Amos
If we want to live in righteousness, we should primarily be concerned with the condition of our heart. In Matthew 12:33-37, Jesus teaches that every tree is judged by its fruit. He also teaches that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
Amos
Anytime we cease to see the people around us as human beings and treat them as a means for our personal gain, we are no better than those God condemns in this passage. God created life as an expression of His creativity. We are the work of His hands. When
Amos
God does not call us to intentionally turn an advantage we possess over someone else into a means for profit. This teaching has incredible challenge. The world tells us to step into opportunities and exploit them. However, our God is not a God of exploitation. The Lord roars from Zion.
Amos
Amos’ words in this book are timely for all generations, but especially now. If Amos lived today, he would feel like not much is changed in the hearts of the people. Technology has changed life, but the hearts of the people have come full circle. Amos is a shepherd who
Genesis
The patriarchs are great because of what God teaches us about Himself through them. That is my greatest hope for all of us. When I die, I want people to remember how God used me to teach them about Him. I don’t want people mourning my absence; I want
Genesis
God’s goodness is not limited by our plans. He can work through us in ways we cannot even imagine, much less intended. I cannot tell you the number of times God has used me to speak life into someone else’s life and it was not something I planned.
Genesis
We should all be so lucky as to be at peace in God’s hands. It seems like a natural thing for any Christian to hear and speak. In practice, it is much harder. Life gets in the way. Life brings stress, which can interrupt our ability to be at
Genesis
Being in the arms of God is a great place to be. He walks through life with us; He will be there at the end of life to bring us into His promise of eternal life with Him. He is worthy of our trust. Almost at the end of Genesis,
Genesis
It is always easier to not let the world bring us down when our mind is focused upon God. God points us in fulfilling directions because He knows us. Focus upon the Lord helps us ignore the distracting concerns of the world which only serve to pull us down. We
Genesis
Some people enjoy living a significant life, yet one outside the spotlight. Not everyone needs – or wants – to be the center of attention. Some people like going through life flying under the world’s radar. Jacob moves on to the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah. The order makes sense, although
Genesis
God can take an unwanted person and make great things come from an undesirable situation. This is redemption. We all have our problems. We all have characteristics that make us undesirable. God takes us, casts aside our undesirable characteristics, and redeems us into something beautiful. Jacob gathers his sons to
Genesis
When we have God’s Spirit within, we are truly alive. He created us. He makes us whole. His Spirit gives us new life – and that life is given to us abundantly. When Jacob reaches out to bless his grandsons, he crosses his hands to bless Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.