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Showing posts from August, 2012

Jesus: The Believer’s Inheritance

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  It is fascinating to observe when people talk about inheritance, ones mind would immediately cater properties, wills, houses, jewelries, and other material things. All of which are centered on material temporal things.   In 1 Peter 1:4 , although The Apostle Peter used the term “inheritance” once in his letter, Apostle Paul on the other hand, mentioned this term in his letters several times. ( Eph_1:14 , Eph_1:18 , Eph_5:5 , Col_3:24 ,) But what is so significant about this particular emphasis of Peter? After all, he made a brief description of the inheritance (verse 4-5) a believer will obtain now that he is part of God’s family.   The term “inheritance” is not something new among Jewish ears. Going back to the OT, when God divided the promised land among the 12 tribes of Israel, every tribe received a portion of the land as their inheritance, except for the tribe of Levi…”the priestly tribe”. They were the only tribe that didn’t get one. God’s reason for doing so is interesting. Th
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Jonah - "The Runaway Prophet of GOD"

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Jonah is often identified with the big fish which swallowed him. For this reason, some assert that Jonah is a fictional character. However, 2 Kings 14:25 and Christ Himself (Matthew 12:39-41; 16:4; Luke 11:29-32) confirm the historicity of Jonah and his experience. The Biblical narrative begins with GOD commanding Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against it (Jonah 1:2). Jonah disobeyed the LORD by going to Tarshish instead of Nineveh (Jonah 1:3). Jonah thought he could run away and hide from the LORD by settling himself at the bottom of the ship (Jonah 1:5; cf. Psalm 139:7-12). Subsequently, the LORD hurled a severe storm after Jonah (Jonah 1:4-13). After Jonah’s revelation of himself as a runaway prophet of GOD, the crew rebuked him and pleaded for the LORD’s mercy. Terrified, they finally decided to throw Jonah off the ship (1:14-15). With the storm ceasing, the ship’s crew worship the LORD (1:15-16). Jonah was swallowed by a big fish and was in its belly for three days and three ni
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Obadiah—“Bad News for Edom”

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How do you feel when you receive bad news? Anxious? Fearful? Uncomfortable? In the book of Obadiah, God’s prophet had the task not of receiving but of delivering bad news. Obadiah delivered a message Edom was not expecting to receive—the bad news of judgment and destruction from the LORD Himself. Edom’s roots can be traced back to its patriarch, Esau (Genesis 25:19-28:7; 32:1-19), the brother of Israel (also known as Jacob – Genesis 32:28). These brothers had a troublesome relationship marked with deceit and hatred. Though they reconciled prior to their father’s death (Genesis 32:1-19), this history may explain Edom’s attitude in not allowing access to its territory when Israel requested passage to the land of Canaan, Israel’s promised land  (Numbers 20:14-20). Edom was a very proud nation. It boasted of its having an invincible fortress that provided protection and security (Obadiah 1:3-4) and of human wisdom (1:8). It also gloated over the misfortune of the Israelites, specifically t
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Amos - "Prepare To Meet Your GOD"

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The world believes that power, wealth and intelligence is might. However, the Bible says that the Lord puts to shame the mighty, the powerful and the wise of this world as He accomplishes His plan. In fulfilling His will, He uses individuals who are insignificant and ordinary before the eyes of the world so that those who believe in their own abilities might be put to shame (1 Corinthians 1:18-31). Amos is an example of an ordinary man called by the Lord to accomplish an extraordinary task. He came from Tekoa, a small town around 6 miles from Bethlehem. He was a sheepherder (Amos 1:1), a herdsman (7:14) and a grower of sycamore fig trees (7:14). When he was criticized and ridiculed by Amaziah the priest, Amos humbly acknowledged that he was neither a prophet by training nor a son of a prophet but the Lord has called him to proclaim His message (7:10-15). Amos proclaimed without apology God’s message of judgment against the nations (Amos 1:1-2:4), against Judah (2:4-5) and Israel (2:6-1
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Joel—“The Great Coming Day of the LORD”

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Have you ever witnessed a swarming army of locusts?  In 1869,  locusts from the deserts of West Africa made its way to England covering an astonishing span of 2,000 miles. This army of locusts ravished every green herb on its path.  A similar or worse event must have taken place during the time of the prophet Joel.  How devastatingly barren the land must have been! Joel, whose name means “The Lord is God,” prophesied during the aftermath of the locust invasion.  It foreshadowed the coming of a might army that was to invade Judah and destroy its beloved city, Jerusalem, during the great day of the Lord (Joel 2:1-11).  Joel warned the people and called them to repent before God (Joel 1:1-20). The phrase, “great day of the Lord,” is used by the prophet to refer to both a near and future fulfillment.  The first points to the Babylonian invasion which has been fulfilled as prophesied by Joel.  Like the army of locusts, the Babylonians was used by God to discipline His people, Judah.  In pro
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