Little Bethlehem

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 4:13-5:15

TO CHEW ON: "But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from old
From everlasting." - Micah 5:2

This often-quoted passage from Micah is a prediction of Messiah's birthplace. The students of Scripture in Jesus' day took it as such (Matthew 2:5,6; John 7:41,42) and all Christendom since has considered Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfillment of it and part of the proof that He really was/is Messiah.

I wonder, did Joseph ever connect this prophecy with what the angel had told him (Matthew 1:20,21), or Mary with what Gabriel had told her about the baby she would bear ("...and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever..." - Luke 1:32,33)?

I've always imagined that they felt upset and nervous about the need to travel from Galilee to Bethlehem so close to Mary's due date. But maybe their angst was also accompanied by an undercurrent of epiphany and excitement. God had told them His secret in private and now He was engineering events so that the details would fit with prophecy!

Of course they still had to live through those uncomfortable days of travel, that panicky time of finding a place—any place—where Mary could birth her baby. No matter how they put the two together, there was still lots of room for faith to be stretched.

You know, we're in God's story too. Of course, not in the way Joseph and Mary were. But we are part of events that are playing out as Jesus and the prophets foretold. Let's live our roles, no matter how insignificant they seem, with the faith that God has all the details in hand as He did for Joseph and Mary.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for these Bible prophets and prophecies that bolster my faith in You and Your plan. Please help me to have implicit faith in You as I play my part. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A 700-year-old prophecy

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 5-7; Psalm 131

TO CHEW ON: "'But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
from everlasting.'" Micah 5:2

Near the time of Jesus' birth stargazers, "wise men" from the east followed a mysterious star to Judea. They believed it was a supernatural announcement of the birth of the King of the Jews.  They stopped in Jerusalem to inquire of King Herod about the whereabouts of this baby king. He was understandably puzzled (and vexed and disturbed—as far as he knew, he was the king of the Jews)!

He summoned the Jewish religious scholars. They quoted our verse from Micah as the prophecy concerning the birthplace of such a king (Matthew 2:6). Bethlehem was also the birthplace of David, the beginning of the Davidic line, from which the Jews  believed the Messiah would come (Matthew 2:5; John 5:41,42).

The fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem when his parents actually lived in Galilee was as flukey as some of the seemingly random things that happen to us. Who would have connected the fulfillment of a seven-hundred-year-old prophecy with a census decree by a very secular Roman ruler?

As we reflect on the accuracy of this ancient prophecy and God's use of a secular ruler to accomplish His purposes, let's be encouraged about our own lives. For no person or circumstance can stymie God's plans and purposes for us either as we seek Him and live under His direction - Jeremiah 29:11-13.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to relax in the knowledge that You have my future in Your hands and can, with great efficiency, use every life event to fulfill your plans for me and in me. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 131

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Shepherd-King

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah1-4; Psalm 130

TO CHEW ON: "I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob,
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel;
I will put them together like sheep of the fold,
Like a flock in the midst of their pasture;
They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.
The one who breaks open will come up before them;
They will break out,
Pass through the gate,
And go out by it;
And their King will pass before them,
With the Lord at their head." - Micah 2:12,13

In the middle of this pronouncement of woe on evildoers (Micah 2:1-5) and an exposé of lying prophets and wicked rulers (Micah 2:6-11 and 3:1-12) Micah inserts a little bit of comfort.

He talks about a leader who will round up the exiles and lead them back home like a shepherd leads his flock home (Micah 2:12-13). But this is no ordinary shepherd but also a King. The writer of my Bible's study notes on Micah says about this passage:

"This prophecy of the Shepherd-King, the divine deliverer, would have brought joy to Micah's hearers … 'The one who breaks open' is also a messianic title, meaning 'deliverer.' and adding to the comforting assurance of return from exile the hope of one who would be a shepherd-king to all who recognize His caring authority" - Willard S. Elijahson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1206.

Of course we recognize in this metaphor of the shepherd, Jesus, who used it of Himself - John 10:11.

A brief overview of how He shepherds us, helps us appreciate all He is and does for us:

• He leads us to "green pastures" and "still waters" so we have all we need - Psalm 23:1,2.

• He is tender with the young and vulnerable - Isaiah 40:11.

• He gathers and brings back the strays - Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:11.

• He is also our King - Ezekiel 37:24; Micah 2:12, 13 (our focus verse).

• He gives His life for the sheep - John 10:11.

• He will supervise the reward ceremony in heaven where He will also "wipe away every tear" and continue to lead us to "living fountains of water" - 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 7:17.

Jesus, our Shepherd-King—what a rich thought to meditate on. We can thank Him for how He has shepherded us in the past. We can pray for His continued guidance now. And we can look forward to His deliverance, leadership, and reign as our Shepherd-King after our earthly life is done.


PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, thank You for all the ways You have shepherded me, supplying needs, and leading with tenderness. I pray for those in my circle who have strayed from You. Please be the Seeking Shepherd to them. Help me to live within the bounds of Your care throughout life and to eternity. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 130

The Bible Project VIDEO: Micah (Read Scripture Series)







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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Worship tug-of-war

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Micah 7:1-20

TO CHEW ON: “Therefore I will look to the LORD,
I will wait for the God of my salvation
My God will hear me.” Micah 7:7

Micah’s hopeful declaration: “I will look to the LORD; I will wait …My God will hear” comes out of a deep desire to see Judah turn back to God.

Micah prophesied at the same time as Isaiah. They preached between when Israel was divided into two (Israel and Judah) and the destruction of the temple. Canaanite idolatry was popular. Though King Hezekiah had legislated reforms and had won a victory over Assyria, the people were still spiritually enslaved to idols. Micah knew: “Judah was bound to fall unless the nation turned back in wholehearted repentance” - Willard S. Elijahson, “Introduction to Micah,” New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1201.

And so Micah’s prophecies are full of warnings of what will happen if the people persist in worshiping idols versus enticements to come back to God. What “carrots” did he hold before the people of his time?

• God would be their teacher - Micah 4:2.

• God would be their righteous judge - Micah 4:3.

• God’s fair judgments would bring peace and security - Micah 4:3,4.

• If they repented God would shine light into their darkness - Micah 7:8,9.

• God would shepherd them and lead them to good places - Micah 7:14.

• With mercy and compassion God would forgive their sins - Micah 7:18,19.

We live in a time when idolatry looks different but is no less real. We are tempted to worship and trust in ourselves, our wealth, education, entertainment, science, technology, government, the democratic process, our legal system etc. But these things are, finally, no more reliable or efficacious than the images, high places, and divining ceremonies of the ancients. They will never deliver us from existential angst—that hole in our spirits that drives us to lust, greed, selfishness, pride, deception, etc., which inspire personal and interpersonal turmoil. Ours is a hole that can only be filled satisfactorily with God and a relationship with Him.

Let’s focus all our worship on God, who will also be these things (teacher, righteous judge, source of peace and security, light, shepherd, forgiving and merciful Saviour) to us.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for faithful Micah whose words are still relevant today. Help me to see through the allure of false worship and to put all my trust in, give all my worship to You. Amen.
MORE: First Sunday of Advent

Today is the first Sunday of Advent! Today’s liturgy begins with this Collect:

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Bethlehem City (Image: Pixabay)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Micah 5:2-15

TO CHEW ON: “But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel
Whose goings forth are from of old
From everlasting.” Micah 5:2


Bethlehem first appears in the Bible as the spot Jacob buries his beloved Rachel when she dies suddenly on their trek through Canaan - Genesis 48:7.

Elimelek is from Bethlehem. When he takes his family to Moab to ride out a famine, he and his sons die. It is to Bethlehem that his widow Naomi returns with her daughter-in-law Ruth, also a widow, some years later - Ruth 1:19.

Boaz is from Bethlehem (Ruth 2:4). He declares his intentions to marry Ruth to the elders at the Bethlehem gate (Ruth 4:11) and their child Obed becomes the grandfather of David (Ruth 4:18-22).

David’s family lives in Bethlehem and he is anointed king there (1 Samuel 16:4, 12). He lives there, working as a shepherd while also employed at the palace (1 Samuel 17:15). He calls Bethlehem his hometown (1 Samuel 20:6) and longs for a drink from the well near the Bethlehem gate (2 Samuel 23:15).

Bethlehem becomes a town of defence under King Rehoboam (son of Solomon, grandson of David) - 2 Chronicles 11:6.

In Micah 5:2 (our passage) Bethlehem is the city out of which Micah prophesies “The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, / From everlasting (literally, “from eternity”) will come.

Jesus is born there - Matthew 2:1. Angels announce the location of His birth to shepherds and they find Him in Bethlehem (Luke 2:11, 15,16).

My study Bible says of the present city of Bethlehem:

“Bethlehem, the city of David, lies five miles south of Jerusalem.… The Church of the Nativity was built by Helena (the mother of Emperor Constantine) in A.D. 328-330, over a site then believed to be the place of Christ’s birth…. In 1934 William Harvey carried on limited excavations, and about 18 inches under the floor of the present church he discovered portions of the mosaic floor of the original church built by Helena… At the eastern end of the chapel is a small crypt. A simple Latin inscription announces the most stupendous event in all history: ‘Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary’” Thompson Chain Bible, p. 2194.

I love how Phillips Brooks brings this iconic city into our personal lives in the third and fourth stanzas of  his beautiful carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

3. How silently , how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in.

PRAYER:

4. O Holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray:
Cast out our sin, and enter in;
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel. (Emphases added)

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Peace—future and now

Mural - Vernon, BC

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 4:1-5:1

TO CHEW ON: "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days....

They shall beat their swords into plowshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war anymore." Micah 4:1, 4

Peace. It's another prophecy for end times.

It's not clear—and Bible scholars don't agree on—whether Micah's prophecy signifies the peace after a war where the combatants have gone back to fighting with literal swords and shields or whether the meaning of "...beat their swords into plowshares / And their spear into pruning hooks" is symbolic. The scene of weapons, whatever they are, turned into farming tools and people peaceful and secure on their own property is wonderful in any case.

However, this is a prophecy that will be fulfilled not only someday on earth as nations live side by side in peace. For peace is a key ingredient in the Kingdom of God. It can rule us right now as we cultivate:

Peaceful reaction:
Jesus' instructions to people when they were mistreated was to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39-42), and to love one's enemies (Matthew 5:44-48).

Peaceful interaction:
Luke's description of the early church shows us a wonderful ideal of harmony between Christians: "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul..." Acts 4:32.

Inner peace:

• We have peace with God (Romans 5:1) because we were made right (reconciled) with Him through Jesus' death (Colossians 1:20).
• This peace is available for everyone and anyone, whatever their race or nationality (Acts 10:35-36).
• When we receive Jesus, His Spirit comes to live in us and teach us in all His ways, including the ways of peace (John 14:26-27).
• One fruit of the Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:220.

Have we taken advantage of that peace? We can live at peace with God, our fellow Christians, even our enemies!

PRAYER: Dear God, I love the picture of weapons being turned into tools of nurture and fruitfulness. Please help me to be an eager pupil in the ways of peace. Amen.

MORE: Remembrance Day

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day in Canada.  We remember in ceremonies at cenotaphs (or watching on TV) with prayers, readings, laying wreaths, and observing a minute of silence.  In this way we honor the people, dead and alive, who fought against tyranny and oppression in World Wars I, II, the Korean War, and those who are currently active in the Middle East and international peace-keeping missions.

The Remembrance Day mural is a photograph of one of Vernon B.C.'s historical street murals painted by Michelle Loughery & team.




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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

No answer!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 3:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "Then they will cry to the Lord
But He will not hear them;
He will even hide His face from them at that time,
Because they have been evil in their deeds....
So the seers shall be ashamed
And the diviners abashed
Indeed they shall all cover their lips
for there is no answer from God." Micah 3:4,7


What a desperate feeling—to pray and not be heard, to expect and wait for an answer and none comes. Micah's denouncement on his contemporary prophets reminds me of Israel's first king. Saul found himself in this very predicament. After the prophet Samuel died and he faced the Philistine army, he cried out to God in desperation himself but "...the Lord did not answer him..."  2 Samuel 28:6. He felt driven to seek an answer from a witch and discovered his sealed fate (read the whole story in 2 Samuel 28:1-25).

The Bible gives some clues as to why we might pray and not get an answer:

• We have been disobedient - Deuteronomy 1:42-45.

• We are holding onto sin - Psalm 66:18.

• We have ignored God's rebuke and been indifferent to Him - Proverbs 1:23-28.

• Have have been callous toward the poor - Proverbs 21:13.

• We have despised God's laws - Proverbs 28:9.

• We have blood on our hands - Isaiah 1:15.

• We are living in sin - Isaiah 59:2 and Micah 3:4.

• We have stubbornly refused to listen to God's words in the past - Zechariah 7:11-13.

• We waver and are double-minded, asking with a doubting attitude - James 1:6-8.

• We ask with self-indulgent motives - James 4:3.

If we have been praying but the heavens seem like brass, perhaps we should examine our hearts in the light of the above to see if any of them describe us.

PRAYER: Dear God, please shine the light of Your word on my heart. Show me where my attitudes and actions have blocked the answer to my prayers. Amen.

MORE: Unanswered prayer quotes

"When He grants our prayers,
it is because He loves us.
When He does not, it is also
because He loves us." - O. Hallesby

"If the request is wrong, God says, 'No.'
If the timing is wrong, God says, 'Slow.'
If you are wrong, God says, 'Grow.'
But if the request is right, the timing is right
and you are right, God says, 'Go!'" - Anonymous

"God has not always answered my prayers.
If He had, I would have married the wrong man—several times!" - Ruth Bell Graham

All quotes from Prayer Points, compiled by Randall D. Roth, pp. 196, 197.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God's heart for the poor

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 2:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "You who are named the house of Jacob,
Is the Spirit of the Lord restricted?
Are these His doings?
Do not my words do good
To him who walks uprightly?" - Micah 2:7

From Micah's scoldings we begin to understand the extent of Judah's sin. Not only were the people guilty of idolatry but also injustice.

Micah paints the picture of someone lying awake at night, conniving how he can add to his property and in the morning enacting that plan (Micah 2:1,2). Instead of protecting society's most vulnerable, the powerful act like returning warriors as they ruthlessly strip their trusting neighbours of life's essentials and evict women (probably widows) and their children from their homes (Micah 2:8,9).

If there's one thing God hates, it's injustice to the poor, the alien, and the helpless. His passion for the vulnerable comes out again and again in the Bible, no less here in Micah's condemning words: "Arise and depart for this is not your rest." In plain English: "Those who had removed others from a restful life would be removed themselves because they had defiled God's land with their sinfulness" - Willard S. Elijahson's commentary on Micah, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1206.

At this time of year, when we tend to focus on ourselves and the upcoming Advent season and Christmas celebration, let's not neglect to remember the poor. How might we do that?

• Put money in the Salvation Army kettles when they make their appearance in December. Or volunteer to man a kettle for a few hours (it's probably not too soon to contact them now and arrange to be a volunteer in December).

• Take part in church and community initiatives that help the poor (collecting toys and food for special Christmas hampers, contributing to Christmas funds like our local Christmas Bureau).

• Donate to the local foodbank (grocery items or money).

• Welcome the poor when they come to church and perhaps invite them for a meal to get to know them.

• Pray for wisdom when panhandlers and beggars approach on the street asking for money. Consider buying them a meal instead of giving cash.

• Volunteer to help out with Christmas dinner events served to the poor and homeless (locally Union Gospel Mission serves an annual Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners).

• Give money in your loved one's name to World Vision or other organizations that offer proxy gifts to impoverished peoples in the world, instead of lavishing on each other gifts we really don't need.  (Browse the World Vision Gift Catalogue)

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me Your heart for the poor and unfortunate. Help me to be obedient when I sense You stirring me to love in practical ways. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Do we have "high places"?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 1:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "For behold the Lord is coming out of His place;
He will come down
And tread on the high places of the earth." - Micah 1:3

"Prophecies of Christ make Micah's book glow with hope and encouragement," says Willard Elijahson in my Bible's introduction to Micah (New Spirit-Filled Bible, p. 1202). It's a great book to read as we look forward to the season of Advent that begins in a few weeks' time.

Micah, the man, prophesied alongside Isaiah. Historians date his writings between 704-696 B.C. during the reigns of kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. His message is directed to inhabitants of Samaria and Jerusalem.

He begins his message by announcing the coming of the Lord. We get the picture of someone coming from elsewhere: "...the Lord is coming out of His place; He will come down..." - Micah 1:3.

The place God chooses to visit is noteworthy—the "high places of the earth." Though we might read this as elevated land masses (mountain peaks perhaps, which would give a good view of all the surrounding area) the people of that time would probably have understood high places to mean elevated pagan altars. God was coming to check out their disloyalty—the places they compromised, flirted with, and gave in to idols. Awkward! Embarrassing! Incriminating!

The picture of God coming down to check out the high places of Judah prompts me to ask, what if I applied this image to my society, my life? What would God find?

Dennis McCallum in his book Unlocking the Mysteries of Satan explains how, at the fall, Satan took charge of the world system or kosmos. He says:

"Perhaps the definitive passage on kosmos is 1 John 2:15-17.

'Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.'

Accordingly the kosmos is primarily a system of values. The lust of the flesh refers to living for ungodly pleasure. The lust of the eyes refers to owning beautiful things or gaining control over beautiful people. The boastful pride of life refers to the way humans try to establish identity and importance by competing with each other for attention, power, and admiration" (Kindle Location, 871).

McCallum goes on to suggest that the church and we as individual Christians have gone easy on many of these attitudinal sins:

"Many Christians think of 'worldly' things as gross sins like wanton sex, for example .... Many of the same Christians, however, would never recognize the world-system when looking at the Harvard University green or the Sears Tower. A glossy magazine advertisement showing a family luxuriating in a hot tub in Tahiti or a shiny new SUV would not ring the kosmos bell in their minds" - KL 887.

Are we in these ways building our own high places? As I imagine God coming to me, I ask, what high places is He finding in my life? Is He finding some in yours?

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to see my attitudes from Your point of view. Show me where I have bought into the world system and perspective. Amen.

MORE: Throwing down 'high place' attitudes

"Instead of arguing with Satan, Christians must learn to share the Word of God with him, like Jesus did. To match up with someone this smart, we need the help of someone even smarter, and God is infinitely smarter than Satan" - McCallum, K.L. 767.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The work of fruitless effort

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Micah 6:1-16

TO CHEW ON: “You shall sow, but not reap;
You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine but not drink wine.” Micah 6:15


Have you ever experienced fruitless effort—worked hard on a project only to have it fall apart before it was finished; created a product that didn’t sell; put years into training that never yielded a dollar of return in salary?

Fruitless effort is what Micah is predicting here for the people of Judah and Israel? But why? The preceding verses of Micah 6 give us some clues:

• Their worship had become a dead form and ritual (Micah 6:6,7). The attitude of their hearts was far from complying with the three things that God required: “But to do justly / To love mercy, / And to walk humbly with your God” - Micah 6:8.

• Their work was characterized by evil and deceit. Notice the list of things that offended God in the way they went about their day-to-day business: “...wickedness … short measure … wicked scales … deceitful weights … violence … lies … tongue is deceitful…” Micah 6:10-12.

• These practices seemed to have become part of their culture, a culture that developed under ungodly kings: “For the statues of Omri are kept/ All the works of Ahab’s house are done; / And you walk in their counsels” - Micah 6:16.

Could it be that some of our work failures, our fruitless effort fiascos, come about for the same reasons? We shove justice and mercy to the bottom of the priority list (aren’t they more for bleeding hearts?). Instead of walking with God we drag behind or race ahead of Him, working to our own timetables and ambitions? We mimic the work practices of the culture around us. Why not work for cash and so avoid reporting income and paying tax? Why not take a few office supplies home for the kids? Why not call in sick when we feel we need a day off? Everyone else is doing and getting away with it!

A paragraph on this passage in the Theology of Work Bible Commentary sums it up well:

“This is a reminder that the world of work does not exist in a vacuum, separated from the rest of life. If we do not ground our values and priorities in God’s covenant, then our lives and work will be ethically and spiritually incoherent. If we do not please God in our work, we cannot please him in our worship” -  Theology of Work Commentary, accessed through BibleGateway.com (emphasis added).

And if we do not please Him in our work, we should not be surprised if He withholds His blessing from our efforts.

PRAYER: Dear Father, please help me to keep justice, mercy, and walking with you (not ahead or behind) at the top of my work priorities. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What's the name of your god?

Micah Foretells Christ - Gerard Jollain

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 4:1-5:1

TO CHEW ON: "For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever." Micah 4:5

Micah's thoughtful little statement in our focus verse is as true now as it was in 700 B.C. In our culture we don't worship idol statues, but we do each have a god and we demonstrate who it is  by our lives (or as Micah says it, "we will walk each in the name of his god").

Wealth, power, attention (how many followers we have on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, etc.), praise, a gorgeous home, a well-toned body, career, recreation — all these and more can be gods (one of the definitions of god: any person or thing made the chief object of one's love, interest or aspiration").

A little overview of some Bible references to false gods helps us understand them, and the process and folly of worshiping them.

1. They are impotent (Jeremiah 10:5) and inferior to the God who can create (1 Chronicles 16:26).  Though they may appear attractive and powerful, someday their fate will be that of the Philistine god Dagon in the presence of the ark  — broken and in pieces on the floor (1 Samuel 5:4).

2. The work of one's own hands can be a false god (Isaiah 2:8). Though Isaiah was referring to worshiping idol statues that people had carved, we readily, and I think correctly, identify such worship with putting supreme value on ourselves and our own achievements (Secular Humanism), a prevalent value in our society today.

3. False worship may draw us into some strange activities (Ezekiel 21:21).

4. Who/what we worship is a choice we make. We make that choice by who or what we serve. We can't have two masters at once (Matthew 6:24). We choose to worship something or someone other than God when we ignore His commands (1 Kings 18:18). It is also possible to turn from God, back to the things we served before (Galatians 4:8-10).

5. Refusing to bow down to the gods of our culture may make us stand out and could even prove dangerous (Daniel 3:12-18).

6. But we can decide for God. Let's affirm, with Paul, "yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live." (1 Corinthians 8:6).

Or, as Micah says it:

"We will walk in the name of the Lord our God."

PRAYER: Dear God, in the crush of life, when my mind is so easily taken up with all that I need to do,  help me not to make a false god out of anything, even ministry and Christian service.  Amen. 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Waiting... waiting...

Micah - Gustave Dore

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 7:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "Therefore I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me." Micah 7:7

Micah (in the light of what he has seen and proclaimed:
- that his people continue callously on their course, its rulers thumbing their noses at righteousness and justice - Micah 7:1-4
- that spiritual rot has penetrated the most intimate relationships—friends, lovers, sons and daughters, the members of one's own household - Micah 7:5-6) takes a stand.

What will he do? "I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation."

My Bible's footnote calls these statements "Micah's creed for crisis times. They make specific what the vision, attitude and faith of a believer should be" - W. S. Elijahson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1211.

This two-pronged response is one we too can make when trouble comes.

• We can look to God instead of focusing on the distressing circumstance, the bad state of the nation, our ill health, our family hurts and dysfunctions.

• We can wait for God, though this might not be as easy as it sounds.

[Wait - yachal means to wait, tarry, hope, trust, expect, be patient, remain in anticipation. Yachal is often translated 'hope' - (Psalm 31:24; 33:18; 130:5,7; 147:11). The correct way to hope and wait for the Lord is to steadfastly expect His mercy, His salvation, and His rescue and while waiting not take matters into one's own hands (cf. Genesis 15:1-17:22 - the story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar & Ishmael) - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Bible, p.  1211- ] Emphasis added.

Isn't that the rub—resisting the temptation to take matters into one's own hands? But the very near Christmas celebration reminds us that God does come through when the time is right.

"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" Galatians 4:4-5.

Hallelujah!

PRAYER: Dear God, waiting is one of the hardest things for me to do. Help me to wait for You in matters where I'd like to see action, movement, and results, knowing Your timing is always the best. Amen.

MORE: Fourth Sunday of Advent
Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. The liturgy for the day begins with this prayer:

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A three-part test for living

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 6:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly
To love mercy
And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

On analyzing the law, the rabbis found 613 statutes to keep.*

In Psalm 15, David tells us how to "…abide in Your tabernacle, dwell in Your holy hill … never be moved" in 11 principles.

In Isaiah 33:15, these are restated in six commands.

But here in Micah, the way to live pleasing to God is further distilled into three precepts:

• Do justly

• Love mercy

• Walk humbly with your God.

Justice. Mercy. Humility.

Restated in plain speech:

• Do what is right, fair, honest and above-board.

• Love mercy [chesed  - kindness, unfailing love, tenderness, faithfulness] and so live in a rounded-edge way as we act out that justice.

• Live humbly with an attitude that puts itself under God and His direction and is realistic before people (lives with the knowledge, for example, that all one's gifts, talents, successes are many-faceted—the result of the way God made us, orchestrated our circumstances, lavished on us the gifts of the parents, upbringing, education, modern conveniences of our time, etc.).

Here is Micah 6:8 from The Message:

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
    what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
    be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
    take God seriously.

We could use these three things in a simple test for every thought, action, reaction, plan, goal:

- Is it just?
- Is it kind, merciful, faithful?
- Is it humbly submitted to God?


PRAYER: Dear God, help me to not only know these principles in my head, but to apply them in my everyday life. Amen.

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* Facts from the commentary on Micah by Willard S. Elijahson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1210.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

God came down

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." John 1:14 

(photo © 2015 by V. Nesdoly)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 1:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "For behold the Lord is coming out of His place;
He will come down
And tread on the high places of the earth." Micah 1:3

During this season when we prepare to celebrate the incarnation—Christ coming down as God in flesh—Micah's mention of the LORD also coming down grabs our attention. But as we read all of Micah 1, we see that this descent is altogether different from His coming to that Bethlehem stable as a newborn.

Here His appearance is fearful and powerful. He descends to Israel's and Judah's "high places"—elevated sites where idols were worshiped. And He comes with white hot heat:  

"The mountains will melt under Him /And the valleys will split /Like water soured down a steep place" Micah 1:4

Why the fearful coming down? Why the anger? This is a side of God we don't like to see. As Joseph Scheumann says in the introduction to his article "Five Truths about the Wrath of God:"*

"The doctrine of the wrath of God has fallen on hard times. In today's world, any concept of God's wrath upsets our modern sentiments. … We live in a day where we have set ourselves as the judge and God's character is on trial…"

In the article Scheumann makes (and elaborates on) five points about God's wrath: 

God's wrath is just.
God's wrath is to be feared.
God's wrath is consistent in both Old and New Testament.
God's wrath is his love in action against sin.
God's wrath is satisfied in Christ.

It is the last point that makes the story of God's incarnation in Jesus so incredible. For Jesus was born so that someday He would become the object of God's white-hot anger against sin, for us. He would take the punishment our sins deserved: John 3:16; Romans 5:8-10, 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Timothy 1:15.

We must never apologize for God's wrath against sin (all that is twisted, bad, hurtful…). For it is this wrath combined with His righteousness and love in perfect balance that invented the way for us to be saved from our own sinful nature—through Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to never take lightly Your abhorrence of sin. Thank You for making a way for sinful me to be right with You. Amen. 

*Read all of "Five Truths About the Wrath of God."

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Shepherd and King

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 4:6-5:5

TO CHEW ON: "And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord HIs God
And they shall abide
For now He shall be great
To the ends of the earth." Micah 5:4

Do you see how this passage combines the humanity (shepherd) with the kingly deity of the "One to be Ruler in Israel" who would  "come forth" from Bethlehem? It is the One whose birth we have just celebrated—Jesus! Tomorrow (Epiphany) we will read about wise men who came from the east bearing gifts for the King of the Jews. The depictions of Jesus are full of both pictures.

As a Shepherd:

• Prophets pictured the Lord, Messiah in this way - Psalm 23:1,2; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11.

• Jesus referred to Himself as a shepherd - John 10:11.

• The Apostles call Him shepherd in numerous places e.g.: Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 2:25; Revelation 7:17.

As a King:

• Prophets depict Messiah as a King - Isaiah 9:7; Jeremiah 23:5; Ezekiel 37:25 and of course Micah 5:2.

And Jesus' story is full of references to Him as king

• The wise men brought gifts to the infant king - Matthew 2:2.

• The people lauded Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (Palm Sunday) and welcomed Him as a king - Matthew 21:4-9.

• When Pilate asked Jesus directly, 'Are you a king?' He answered 'Yes': Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:37.

• The Apostles considered Him a king: Acts 2:30; 1 Corinthians 15:25; 1 Timothy 6:15.

These two pictures of Jesus help us keep a healthy balance in our view of Him. Sure He is the caring, self-sacrificing, looking-out-for-us Shepherd. But He is also the majestic, awe-inspiring, fall-on-our-faces-in-worship King and above us in His wisdom and ways (Psalm 50:21).

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for laying aside Your majesty and coming to rescue us from the power of darkness into Your kingdom (Colossians 1:13). I worship You as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Amen.

MORE: "We Shall Behold Him" sung by Sandi Patty

God's three requirements

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 6:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "He has shown you, O man what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?"
- Micah 6:8

Micah's exaggeration in the verse just before today's focus verse is almost humorous:

"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?"

But the next item is no grinning matter:

"Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression
The fruit of my body for the sins of my soul?"

Micah, using exaggeration, is asking, if the extreme sacrifice of one's own child isn't enough to please God, what is? A footnote article in my Bible tells us about the demands of the law:

"The rabbis analyzed the law and found 613 precepts. Those are reduced to eleven principles in Psalm 15, and down to six commands in Isaiah 33:15. But here they have been condensed into three:
1] Remain just / right in all you do.
2] Cherish compassionate kindness and faithfulness.
3] Commit yourself to live in submission to your God" - William S.Elijahson, New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 1210.

Micah is saying that no sacrifice is big enough if the heart is wrong. And a right heart is shown in three simple things: justice, mercy and a humble day-to-day walk with God.

Living with such attitudes is no easier for us now than it was for the Israelites in Micah's day. How can I show (or fail to show) a heart of justice, mercy and humility if:

• I lightly scrape someone's car in a parking lot. The owner is no where around.

• The telemarketer who always calls around dinner time is on the phone again.

• My life takes a path I never envisioned. It includes sickness, heartache and disappointment.

PRAYER: Dear God, please engrave the attitudes of justice, mercy and humble relinquishment on my heart. Help me to not only say 'Yes, yes' with my mouth, but to live out these attitudes when I'm tempted to be dishonest, unkind, bitter or rebellious. Amen.

MORE: It's practical

"The expression of Christian character is not good doing, but God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit Divine characteristics in your life, not good human characteristics. God's life in us expresses itself as God's life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian is that the supernatural is made natural in him by the grace of God, and the experience of this works out in the practical details of life, not in times of communion with God."

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, September 20.

God's three requirements

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 6:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "He has shown you, O man what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?"
- Micah 6:8

Micah's exaggeration in the verse just before today's focus verse is almost humorous:

"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?"

But the next item is no grinning matter:

"Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression
The fruit of my body for the sins of my soul?"

Micah, using exaggeration, is asking, if the extreme sacrifice of one's own child isn't enough to please God, what is? A footnote article in my Bible tells us about the demands of the law:

"The rabbis analyzed the law and found 613 precepts. Those are reduced to eleven principles in Psalm 15, and down to six commands in Isaiah 33:15. But here they have been condensed into three:
1] Remain just / right in all you do.
2] Cherish compassionate kindness and faithfulness.
3] Commit yourself to live in submission to your God" - New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 1210.

Micah is saying that no sacrifice is big enough if the heart is wrong. And a right heart is shown in three simple things: justice, mercy and a humble day-to-day walk with God.

Living with such attitudes is no easier for us now than it was for the Israelites in Micah's day. How can I show (or fail to show) a heart of justice, mercy and humility if:

• I lightly scrape someone's car in a parking lot. The owner is no where around.

• The telemarketer who always calls around dinner time is on the phone again.

• My life takes a path I never envisioned. It includes sickness, heartache and disappointment.

PRAYER: Dear God, please engrave the attitudes of justice, mercy and humble relinquishment on my heart. Help me to not only say 'Yes, yes' with my mouth, but to live out these attitudes when I'm tempted to be dishonest, unkind, bitter or rebellious. Amen.

MORE: It's practical

"The expression of Christian character is not good doing, but God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit Divine characteristics in your life, not good human characteristics. God's life in us expresses itself as God's life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian is that the supernatural is made natural in him by the grace of God, and the experience of this works out in the practical details of life, not in times of communion with God."

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, September 20.

What's the name of your god?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Micah 4:1-5:1

TO CHEW ON: "For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever." Micah 4:5

Micah's thoughtful little statement in our focus verse is as true now as it was in 700 B.C. In our culture we don't worship idol statues, but we do each have a god and we demonstrate who it is  by our lives (or as Micah says it, "we will walk each in the name of his god").

Wealth, power, attention (how many followers we have on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, etc.), praise, a gorgeous home, a well-toned body, career, recreation — all these and more can be gods (one of the definitions of god: any person or thing made the chief object of one's love, interest or aspiration").

A little overview of some Bible references to false gods helps us understand them, and the process and folly of worshiping them.

1. They are impotent (Jeremiah 10:5) and inferior to the God who can create (1 Chronicles 16:26).  Though they may appear attractive and powerful, someday their fate will be that of the Philistine god Dagon in the presence of the ark  — broken and in pieces on the floor (1 Samuel 5:4).

2. The work of one's own hands can be a false god (Isaiah 2:8). Though Isaiah was referring to worshiping idol statues that people had carved, we readily, and I think correctly, identify such worship with putting supreme value on ourselves and our own achievements (Secular Humanism), a prevalent value in our society today.

3. False worship may draw us into some strange activities (Ezekiel 21:21).

4. Who/what we worship is a choice we make. We make that choice by who or what we serve. We can't have two masters at once (Matthew 6:24). We choose to worship something or someone other than God when we ignore His commands (1 Kings 18:18). It is also possible to turn from God, back to the things we served before (Galatians 4:8-10).

5. Refusing to bow down to the gods of our culture may make us stand out and could even prove dangerous (Daniel 3:12-18).

6. But we can decide for God. Let's affirm, with Paul, "yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live." (1 Corinthians 8:6).

Or, as Micah says it:

"We will walk in the name of the Lord our God."

PRAYER: Dear God, in this most busy season, when my mind is so easily taken up with all that needs to be done, help me not to make a false god out of anything, even the Christmas celebration.  Amen.

MORE: "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" - Chris Tomlin version

...Born to reign in us forever,

Now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit,

Rule in all our hearts alone..."