Tag Archives: Christianity

December 17, 2014 Bible Study

December 16, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Christmas is coming soon. Let us remember what it is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Let us strive to not be caught up in the commercialism which is what this season is about for many in our society today.

Proverbs 30:7-9

I have always connected with this proverb. I ask God that He give me just enough to meet my needs and perhaps a bit more to help those less fortunate than I. But never so much that I forget that it all comes from Him. I also ask that He not leave me with so little that I am tempted to do wrong to meet my needs.

Psalm 136:1-26

What a wonderful psalm to follow up that proverb. Give thanks to the Lord. He remembers us. He saves us. He gives us food to eat. His faithful love endures forever.

Revelation 8:1-13

    You do not realize it until now, but up until this passage John’s vision of heaven had a lot of sound (mostly various praises being sung and shouted). When the seventh seal was broken there was silence throughout heaven for half an hour. I find the scene which ends the silence interesting. An angel combines the prayers of God’s people with the smoke of incense as an offering before God. The interesting thing is that the burning incense was thrown down on to the earth, where it caused great damage, yet the prayers of God’s people continued to rise up before God as an offering to Him.
    The next thing that happens is that seven angels prepare to blow seven trumpets. After each of the first four trumpets is blown the passage describes a disaster occurring upon the earth. Then after these events of massive destruction the message goes out that even greater terror is yet to come. While this passage is about how things will get worse and troubles will come upon the earth in greater intensity and frequency as the end of the world approaches, there is an element here as well reminding us that there will be torment and trouble until the day of the Lord’s return.
    There were two news stories this week which bring this thought home to me. One was the story about the hostages taken in the coffee shop in Sydney, Australia. The other was a story about a man who shot 6 people throughout the area close to where I live. Both of these stories broke my heart. Yet they are the sort of thing we should expect in this broken world and will only get more common and worse and the day of the Lord’s return approaches.

Nahum 1-3:19

The prophet Nahum speaks about the fall of Ninevah and Assyria. Ninevah was a city of great wealth and power, but her people did not acknowledge God. They believed that they could do as they pleased with no negative consequences. By acting on that belief they made themselves the enemies of God and God brought about their destruction. The prophet describes the fate of all who choose to be God’s enemies.

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December 16, 2014 Bible Study — The Lord Has Told You What Is Good

December 15, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Proverbs 30:5-6

Every last one of God’s words prove true. If we take refuge in His words He will faithfully protect us. But be careful not to rely on your interpretation of His words when that interpretation goes beyond what God actually said.

Psalm 135:1-21

I will serve God and I will praise Him. God has done great things. He listens to our prayers and speaks to us. He sees what we do and gives us guidance. Those who worship things made by man are as foolish and lacking as the things they worship. Those who place their trust in things made by man do not truly see and cannot hear the truth about the world.

Revelation 7:1-17

The passage refers to 144,000 who will be sealed with God’s seal from among the tribes of Israel, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes. There are arguments about whether this number is literal, or merely symbolic. I tend to think it is merely symbolic. Whether or not this number is literal, it is certainly symbolic. The number 12 indicates completeness. Twelve of something indicates a complete set. The number 1,000 indicates a number that cannot be easily counted. If there are 1,000 of something it means that there are so many they cannot truly be counted. So the number of those sealed is 12 times 12 times 1,000. This means to me that the number of the people of Israel who will be saved is a complete representation of all of the people of Israel.
Despite the symbolism I talked about in the last paragraph, it is clear from the next part of today’s passage that the Jews, the members of the people of Israel, who are sealed is a limited number, a very large, but still limited, number. This is not to in any way denigrate the Jews, the people of Israel. It is to point out that we have the 144,000 Jews who are sealed with God’s seal who are contrasted with the countless numbers of those who died in the great tribulation. I believe that this passage is very intentional in showing that while a large number of people of Jewish descent will enter into heaven, the total number of those who will die for their faith will be many more than that. There will be martyrs from every people and nation in large numbers.
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Micah 5-7:20

Micah speaks about what God has done for Israel and what He has done for us. Micah asks what it is that we should offer God. Are we to offer God from our material resources? Does God require that we bring Him great wealth? Does he require that we sacrifice our children to Him? Micah tells us the answer in one of the most powerful passages in Scripture:

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
I was going to stop there, but as I read more of Micah’s condemnation of the evil which people do, I came upon this:
As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me,
and my God will certainly hear me.
This was in contrast with the conflict and infighting between people within the same family that Micah said was the norm. But Micah did not have confidence in the Lord because of his righteousness. No, he tells us:
I will be patient as the Lord punishes me,
for I have sinned against him.
Let us not seek to determine who is more guilty before the Lord. There is more than enough guilt to go around. Rather, let us seek how we can work together to do good going forward.

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December 15, 2014 Bible Study — The Four Horsemen

December 14, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Proverbs 30:1-4

I believe that these words are sarcastic. Well, maybe not the first part where he declares himself weary. It strikes me as being written by someone who has been arguing with another for some time. The writer of this bit is tired of the argument and “concedes” to his opponent. It strikes me that he has been having a disagreement with someone who does not believe in God. So he asks him, where did everything come from? Surely, since you say there is no God, you can tell me how it all came to be?
…
And where did that come from?

Psalm 134:1-3

This psalm is both a beautiful song of praise and a reminder that part of serving God is praising God. Let us praise God both day and night as we strive to be His servants.

Revelation 6:1-17

    Here John describes the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. However, they are not the “Four Horsemen” of popular culture (even though those in popular culture derive from them). In popular culture the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are: War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. In this passage there is no Pestilence.
    The first Horsemen is “Conquest” or “Victory”. There are several possible interpretations of this. I will look at two of them. The first interpretation is that the first Horsemen is Christ Himself. This interpretation sees Christ as riding forth and conquering before the Apocalypse begins. It’s fulfillment comes in the spread of the Gospel throughout the world to all peoples and nations. The second interpretation sees the first Horseman as the Anti-Christ, who will rise to prominence and conquer the world to begin the Apocalypse. The second interpretation has some merit. My reservations about it are based on the fact that the author of Revelation also wrote 1 John. In 1 John he tells us that there is not a singular Anti-Christ, rather there are many anti-christs. I said I was only going to look at two interpretations of the first Horseman, but a third one occurred to me that I have not seen mentioned elsewhere (although I find it hard to believe that no one has come up with it before). My thought is that the first Horseman represents a person, or nation, which will conquer so much of the world that there is no place on earth where there power is not felt.
    In many ways, the other three Horsemen follow that third interpretation as naturally as night follows day. When the conqueror loses control over the territory he held, War, and Famine, and Death will surely follow. How the Four Horsemen fit together is a bit of a mystery to me, but the rest of this passage is clear. Over the course of history there will be numerous people who will be martyred for serving Christ. They will be rewarded for their faithfulness and will cry out for God to bring His promised judgement. They will be assured that this Judgement will come. Then we have the sixth seal. When it is broken, everyone will see that God’s day of judgement is coming. But rather than repent of their sins and turn to God, the vast majority will seek to hide from God.

Micah 1-4:13

Micah prophecies against Israel and Judah. He tells them that destruction is coming because those who have power do evil simply because they can. They should love good and hate evil but instead they love evil and hate good. When the leaders want a piece of land, they find a way to seize it. Micah bemoans those who talk about caring for the poor and powerless while using their position and power to enrich themselves. Over the last few months, I have heard various politicians praised for speeches they have made decrying how our system favors the rich and is stacked against the poor. Yet these same politicians made a fortune working in the system they now want people to believe they will work to change. If the rich and powerful do not stop using their power to take advantage of the poor and powerless, all the while using their rhetoric against such actions as an excuse to further their own power, God’s judgement will fall upon our nation.
Yet mixed throughout his condemnation of the sins of the people, Micah reminds us of God’s great faithfulness. He tells us that the day will come when people from all over the world will worship God. He tells us that the day will come when God will mediate between peoples and settle the disputes between nations. In that day they will turn their weapons of war into tools of peaceful industry. They will no longer study the methods of war.

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December 14, 2014 Bible Study — Who Is Worthy?

December 13, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Proverbs 29:26-27

Many people seek to curry favor with the politically powerful, but if you wish to see justice seek the Lord. The righteous think poorly of the wicked and the wicked look on the righteous with disdain and contempt.

Psalm 133:1-3

This psalm reminds us that God’s people should strive to live together in peace and unity. It is not an easy thing to do. We all have our shortcomings and we are all too ready to blame others when we fail to live as we know we ought. Let us strive to live in unity with those who also strive to serve God.

Revelation 5:1-14

    The passage begins with John noting a scroll in the hand of God. Since we do not normally use scrolls anymore we often overlook the significance of the fact that there is writing on both sides of the scroll. Ordinarily there is only writing on the inside of a scroll. The fact that this scroll has writing on both sides indicates that it is completely full. It is complete, there is no more to be written. The other important fact is that it is sealed with seven seals. This indicates that it is completely and perfectly sealed. There have been those who connect this scroll to the one referred to in Daniel 12:4. I believe they are correct. Further, I believe that John wrote this book intending to connect it with the apocalyptic prophesies from the Old Testament.
    I should mention one thing here. I believe that what is recorded in the Book of Revelation represents visions which John actually saw. However, he described those visions in ways which reflect what he believed them to mean and the events which he thought they indicated. I believe that John struggled with what his visions meant much as we do today.
    So, we have a scroll which represents God’s complete message that is completely sealed. A call is put forth seeking someone who is worthy and able to open the scroll, but no one in all of heaven and earth is found. When John breaks down and cries over this tragedy he is told that the Lion of Judah, David’s heir, is worthy and able to open the scroll. The Lion of Judah is Jesus. It is through Jesus, and only through Jesus, that we are able to hear, and understand, God’s complete message. Anyone who attempts to open the scroll of God’s message on their own will fail.

Jonah 1-4:11

    The book of Jonah starts out with God giving Jonah a calling. Not only did Jonah not obey God’s calling, he went in the opposite direction. I spend so much of my time seeking clear direction from God that I sometimes wonder how Jonah could have done that. Yet, I remember one time when I felt a clear call to do something for God and chose not to do it. I justified my decision by convincing myself that I was not prepared for the role. Looking back I regret the decision I made at the time.
    On the other hand, the rest of the book of Jonah suggests that maybe my perception of God’s call was mistaken. Why do I say that? Because when Jonah refused to answer God’s call, God did not take that first “No” for an answer. When God calls us, He will not easily take “No” for an answer. God drove Jonah to the deepest depths. When he was in the belly of the fish, Jonah could have laid down and died. Instead, he cried out to God and repented his sins. When God called Jonah once more to go to Ninevah and preach, Jonah still did not like what the results would be, but he realized that he like the results of not doing God’s will anymore. So Jonah went and did God’s will.
    Sure enough, the actions God called Jonah to perform had the effect that Jonah feared. God could have left it at that. Jonah had done what he asked and the people of Ninevah repented. He did not need Jonah to be happy about it. But God wanted Jonah, and us, to understand why He did what He did here. As evil, wicked, and nasty the people of Ninevah had been, God did not desire their destruction. He desired that they turn from their wickedness to doing good. To make a modern comparison, God does not desire the destruction of the people who make up ISIS (Islamic State of Syria and Iraq). He desires them to turn from their evil to serve Him.

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December 13, 2014 Bible Study — Give Glory and Honour and Praise to God

December 12, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Proverbs 29:24-25

Fear of man is a trap that will keep us from trusting the Lord. Yet trusting the Lord is our only true path to safety.

Psalm 132:1-18

David swore that he would not rest until he found a place to build a house for the Lord. Will we do the same? Will we work without rest until our hearts a place fit to build a house for the Lord?

Revelation 4:1-11

This passage reminds us that our goal in all that we do is to bring glory and honour to God. We exist solely because it pleased God to create us. Let us worship and praise Him for as long as we shall live…and if we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we shall live for all of eternity. When I read this passage I can imagine nothing that would bring me more joy than bringing praise to God.

Obadiah 1:1-21

This passage is specifically a prophesy against Edom, but it contains warnings for all of Israel’s neighbors. It is even more than that. It is a warning against all who join in the destruction of their neighbors. God will judge those who seek to profit from their neighbors misfortune. When our neighbors (whether as individuals or as nations) are suffering, we should seek to aid them in what ways we can. God will not judge us if we are unable to aid them, but if we join in their destruction, God will visit destruction on us.

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December 12, 2014 Bible Study — What Kind of Church Are We Part Of? (Part 3)

December 11, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Proverbs 29:23

If we allow our pride to drive our behavior we will be humiliated, but if we humbly admit our limitations others will honour us for what we do accomplish.

Psalm 131:1-3

Let us model ourselves after the psalmist. Rather than be proud and aloof, let us be humble and caring. The psalmist said that he would not worry about matters too great or awesome for him to grasp. When we come across matters which we have trouble understanding, rather than fret over them and allow them to undermine our faith, let us set them aside and focus on those things which we can understand. This does not mean that we accept the interpretations of those who claim to understand such matters. It just means that we reserve judgement on such matters until the Holy Spirit gives us an answer we do understand. Let us trust the Lord and put our hope in Him.

Revelation 3:7-22

    Now John delivers the message for the church in Philadelphia. God has opened a door for them that no one can close. Despite their weakness they have obeyed God’s commands and refused to deny Him. There is an important message for all of us here, we do not need to be strong, we just need to persevere, to remain faithful in the face of opposition. We are not called on to defeat our opponents, nor to win the arguments. We are called on to remain faithful in the face of opposition and persecution.
    John has a message for one last church, the one in Laodicea. He tells them that they are neither hot, nor cold. They are confident that their material wealth provides them with all that they need. Their problem is that the things they, and we, truly need cannot be purchased with material goods. Until we recognize that our wealth is of no value to God, nor will it bring eternal salvation, we are spiritually poor. Let us give all of our material wealth in order to gain what God has to offer, if that is what it takes. No matter how much wealth we have, we cannot buy God’s favor. But sometimes we need to give away all of our material goods in order to accept it.
    If we go over the message to the churches, they really fall into three categories: two that are remaining faithful, two that are allowing sexual sin to creep in, and three that have become indifferent. In other words there are two traps the church can fall into. It can become enticed by sexual sin and other forms of debauchery. Or, it can become distracted and lose its enthusiasm for doing the Lord’s work (or perhaps, never actually have any enthusiasm for serving God). The latter seems to be the greater danger, but that does not mean we can drop our guard against the former. The two churches which were not condemned for a failing both appear to have been facing suffering, perhaps even persecution (or were about to do so). So, which type of church do we belong to? One faithfully facing opposition and persecution? One dealing with those endorsing sexual sin? Or one which has become indifferent to doing God’s work?

Amos 7-9:15

Amos proclaims that God will bring judgement against Israel for those who follow the forms of religion, but as soon as they are able return to cheating the poor and robbing from the helpless. In particular he condemns them for using false measurements and inaccurate scales. This is not just about those who use false measure, but about all who use misleading advertising to get others to buy what they are selling. God will bring judgement on any society which is dominated by those who mislead others into spending their money in ways which are foolish.

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December 11, 2014 Bible Study — What Kind of Church Are We Part Of? (Part 2)

December 10, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Proverbs 29:21-22

When I read this proverb I thought about controversial stories that have been in the news the last few years. When trying to judge what happened with limited information, we can know that the person with the history of poor anger management is more likely to be the one who started the fight. Those who have trouble controlling their temper are generally guilty of many other sins as well.

Psalm 130:1-8

No matter how deep our despair, nor how terrible our sins, God will listen to our prayers when we cry out to Him. God does not keep a record of our sins. It is we ourselves who do that. We could not survive if God made us pay the price of each and every one of our sins. God offers us forgiveness so that we can learn to serve Him. Will you serve Him today?

Revelation 2:18-3:6

Next John delivers a message for the church in Thyatira. He commends them for their deeds. They are doing the opposite of what he condemned the church in Ephesus for doing. Rather than lose their enthusiasm, the church in Thyatira was becoming more enthusiastic and loving. They were doing even more than they had done when they first came to know the Lord. However, they had a woman in their church who was teaching believers to commit sexual sins and eat food sacrificed to idols. This went beyond teaching tolerance of sinful behavior. In Thyatira they had someone in the church encouraging believers to sin. Those who followed such teaching would suffer the consequences of such behavior, but those who remained faithful will see that God is faithful in turn.
Then comes the message for the church in Sardis. This is the message that should frighten us the most. The church in Sardis has a reputation for being a vibrant congregation, but the message John has for them says that they are dead. In how many of our churches are we gathering on Sunday to sing songs about how wonderful God is, but come Monday He has no role in our lives? God would rather see us bring glory to Him by what we do during the week, than see us “filled with the spirit” on Sunday morning.

Amos 4-6:14

Amos condemns those who brag about their charitable giving while oppressing the poor and crushing the needy. God brings hard times in order to remind us to turn to Him, but all too often we only dedicate ourselves even more thoroughly to the idols we serve. When hard times come, do we realize that we all need to pull together, or do we use our power and position to make sure that it is someone else who suffers. When hard times came upon the people of Israel, rather than aid the oppressed and seek justice, the people crushed the oppressed and sought special favors.
God is calling us once more to do what is good and to run from what is evil. Too many people say that they hate evil and love good, but then they seek to overturn justice. All too often I see what Amos describes here, where people hate honest judges and despise those who speak the truth. Let that not be us.

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December 10, 2014 Bible Study — What Kind of Church Are We Part Of? (Part 1)

December 9, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Proverbs 29:19-20

Words are not, by themselves, sufficient to impose discipline. While those who hear them may understand what is said, unless they lead to greater consequences, they will not change their behavior as a result.
Talking without thinking how others will hear what you say is the most foolish thing you can do. Thoughtless words will have longer term consequences than any other action you can take.

Psalm 129:1-8

This psalm is a reminder that the Jewish people have been persecuted for as long as they have been a people. Nevertheless, they have remained a people favored by God. Those who hate Jerusalem and the Jewish people will suffer and become outcasts. God’s blessings will be withheld from them.

Revelation 2:1-17

    John gives a message to each of the seven churches. His first message is for the church in Ephesus. He starts out with praise for them. They work hard and patiently endure difficult times. They do not tolerate evil people (an important point for us to note in this age of “tolerance”). They have not been fooled by false teachers who claim to speak for God. They have patiently endured suffering for their faith. All of this is praiseworthy. However, they have lost their enthusiasm.
    His message to the church in Smyrna is praise and a warning. They are materially poor and physically suffering, but they are rich in faith. Unlike the other churches, the warning is not a warning to change somethings. It is a warning that persecution is about to start. But it is also encouragement, reminding them of the reward that awaits those who remain faithful.
    Next is the message for the church in Pergamum. They are praised for remaining faithful in the face of persecution. They continued to call on the name of Jesus, even when threatened with death for doing so. However, they have among them those who encourage sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols. I think this can be contrasted with the church in Ephesus which would not tolerate evil people. In Pergamum, they had among them those who preached in the church that they must tolerate all types of behavior. Such teaching encourages people to sin, instead of encouraging people not to sin.
    When we read the messages to the seven churches, we must take careful note of our own lives and our own churches to decide which of these messages most closely addresses where we are. Here in the U.S., there are few, if any churches which fall into the category of the church in Smyrna. We are not poor. nor are we truly suffering. However, much of the church in the U.S. falls into one of the other two we studied today, and some have both problems. All too many of us have lost our enthusiasm for Christ. And all too many people in the church today teach that we must be tolerant of others, no matter what they do, or teach. I do not make the second mistake, but I struggle with the first. How do I regain my enthusiasm?

Amos 1-3:15

The book of Amos starts of with repeated statements saying, “The people of XXX have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished.” This is to remind us that we cannot escape judgement for our sins by saying, “But everybody else was doing it.” God brought judgement against the peoples living around the land of Israel for the injustices they did against the people of Israel. But Israel did not get a pass because they were so mistreated. God will not excuse us for our sins just because we were “misunderstood”, or had a difficult childhood, or whatever other excuse we may have.

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December 9, 2014 Bible Study — Glory to the One Who Is, Who Was, And Who Is to Come

December 8, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Proverbs 29:18

When people reject God’s direction, there are no limits on their behavior, anything goes. Those who listen to God show wisdom and find joy. Looking at the world around us it does not take long to see the truth of this proverb.

Psalm 128:1-6

The psalm has a similar theme to today’s proverb. Except that the psalm emphasizes the joy that comes from following the way of the Lord. Those who fear the Lord will be joyful and successful in what they do.

Revelation 1:1-20

There is a lot of symbolism in this passage. However, the biggest thing here is the reminder that God is, God was, and He is yet to come. Throughout all of history, God is there. He was there before history began, and He will be there when history is over. Moreover, God, in the form of Jesus, is THE Living One.
From time to time, there are those who say that God is dead. Jesus’ death and resurrection provides us with the answer to that, as we are reminded here. Our answer to those who say that God is dead is, “No, He was dead, but He is risen from the dead and now will live forever.” He holds the keys to death and the grave. We can no longer be locked away by those two. We need not fear death, or the grave for Jesus hold the keys to release us from their power.

Joel 1-3:21

    The prophet Joel speaks of a time of economic hardship, a time of famine. When such things happen, we are called to turn to the Lord, to fast and pray. These times are God’s call to us to repent our sins, to stop using our wealth for our own pleasure. If we repent, turn to God, and truly feel sorrow for our sins, God will restore our well-being and joy. He will pour out His Spirit on the people of the land.
    Every year when I get to Joel, it is such a relief. For the last few months I have been reading prophets who have been describing a people who resemble the people in our society today and the judgement which God is about to bring against them. It begins to feel like there is no hope, like it is too late for people to turn to God. Then I get to Joel, and he says that if we repent our sins and fast and pray before God, great things will happen.
    Old men will dream dreams and young men will see visions. God will pour out His Spirit on those who serve Him, men and women alike. Terrible troubles will come on all of the earth, but those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Let us rejoice, Joel tells us that there is still time for people to repent. Let us repent today and turn to God.

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December 8, 2014 Bible Study — It Is Time To Seek The Lord

December 7, 2014 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Proverbs 29:15-17

The proverb writer reminds us that children will only learn wisdom through discipline, the NIV says “a rod and a reprimand”. An undisciplined child disgraces its mother. If you have disciplined your child, you will be able to have peace of mind when they are out of your care. You will not worry that he will do something foolish which will get him killed (or otherwise seriously hurt). Parents who do not discipline their children do not truly love them.

Psalm 127:1-5

The opening of this psalm tells us an important lesson. No matter how noble, no matter how admirable the task we set for ourselves, if it is not one which God has set for us, we will not succeed. God does not desire for us to work from sunup to sundown and beyond. His plans leave time for us to rest.

Jude 1:1-25

    There are two contrasting teachings which the New Testament writers warn us against. The first is the belief that we can earn our salvation by living good and pure lives. Paul makes it clear in his writings that no one can live a good enough and pure enough life to earn salvation. The second, and the one which Jude addresses, is the idea that, since God, from His amazing grace, will forgive our sins, we do not need to even attempt to live good and pure lives,
    Jude tells us that such teachings are nothing new and have been condemned by God whenever they appear. Inevitably, accepting sexual immorality leads to sexual perversion, which leads to a multitude of other sins. Taken together these things lead to destruction. Jude tells us that those who teach that God’s grace allows us to live immoral lives base their teachings on their dreams and “visions”. They must do so since the Scripture so thoroughly condemns what they wish to teach.
    Throughout my life I have been taught that we must be equally on guard against both of the teachings I mentioned above. However, as I have been reading through the Bible over the last several years, I noticed something. The places where the second teaching is condemned and warned against are much more frequent, and emphatic, than the places where the first is warned against. Yes, we must be careful not to get caught up in legalism, in the belief that our righteous acts make us better than others and/or make us deserving of God’s love. However, the much more dangerous idea is that, because God will forgive our sins, we do not need to stop sinning.

Hosea 10-14:9

The prophet warns that the richer people get the more idols they build to worship. Yet it does not have to be that way. God calls us to plant seeds of righteousness so that we may harvest a crop of love. Now is the time to seek the Lord. Tomorrow may be too late. As I read this entreaty, I am reminded that last week one of my co-workers was killed on the way to work. I did not know him well, but from what my co-workers have said, I believe he knew the Lord. He was well-loved by all who knew him and he is harvesting a crop of love as my co-workers, and others, are raising money to care for his family.
But Hosea warns us that all too many of us have sown seeds of wickedness. Those who have done so will harvest a crop of sin. Rather than live lives of righteousness, they have chosen to believe that a strong military and powerful police force will protect them from troubles. How has that worked out in various cities across this country during the riots which have happened over the last few weeks? Far better to saw a crop of righteousness and trust in God for a crop of love.

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Tag Archives: Christianity

December 17, 2014 Bible Study

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December 16, 2014 Bible Study — The Lord Has Told You What Is Good

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December 15, 2014 Bible Study — The Four Horsemen

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December 14, 2014 Bible Study — Who Is Worthy?

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December 13, 2014 Bible Study — Give Glory and Honour and Praise to God

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December 12, 2014 Bible Study — What Kind of Church Are We Part Of? (Part 3)

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December 11, 2014 Bible Study — What Kind of Church Are We Part Of? (Part 2)

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December 10, 2014 Bible Study — What Kind of Church Are We Part Of? (Part 1)

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December 9, 2014 Bible Study — Glory to the One Who Is, Who Was, And Who Is to Come

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December 8, 2014 Bible Study — It Is Time To Seek The Lord

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