Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Revelation 10:1-11; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 30:11-14 Often, we relegate sin to only really bad things. We consider murderers and thieves to be heinous sinners but small missteps to be easily rationalized. Is that the way that God views sin?Continuing the judgments of the prophets, Zephaniah proclaims judgment upon Judah and the surrounding nations but notice why they are under ...  Read More

Habakkuk 1:1-3:19; Revelation 9:1-21; Psalm 137:1-9; Proverbs 30:10 Do you think that it is a sign of spiritual immaturity if you have questions for God or doubts that creep into your mind? What if you struggle to make sense of God’s character and the circumstances of your life? Is that a sign of spiritual weakness?When we read the book of Habakkuk, we encounter a prophet who is struggling to make...  Read More

Nahum 1:1-3:19; Revelation 8:1-13; Psalm 136:1-26; Proverbs 30:7-9 How quickly the powerful fall. Super Bowl winners quickly become last-place teams, powerful CEOs are sent packing, and impressive nations collapse. We need to understand that our success is based not on our accomplishments but on the grace and power of God.Nahum is writing roughly 140 years after Jonah. Nineveh repented of their si...  Read More

Micah 5:1-7:20; Revelation 7:1-17; Psalm 135:1-21; Proverbs 30:5-6 If we have eyes to see, we can always see God at work. He is always doing something in us and around us, so we must pay attention. Even, maybe especially, during hardship, difficulty, and pain, God is at work.Micah describes the judgment God will bring against Israel and the surrounding nations but amid the judgment comes a powerfu...  Read More

Micah 1:1-4:13; Revelation 6:1-17; Psalm 134:1-3; Proverbs 30:1-4 People can often be superstitious. They watch their favorite sports team wearing the same shirt and sitting in the same chair as they did the week before, thinking that will provide victory. In Romania, many people will walk into a church on Sunday mornings and immediately walk out but believe that God will now bless them. These str...  Read More

Jonah 1:1-4-11; Revelation 5:1-14; Psalm 133:1-3; Proverbs 29:26-27 In our culture, people struggle with the idea of God’s justice. They can’t understand how a loving God could send people to hell or make moral statements throughout the Bible. People at all times and in all places have always struggled to embrace the picture of God in Scripture, but often for very different reasons.Jonah struggles...  Read More

Obadiah 1:1-21; Revelation 4:1-11; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 29:24-25 There is a song in the Disney film “Newsies” where a teen actor proclaims that he is “the king of New York.” He got his picture in the newspaper and feels like he can do anything. Nothing is impossible for the king. Similar attitudes of believing we are the ultimate authority over our lives are inherent in our broken hearts. Wher...  Read More

Amos 7:1-9:15; Revelation 3:7-22; Psalm 131:1-3; Proverbs 29:23 You can communicate with the God of the universe! If that doesn’t amaze you, I don’t know what will. The God who made the world and made you wants to talk to you!A large portion of the Bible is God communicating with his people. The letters to the churches in Revelation begin with, “These are the words of…” God wants to talk to his pe...  Read More

Amos 4:1-6:14; Revelation 2:18-3:6; Psalm 130:1-8; Proverbs 29:21-22 Sometimes families and friends out of love for an individual caught in sin and addiction will hold an intervention. They will confront the person with their behavior and challenge them to repent and seek help. The goal is to force the person into a changed life. God often has to do the same thing with us.In Amos 4 God showed how ...  Read More

Amos 1:1-3:15; Revelation 2:1-17; Psalm 129:1-8; Proverbs 29:19-20 As God speaks through Amos, presenting His judgments against nations, several familiar “bad guys” show up. We read that the Philistines will be wiped out and the Edomites’ fortresses “consumed.” These judgments for continued wrongdoing seem, at first, only against enemies of God.And then, suddenly, we see Judah’s name. Following th...  Read More

Joel 1:1-3:21; Revelation 1:1-20; Psalm 128:1-6; Proverbs 29:18 Two major themes throughout the Bible are salvation and judgment. Judgment is the consequence for those who have not found salvation in Christ. These ideas are essentially two sides of the same coin. When Christ comes back what will face all of humanity is either judgment or salvation.Joel describes God’s judgment coming upon the nati...  Read More

Hosea 10:1-14:9; Jude 1:1-25; Psalm 127:1-5; Proverbs 29:15-17 A baseball game is not over until the final out and football games are not over until time has expired. Similarly, until someone dies there is always the opportunity for them to receive eternal life. It is never too late until their life is over.Hosea has consistently pointed out the sins of Israel. The immensity of their sin seems so ...  Read More