(Micah 3:11) “The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.”  What has happened? They have bought into their own lie and have made the Lord a product of their imagination (He will bless me anyway), rather than the God that has said, (Deu 7:12) “Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: (13)  And he will love thee, and bless thee” Friend, it still works like that today. Obey God’s Word, and you will be blessed. Live in disobedience – then don’t expect it.

(Jonah 1:1) “Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai,…” Jonah’s dad’s name means “veracious” – to speak the truth. That’s all the Lord wanted from Jonah: “Be the son of your father and speak My truth”. Jonah didn’t want to. He didn’t like the folks he was being sent unto. Did you know the Lord can give you a heart to love the folks you now dislike? And guess what? He only desires for you to speak His truth.

(Amos 1:1) “The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa,….”  Ah, how often do we see the Lord speaking to and using shepherds! Even the first good son, Abel, was a shepherd. Abel, killed by his brother. Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, killed by His brethren. Some of us have the privilege of being God’s Shepherds. Praise God, each of the saved have the privilege of being His sheep!

Prior to the 70 year captivity to Babylon, the Lord stressed His warnings through a lack of blessings. He also warned of the terrible day of judgment approaching. Yet, He offered a way of staying the Hand of Judgment: (Joe 2:12) “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: (13)  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” Friend, a judgment is approaching like this world has never seen! It is called the Tribulation Period. One also awaits the lost individual – an eternity in hell. The staying of that judgment remains the same through Jesus: “Turn to Him with ALL your heart; remorse over your sins; rending your heart; turning to your God.”

(Hos 1:2) “The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. (3 ) So he went and took Gomer….” I once knew a man who had impregnated a woman outside marriage. His pastor said, “If you do not love her you do not have to marry her.” What? Doing right before God comes before self. And besides, since when is true love an emotion? There are times my emotions say, “I don’t love my wife.” Yet, I choose to love her, be affection to her, and cling to her in obedience to my God. My reward – a joyful, God blessed, continuing marriage.

Daniel, a captive at Babylon, in all probability a teenager: (Dan 1:8) “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank:…” From the very beginning of his captivity, he put his God over that of man – even a king! Who reigns in your life? Does it say, “I will not defile myself with the world’s meats ?

Ezekiel one day saw this revelation of the pre-incarnate Christ: (Eze 1:26) “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. (27)  And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. (28)  As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”  Thus, the rainbow given on earth as testimony of a covenant, was a copy of a part of God’s glory! Our God keeps ALL His promise – His covenants. The New Testament is the New Covenant. It says, “I will save you and forgive you IF you turn from you sins and My Son’s sacrifice and blood is the seal of it all! Praise Him!