Redemption


Hosea 1-4 Hosea is an example of what an obedient child of the living God does— even when he does not understand. God told Hosea to find a prostitute and marry her, but where does a godly man find such a girl? From the garbage dump, Hosea redeemed her and married her lavishing upon her […]

God’s Invitation Deserves a Response


2 Kings 18, 2 Chron 29-31, Ps 48 When you hear the word consecration, what comes to mind? It means to dedicate oneself to the work of the Lord, and that is what Hezekiah chose to do. As a result of this obedience to God, he was a righteous king, and the nation was also […]

Whirring Wings & the Gospel


Isaiah 18-22 God is such a creative God. When I think of whirring wings, I think of planes but not so in Isaiah’s time. God has given Isaiah a visual picture of several nations opposed to God, and the first is the picture of whirring wings. Dr. Constable says the land of Cush and beyond […]

Sharing the Gospel–without words


2 Kings 16-17, 2 Chron 28  We live in a neighborhood of immigrants who do not speak English. This is not a new phenomenon!  Back in the OT times, God allowed a wicked Assyrian king to carry away the nation of Israel to his foreign land. In their place, he sent other people he had […]

What’s in a nickname?


Micah 1-7 In high school, my biology teacher called the roll and inserted a male name for mine. It stuck, and I was known by that name for the rest of my high school years. No apologies, nothing. Nicknames stick and some are less than desirable, and they hurt. Take, for example, a group of […]

Doomsayers Depart!


Amos 6-9 Do you say, but I am only x, y, z? Do you not think that if God can use a sheepherder, He can use you? Or do you listen to the doomsayers who say, leave us; take your message to other people? Amos faced such backlash in Israel, which was not his home […]

Lessons from a Sheepherder


Amos 1 to 5 You may be like some who relate more to Amos, the humble Sheepherder from Tekoa, than someone who wears their Ph.D. on their sleeve.  Case in point, some years ago, I encountered a pastor who reminded me that he was to be called Dr. Jones.  Some unbelievers react that way when […]