Evil thoughts lead to evil deeds, (Micah 2:1-2)

Micah 2:1-2

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

2 What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night,
    thinking up evil plans.
You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out,
    simply because you have the power to do so.
² When you want a piece of land,
    you find a way to seize it.
When you want someone’s house,
    you take it by fraud and violence.
You cheat a man of his property,
    stealing his family’s inheritance.

Micah spoke out against those who planned evil deeds at night and rose at dawn to do them. A person's thoughts and plans reflect his or her character. What do you think about as you lie down to sleep? Do your desires involve lust, greed or stepping on others to achieve your goals? Evil thoughts lead to evil deeds,

Joe

 

 

 

God is more merciful than we can imagine.

Jonah 4:10-11

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁰ Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. ¹¹ But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Sometimes people wish that judgment and destruction would come upon sinful people whose wickedness seems to demand immediate punishment. But God is more merciful than we can imagine. God feels compassion for the sinners we want judged, and He devises plans to bring them to Himself. What is your attitude toward those who are especially wicked? Do you want them destroyed? Or do you wish that they could experience God's mercy and forgiveness?

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

God's Word is for everyone ! (Jonah 3:4-9)

Jonah 3:4-9

 

The Message (MSG)

 

⁴ Jonah entered the city, went one day’s walk and preached, “In forty days Nineveh will be smashed.”
⁵ The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God. They proclaimed a citywide fast and dressed in burlap to show their repentance. Everyone did it—rich and poor, famous and obscure, leaders and followers.

^6-9 When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up off his throne, threw down his royal robes, dressed in burlap, and sat down in the dirt. Then he issued a public proclamation throughout Nineveh, authorized by him and his leaders: “Not one drop of water, not one bite of food for man, woman, or animal, including your herds and flocks! Dress them all, both people and animals, in burlap, and send up a cry for help to God. Everyone must turn around, turn back from an evil life and the violent ways that stain their hands. Who knows? Maybe God will turn around and change his mind about us, quit being angry with us and let us live!”

God's Word is for everyone ! Despite the wickedness of the Ninevite people, they were open to God's message and repented immediately. If we simply proclaim what we know about God, we may be surprised at how many people will listen.

 

Joe

Don't let social pressure keep you from telling others about God. (Jonah 3:1-2)

Jonah 3:1-2

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

3 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: ² “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

Jonah was to preach only what God told him - a message of doom to one of the most powerful cities in the world. This was not the most desirable assignment, but those who bring God's word to others should not let social pressures or fear of people dictate their words. They are called to preach God's message and His truth no matter how unpopular it may be.

 

Joe

Don't Replace God. (Jonah 2:8)

Jonah 2:8

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁸ Those who worship false gods    turn their backs on all God’s mercies.


Those who worship worthless idols forfeit God's grace and abandon any hope for mercy from the Lord. Any object of our devotion that replaces God is wrong, We deceive ourselves with something that is ultimately empty and foolish. Make sure that nothing takes God's rightful place in your life.


Joe

Are you obeying God's call to you? (Amos 7:14-15)

Amos 7:14-15

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

¹⁴ But Amos replied, “I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees. ¹⁵ But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.’

 

Without any special preparation, education, or upbringing, Amos obeyed God's call, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.’ Obedience is the test of a faithful servant of God. Are you obeying God's call to you?

 

Joe

God's Plumb Line. (Amos 7:7-9)

Amos 7:7-9

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

⁷ Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. ⁸ And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”

I answered, “A plumb line.”

And the Lord replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins. ⁹ The pagan shrines of your ancestors will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed; I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end.”

 

A plumb line is a device used to ensure the straightness of a wall. A wall that is not straight will eventually collapse. God wants people to be right with Him; He wants the sin that makes us crooked removed immediately. God's Word is the plumb line that helps us be aware of our sin. How do you measure up to God's plumb line.

 

Joe

How do you treat the poor? (Amos 5:12)

Amos 5:12

New Life Version (NLV)

¹² For I know that you have done much wrong and your sins are many. You make trouble for those who are right and good, and you take pay in secret for wrong-doing. You will not be fair to the poor.

Why does God put so much emphasis on the way we treat the poor and needy? How we treat the rich, or those of equal standing, often reflects what we want to get from them. But because the poor can give us nothing, how we treat them reflects our true character. Do we like Christ, give without thought of gain? We should treat the poor as we would like God to treat us.

Joe

 

 

One sure remedy ! (Amos 5:6)

Amos 5:6

 

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Seek the Lord and live...

There is one sure remedy for a world that is sick and dying in sin - "seek the Lord and live." Sin seeks to destroy, but hope is found in seeking God. In times of difficulty, seek God. In personal discomfort and struggle, seek God. When others are struggling, encourage them to seek God too.

Joe

Don't forget. (Amos 3:10)

Amos 3:10

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

¹⁰ “My people have forgotten how to do right,”
    says the Lord.
“Their fortresses are filled with wealth
    taken by theft and violence.



Israel no longer knew how to do right. The more they sinned, the harder it was to remember what God wanted. The same is true for us. The longer we wait to deal with sin, the greater it holds onto us. Finally, we forget what it means to do right. Are you on the verge of forgetting?


Joe





 

God can work through you at your job. (Amos 1:1)

Amos 1:1

 

New International Version (NIV)

 

1 The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa...

 

Amos raised sheep - not a particular "spiritual" job - yet he became a channel of God's message to others. Your job may not cause you to feel spiritual, but it is a vital work if you are in the place God wants you to be. God can work through you to do extraordinary things, no matter how ordinary your occupation.

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

Is your heart like a plowed field? (Hosea 10:12)

Hosea 10:12

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹² I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
    and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
    for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
    and shower righteousness upon you.


Hosea repeatedly uses illustrations about fields and crops. Here he envisions a plowed field, earth that is ready to receive seeds. It is no longer stony and hard; it has been carefully prepared, and it is available. Is your life ready for God to work it? You can break up the unplowed ground of your heart by acknowledging your sins and receiving God's forgiveness and guidance.


Joe



 

Don't forget your Maker. (Hosea 8:14)

Hosea 8:14

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁴ Israel has forgotten its Maker and built great palaces,
    and Judah has fortified its cities.
Therefore, I will send down fire on their cities
    and will burn up their fortresses.”


Israel had placed its confidence in military strength, strong defenses, and economic stability, just as nations do today. But because of the people's inner moral decay, their apparent sources of strength were inadequate. There is a tendency in many nations toward removing all traces of God from daily life. But if a nation forgets its Maker, its strengths may prove worthless when put to the test.


Joe






 

Look first to heaven. (Hosea 7:16)

Hosea 7:16

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁶ They turn back, shift, or change, but not upwards [to the Most High]. .......

People look everywhere except to God for happiness and fulfillment, pursuing possessions, activities, and relationships. In reality, only God can truly satisfy the deep longings of the soul. Look first to heaven, to the Most High God. He will meet your spiritual needs, not all your materialistic wants.

Joe 

 

 

 

 

 

Life without God is as unreliable as a crooked bow. (Hosea 7:16)

Hosea 7:16

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

¹⁶ They look everywhere except to the Most High.
    They are as useless as a crooked bow...


A crooked bow is unreliable. Its arrows miss the target, and its owner would be quite vulnerable in battle. Life without God is as unreliable as a crooked bow. Without God's direction, our thoughts are filled with lust, cheating, selfishness, and deceit. As long as we are warped by sin, we will never reach our full potential.


Joe



 

God sees everything. (Hosea 7:1-2)

Hosea 7:1-2

 

The Message (MSG)

 

7 ^1-2 “Every time I gave Israel a fresh start,
    wiped the slate clean and got them going again,
Ephraim soon filled the slate with new sins,
    the treachery of Samaria written out in bold print.
Two-faced and double-tongued,
    they steal you blind, pick you clean.
It never crosses their mind
    that I keep account of their every crime.
They’re mud-spattered head to toe with the residue of sin.
    I see who they are and what they’ve done.


God sees and knows everything. Like Israel, we often forget this. Thoughts like "No one will ever know," or "No one is watching" may tempt us to try to get away with sin. If you are facing difficult temptations, you will be less likely to give in if you remind yourself that God is watching. When faced with the opportunity to sin, remember that God sees everything.
 

Joe

Back up your loyalty with your actions. (Hosea 6:4)

Hosea 6:4

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁴ O Ephraim, what shall I do with you? [says the Lord] O Judah, what shall I do with you? For your [wavering] love and kindness are like the night mist or like the dew that goes early away.

God answered His people, pointing out that their profession of loyalty, like mist and dew, evaporating easily and had no substance. Many find it easy and comfortable to maintain the appearance of being committed without deep and sincere loyalty. If you profess loyalty to God, back it up with your actions.

Joe

 

 

 

 

Steer as far away from sinful practices as possible. (Hosea 5:4)

Hosea 5:4

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁴ Your deeds won’t let you return to your God.
    You are a prostitute through and through,
    and you do not know the Lord.


Persistent sin hardens a person's heart, making it difficult to repent. Deliberately choosing to disobey God can rear the conscience; each sin makes the next one easier to commit. Don't allow sin to groove a hard path deep within you. Steer as far away from sinful practices as possible.


Joe





 

God is trying to get your attention. (Daniel 9:14)

Daniel 9:14

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁴ Therefore, the Lord has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The Lord our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him.


Daniel spoke about how God continually tried to bring Israel back to himself. Yet even after disaster struck them, they refused to obey Him. God still uses circumstances, other people, and most important, His Word to bring His people back to Him. What would it take for God to get your attention?

Joe

God will deliver you. (Daniel 6:21-23)

Daniel 6:21-23

The Message (MSG)

^21-22 “O king, live forever!” said Daniel. “My God sent his angel, who closed the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. I’ve been found innocent before God and also before you, O king. I’ve done nothing to harm you.”

²³ When the king heard these words, he was happy. He ordered Daniel taken up out of the den. When he was hauled up, there wasn’t a scratch on him. He had trusted his God.

The man or woman who trusts in God and obeys His will is untouchable until God takes him or her. To trust God is to have immeasurable peace. God, who delivered Daniel will deliver you. Do you trust Him with your life?

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

People will criticize your faith. (Daniel 6:4-5)

Daniel 6:4-5

 

The Message (MSG)

^4-5 The vice-regents and governors got together to find some old scandal or skeleton in Daniel’s life that they could use against him, but they couldn’t dig up anything. He was totally exemplary and trustworthy. They could find no evidence of negligence or misconduct. So they finally gave up and said, “We’re never going to find anything against this Daniel unless we can cook up something religious.”

The jealous officials couldn't find anything about Daniel's life to criticize, so they attacked his religion. If you face jealous critics because of your faith, be glad they're criticizing that part of your life - perhaps they had to focus on your religion as a last resort. Respond by continuing to believe and live as you should. Then remember that God is in control, fighting this battle for you.

Joe

 

 

 

 

Give God the glory that He deserves. (Daniel 2:27-30)

Daniel 2:27-30

New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁷ Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. ²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.

²⁹ “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. ³⁰ And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.

Before Daniel told the king anything else, he gave credit to God, explaining that he did not know the dream through his own wisdom but only because God revealed it. How easily we take credit for what God does through us! This robs God of the honor that He alone deserves. Instead we should be like Daniel and point people to God so that we give Him the glory.

 

Joe

 

 

 

Think of others. (Daniel 2:24)

Daniel 2:24

New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁴ Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.”

Daniel did not use his success to promote his own self-interest. He thought of others. When striving to succeed or survive, remember the needs of others.

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ask God for Wisdom. (Daniel 2:21, James 1:5)

Daniel 2:21

New Living Translation (NLT)

²¹ He controls the course of world events;
    he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the scholars.


If you ever think that you have much to learn in life, and if you ever wish that you knew more about how to handle people, then look to God for wisdom. While educational institutions provide diplomas at great expense, God gives wisdom freely to all who ask. (See James 1:5 below for more on asking God for wisdom.)


James 1:5
New Living Translation (NLT)
⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.



Joe


 

Wherever you are...always honor God. (Daniel 1:8)

Daniel 1:8

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁸ But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.

Daniel resolved not to eat this food, either because the meat was some food forbidden by Jewish law, like pork, or because accepting the kings food and drink was the first step toward depending on his gifts and favors. Although Daniel was in a culture that did not honor God, he still obeyed God's laws.

Joe

Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:4-5)

Ezekiel 37:4-5

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

⁴ Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! ⁵ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!

 

The dry bones represented the people's spiritually dead condition. Your church may seem like a heap of dry bones to you, spiritually dead with no hope of vitality. But just as God promised to restore His nation, He can restore any church, no matter how dry or dead it may be. Rather than give up, pray for renewal, for God can restore it to life. The hope and prayer of every church should be that God will put His Spirit into it. In fact, God is at work calling His people back to Himself, bringing new life into dead churches.

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bad shepherd.... (Ezekiel 34:18-20)

Ezekiel 34:18-20

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

¹⁸ Isn’t it enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Isn’t it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? ¹⁹ Why must my flock eat what you have trampled down and drink water you have fouled?

²⁰ “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep.

 

A bad shepherd is not only selfish but destructive. A minister who muddies the waters for others by raising unnecessary doubts, teaching false ideas, and acting sinfully is destroying his flocks spiritual nourishment.

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christian leaders must care for their flock. (Ezekiel 34:9-10)

Ezekiel 34:9-10

 

New International Version (NIV)

 

⁹ therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

 

Those shepherds who failed their flock would be removed from office and held responsible for what happened to the people they were supposed to lead. Christian leaders must heed this warning and care for their flock, or total failure and judgment will be the results. True leadership focuses on helping others, not just getting ahead.

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No one can serve two masters. (Ezekiel 33:31 & Matthew 6:24)

Ezekiel 33:31

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

³¹ So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money.

 

In your heart, do you really love God? These people gave the appearance of following God, but they loved their money more. Many today also give the outward impression of being religious while remaining inwardly greedy. Jesus warned that we cannot love God and money at the time (see Matthew 6:24 below). It's easy to say "I surrender all" when we don't have much. It's when we start gaining some money that it becomes difficult to avoid loving it.

Joe

Matthew 6:24

New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.






 

Be faithful in delivering God's message. (Ezekiel 33:30-32)

Ezekiel 33:30-32

 

New Living Translation (NLT)

 

³⁰ “Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, ‘Come on, let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!’ ³¹ So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. ³² You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!

 

The people refused to act upon Ezekiel's message. When people mock your witness for Christ or fail to act upon your advice, don't give up. You are not witnessing for them alone, but out of faithfulness to God. You cannot make them accept your message, you can only be faithful in delivering it.

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past good deeds will not save you. (Ezekiel 33:13)

Ezekiel 33:13

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹³ When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins.

Past good deeds will not save a person who decides to turn to a life of sin. Some people think they have done enough good deeds to overshadow the sins they don't want to give up. But its useless to try to be good in some areas so you can be deliberately bad in others. God wants wholehearted love and obedience.

Joe