the12journey

What do Amos and Paul's second letter to the Corinthians have in common?  One thing for sure: it matters how we live as people of faith.  The world is watching to see if what Scripture says about following Christ is true, not so much by what we say but in how we live out our faith each day.

Sometimes when working for the good of His creation, His righteousness requires His standing against evil in the world and actively working against it.  That answers the question of whether or not God cares about the evil we see going on in the world today and if He is at work in our human experience to effect His good will in spite of that evil.  Nahum shows us how.

Cancel Culture is nothing new.  Micah shows us the ways to remain faithful when the world around us makes following Jesus not just difficult but dangerous.  

Malachi had some strong things to say to the religious leadership of his day that is still a good word to our own day.  Giving our best to the world around us because we seek political influence, popularity, and preference while giving our worst to God leads us down the wrong road every time as Believers.  Having the right priorities, even in a difficult and uncertain time, is paramount.

One of the most amazing and powerful moments in the Old Testament that fixes our eyes on the redemptive work of Jesus is found in a collection of visions given to the Minor Prophet Zechariah.  God's people then needed to hear that God could redeem all of the bad things that had happened before and take all of their shame and brokenness because of the pursuit of sin and restore them to Him again through His mercy and grace.  We need to hear that today, too.  Zechariah points us straight to the cross of Jesus.

The word "beautiful" might not be the first adjective you'd choose to describe an ancient traveler's feet.  What would prompt that kind of description?  Nahum the Minor Prophet lets us know.  The answer lies not in the feet themselves but in what they carry to others.  

Joel opened his amazing book with the command to God's people to tell the next generations about not only what happened but why it happened when it came to their honest testimony of running after idols instead of God and then ending up in wreckage.  You and I as Christians today have a testimony, too.  That testimony begins with the honest assessment that we needed to be saved by Jesus from the brokenness of sin in our lives.  No matter what your history may be, if you are saved in Jesus today and made new by Him, it's a great testimony to share!

We may look at the news today and wonder about global events and whether God still works or not in the world today.  Faithful ol' Obadiah helps us wrestle with this idea and reveals a powerful truth: no nation is beyond the reach of Almighty God especially if that nation is cruel and destructive in its actions.  God is a defender of those who call on Him in faith through Christ no matter where they may be in the world.  God is able to humble the nation that wounds others in its pride and greediness.

Sometimes after God calls us to do something or say something in a given situation, It might actually be uncomfortable or even rough going at first.  There are times when God calls us to do the difficult.  So how do we respond?  What are our expectations on what it means to follow Christ today?  The Minor Prophet Haggai brings much needed clarity and encouragement for those called to difficult work by God. 

Being stubborn about good things can be a real positive trait, but stubborn against what is good doesn't produce anything good.  For all of we stubborn people out there, Jonah is a good reminder to not be so stubborn that we refuse the good that God can bring to others through us if we will just follow His leading and the truth of His word.  

An attitude we may find in the West today is that God is a nice idea but has no real affect on the human experience or in human history.  He doesn't do good or ill no matter what we choose to do.  When it comes down to it, we ourselves are the real gods who define good and evil and assert our will on the world regardless of what God may say.  Boy oh boy, does the Minor Prophet Zephaniah set the record straight on this one.  Our world today isn't so different from in his day, and his message is for us as much as anyone.

In the Minor Prophets, God is not as much angry as He is broken hearted over the things we can do to each other and in how we can treat Him.  Hosea presents three pictures of what it was like for God to be God to His people in that day.  The relationship was badly broken and in need of redemption and reconciliation.  It makes us ask ourselves today, what might it be like for God to be God to us?

In the days of the Minor Prophet Micah and Major Prophet Isaiah, the good king Hezekiah had a choice to make.  With the full might of the Assyrian army at his front door in Jerusalem, there were voices on all sides telling him what he should do in response to this terrifying threat to the city's survival.  This amazing moment in Biblical history makes one thing very clear: it matters who you listen to.

Disgust, dodge, or destroy.  I call them the three D's.  These are three ways some may respond in truthful situations that hit close to home.  In the book of Amos, a priest in the city that Amos was called to prophesy against took the "Destroy" route in his response to God's warnings.  So how did that turn out?  Interesting story.  Even today, some may choose the destroyer route against the truth of God's word and attempt to discredit, accuse, and even threaten.  God knows just what to say to such folks in ways only He can.

Our very first podcast!  A quick look at why the Minor Prophets are so valuable and relevant today.  A powerful prayer found in Habakkuk that carried me through the uncertain days of the recent pandemic.  An illuminated page from a medieval prayer book has this same prayer inscribed.  Powerful words for countless people in history who have relied on the Lord in challenging times.