 1 – He Sees, He KnowsThe Day of the Lord in Joel is not a pleasant experience on initial reading with all the devastation, destruction and desolation. That’s not the only aspect of the day to look forward to. If all of that is the necessary night that needs to happen, then there’s also a day to look forward to. […]
Read More MWTM: Joel Part 2 – Good DayThe prophet Joel is interesting for a lot of reasons and reading what He says in three oracles is fascinating to get an idea of who God is and how He engages not just with His people, but with those around His people. A major theme of this prophetic utterance is the Day of the […]
Read More MWTM: Joel Part 1 – Bad DayBeing unfaithful is not something that happens without consequences. Some of those are clearly self-inflicted. There are things, however that is down to how the betrayed lover responds to the infidelity. This is where the character of God shines through with brilliance. I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing […]
Read More MWTM: Hosea Part 2 – The FaithfulGod speaks – do we respond? The holy book for Christians is referred to as the Bible. This book, however, is a vast library featuring a collection of writings from a variety of authors communicating a wide range of topics using a multitude of writing techniques. These are works to be considered and admired for […]
Read More MWTM: March With The Minors – PreludeI love a good political thriller. The intrigue, the ambition, the aspiration, the connections, the soaring hopes, the corrupting, the demise, the mess and in some cases the lessons to learn that might point to some sort of redemption. Might. A lot of the political thrillers I come across don’t tend to have much in […]
Read More Finding A Rule That’s RightThere is something about being in their company. There was food. Decent food too. Drinking. Good drinks too. One person would ask a question and before in no time at all there was a conversational flow. Sometimes autobiographical, sometimes instructional, sometimes humorous, sometimes profound. There was no obligation to speak – it was voluntary. One […]
Read More When We Gather … A Few Key IngredientsTax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! (Luke 15:1-2) Aren’t we making our way home? The setting sees certain religious observers critiquing Jesus for the people that He hung […]
Read More Are All Sons Lost?One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” (Luke 9:18) You know what He does. You have heard the reputation of the works that He’s done. But don’t think for a moment that you have him sussed out. He […]
Read More Who Is This Guy? (Think About It)
Life With CD 