Spiritual darkness, spiritual light - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 3:6,

"Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them."

The reason for the Lord turning his back on Israel was due to their sinful rebellion. In verse 4 we read, "Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from  them because of the evil they have done." The evil they engaged in proved their rebellion and their abandonment of God in their hearts and lives. People may say what they will, but their actions prove their hearts.

I am struck by the metaphor of darkness the Lord uses here. Not having access to God results in a darkness, a spiritual darkness. These prophets in Israel may have been the most spiritually in-tune people the world has ever known, but without access to God, they are simply lost in a darkness.

This metaphor of darkness that represents the condition of people who do not have access to the Lord is used in a number of places in the Scriptures and is a very effective term to observe the reality that settles into place when people remove themselves from the Lord, or vice versa. As the first coming of Jesus Christ was foretold through Isaiah, we read, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." Isaiah 9:2.

Those who cling to their sin prefer to live in this spiritual darkness. Jesus told Nicodemus, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20.

Conversely, "light" is used for the Lord when he establishes his presence among people. Jesus said of himself, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:5. In the previous chapter he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12.

How wonderful and how astonishing that God, in his immeasurable love and kindness, sent his Son, Jesus Christ as a spiritual light into the world. How amazing he was willing to give his Son, to die a miserable death on that cross that we might be brought into his family, into "the light!"

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The Lord equips and sends - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 3:7-8,

"'The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.' But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin."

The first of the two above verses was spoken by God. The second was spoken by Micah as he was filled with the Holy Spirit of God and inspired to do so. In the first, the Lord tells Israel that he is cutting off access to himself to the "seers" of the day. They will find no answer from God.

In contrast, Micah points out his credentials. Although others have no access to God, Micah has five things from the Lord: Micah has power, he is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is filled with justice and he is filled with might. The fifth thing he has from the Lord is an assignment that he is to devote the first four to: to confront Israel with her sins, to bring the indictment of the Lord that will lead to the destruction of Israel.

As is often the case, the Lord had something he wanted done, and instead of direct contact with sinful man, he used an intermediary, Micah. Micah was God's chosen prophet to deliver this message of coming judgment for the sins of the people. As the Lord sent Micah, he did what he always does - he provided his prophet with the tools he would need to get the job done.

One of the wonderful things the Lord does is to equip those he sends for his purposes. In sending certain ones to help strengthen the early fledgling church, I am reminded of what Paul had to say in Ephesians 4: 11-13, " So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

The Lord equips those he sends to do those things he desires. It really is an amazing thing. What might the Lord have equipped you with, what might he be asking you to do? 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God's purpose for America, for Israel - Ruminating in the Word of God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 3:11,

"Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her
prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord's support
and say, 'Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.'"

In the indictment against Israel, her leaders are excoriated by Micah.
The leaders judged for money, the priests taught for a price and
Israel's prophets told "fortunes" for money. Israel had lost her way.
She had lost her connection with the Lord and long ago forgot the
purpose the Lord had for her as his covenant people.

In short, the folks had no clue as to why they existed. Rudderless,
aimless, without direction, without the lofty goals a life of purpose
from God can provide, Israel sank into a simple existence of simple
gratification. They became a listless people pursuing nothing but what
their own sinful self-absorbed proclivities dictated.

Just like today. Today in our country. Today in our churches. Today in
our schools. Today in the pop-culture that dominates so much of the
conscious existence of so many.

Were I to ask the question, "Why do we exist as a nation here in
America?" I'm afraid the answers would be just as devoid of thought,
vapid and meaningless as Israel might have given. Nobody knows why a
nation exists anymore, and worse yet, no one seems to be asking.

How would you answer that question? Peace and prosperity isn't going
to do it. Jesus asked, "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and
how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo,
and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I
came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." Luke
12:49-51. Here is how the Lord put it in Matthew 34-39, "Do not
suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come
to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against
his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against
her mother-in-law— a man's enemies will be the members of his own
household.'" Here he quotes Micah 7:6. No, peace and prosperity is not
why any nation exists, including the United Sates.

How about "To glorify God"? What a non-answer! Providing empty
religious-sounding phrases without meaningful and thoughtful
reflection hardly satisfies a meaningful and thoughtful question. All
creation glorifies God as his due. After all, God created it all and
therefore all creation reflects the magnificent glory of our Creator's
splendor. The fact that our nation exists brings glory to God, but
that hardly addresses the "why" for which we exist.

May I suggest a thoughtful and provocative comment Paul made at the
Areopagus in Athens as the answer? "He [God] himself gives everyone
life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the
nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out
their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him
and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:25-27.

God made all the nations, he set their times and geographical
locations. He did this so individuals (the "everyone" God has given
life and breath to) "would seek him, and perhaps reach out for him and
find him." In other words, our nation, as all nations, exists to
facilitate the building of God's kingdom for himself. We don't have a
country so we can have churches in it, rather, we have a country to
facilitate God's work in the building of his kingdom. When God's
kingdom is complete (the last soul saved that brings this enterprise
to completion) this age comes to a close, and this purpose will be
completed.

Israel, in Micah's day, had lost all connection with this purpose and
so faced its destruction. God had no further need of Israel at that
time, when they were no longer useful in pursuing his purposes of
building his kingdom. Thankfully for Israel, God was not done with
them, and is not yet done with them today. The same cannot be said for
the many nations that have ceased to exist when they ceased to fulfill
God's purpose of building his kingdom.

Something to think about when considering America's purpose today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just
respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Is it from the Lord? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 3:5,

"As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim 'peace' if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them."

These so-called prophets were the spiritual leaders of the day. Having secured a position of influence in their midst, the people followed what they had to say. And, as we see in this prophecy of Micah, what they said to the people was dictated by what the people gave the prophet, and not what God gave the prophet. They were not really prophets anyway. Just folks scamming others.

It seems like we have so much of this very same thing today. Church hierarchies, denominational organizations, folks who have pursued a vocation in "the ministry" - many that have carved out for themselves positions of influence and stature among people lead others astray, just as in Micah's day.

How can we tell if someone speaks, that it is from the Lord? How can we tell if someone who thrusts himself forward as a minister of Christ is really from the Lord? How can we know for sure if some spiritual leader is from God and not simply deceiving others for his own sake? Very simply look at them in the light of the Scriptures. God has provided his word to us that we not be mislead, that we not be drawn in harmful or wrong directions. The Lord has provided us all we need, even  if we are not "experts" in the Scriptures. The Lord will meet us at whatever spiritual level we might be at when we look for direction in his word.

We read in 2 Thessalonians 3:14, "Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter." Anyone who speaks from the Lord will always say that which is consistent with what we find in our bibles. We can find further instructions on recognizing both true and false prophets in Deuteronomy 13. A big key indicator was whether the alleged prophet led people toward the Lord or away from the Lord.

It is always good to verify that those we look to really do speak on the Lord's behalf. One thing is for sure, the Lord has not left us without truth to know who is trying to lead us astray - we just need to open our Bibles. Since there are always those among us that attempt to do this very thing, it behooves us to know what it is the Lord has told us in the Scriptures.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

How to know God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 2:7a,

"You descendants of Jacob, should it be said, 'Does the Lord become impatient? Does he do such things?'"

In Micah's day, as the rebellious Israelites refused to accept what the Lord was telling them of his coming judgement through his own hand-picked prophets, they attempted to persuade one another by questioning whether the Lord would do what his prophets were warning. They asserted that the Lord would do this or not do that based on their own faulty concept of God -- just like folks do today -- concepts not from what the Lord has told us of himself, but of their own device. How important to read the Scriptures and know our Creator!

I am reminded of Psalm 50:21, "When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you." When sinful man does not seek out in the Scriptures who God is or what he is like, often faulty assumptions arise or assertions made, that God is this way or that according to the influences of our lost and fallen nature. 

Apart from what the Lord has revealed of himself in our Bibles, anything can be imagined. How often I have heard just these very things: "Homosexuality is OK because God loves us." or  "I can't believe that a God of love would cast people into a fiery lake of burning sulfur." or "I can't believe God would send his Son to suffer if he loved him." I'll bet you have heard many of just these kinds of things (or, perhaps, thought them yourself.)

God is who he is and will not be defined by our lost and fallen intellects and proclivities. The Lord is who he says he is and he does just what he says he will do. We can find out about those things if we would but avail ourselves of what he has provided us in his word, the Bible.

Don't fool yourself about God! Learn of him and know him as he has presented himself to us in his own revelation of himself -- in the pages of Scripture. It just may spare you the horrific mistakes the Jews of Micah's day made.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

On plans... a word to the wise - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 2:1, 3,

"Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it... I [the Lord] am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity. "

Sinful mankind plans and plots his sin, while God has his own plans. The plans of sinful man are not the same as the plans of God. Sinful man plots his sinful activities and God plots his judgment of them.

I am reminded of a couple of proverbs, "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." Proverbs 21:30. Also, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." It would appear that man in his rebellion fails to account for the Lord. The classic biblical term for this is "the fear of the Lord".

Psalm 14:1 observes, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good." We can find ourselves among the the fools of the world who fail to acknowledge God and plot and plan according to the whims of our sinful nature (we all have a sinful nature). This will have its consequences. On the other hand, we can place ourselves among the wise, recognize the Lord and place the appropriate appreciation for what our actions may bring from our Creator.

Just a simple word to the wise.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Sucking up lies and deceit - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 2:11,

"If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' that would be just the prophet for this people!"

The reason a liar and deceiver would be "just the prophet for this people" is that the people had given themselves over to sinful rebellion against the Lord, as proven by the way they treated one another. Sinful people always draw to themselves those who speak the sinful things they want to hear, rather than the truth.

We find competing voices among the Israelites at this point in their history. The Lord sent them prophets, such as Micah, Isaiah and others, and then there were those who made a place for themselves in the midst of the rebellion of the Israelites.

Deceitful leaders, those who lead others astray have always been a feature of lost and fallen mankind. We find them everywhere today. In the media, in the church, in politics, on the radio, on television, in academia. With a collective sinful nature, people gather to themselves those who will tell them what they want to hear. I am reminded of what Paul said to Timothy as he looked ahead to our day, "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." 2 Timothy 4:3.

What leaders tell people, when they are liars and deceivers are, simply, lies and deceit. As an example, we hear so many voices today that proclaim that embracing homosexuality as a legitimate and acceptable lifestyle is the "moral thing to do." Is that true? How do we know? Are these voices the same kind of liars and deceivers Israel had in her midst? How will you know?

May I strongly suggest, that whether it be homosexuality or any other issue, consulting what God has to say in our Bibles is the place to go. There we find truth. And, since God doesn't "evolve" as our president does, what he had to say millenia ago still holds true today. The truth of the Scriptures is just as fresh and true today as the day the Lord originally gave it. He gave it for all ages - even for today.

With so many opposing ideas to what the Scriptures have to say floating around these days, is it not in our own best interests to know the truth? Or, are we content to allow liars and deceivers to lie and deceive us? God has provided his word for us and it is up to us if we want to know the truth.

It does make a difference. After all, because the Israelites followed the liars and deceivers, he brought a disaster on them all, a disaster, "from which you cannot save yourselves." Micah 2:3. God still works the same way today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Who are you listening to? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 2:6,

"'Do not prophesy,' their prophets say. 'Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us.'"

As the Lord raised up prophets, such as Micah and others, to warn Israel of his coming judgement of the nation, others spoke up, claiming to speak for God. They had a different message. In verse eleven the Lord calls them liars and deceivers. These false prophets told the people what they wanted to hear.

The rebellious folks of Israel had no stomach for word of pending judgment from the Lord. What they wanted to hear was "plenty of wine and beer", verse 11. While any of us might prefer such a message, when it is a false message, and one falsely attributed to God, how detrimental! Listening to the wrong message left Israel in a position of certain destruction from God as they ignored God's ordained prophet with his ordained message for something else they wanted to hear.

I suspect it is just natural for those caught up in sin to only listen to what they want to hear, rather than the truth. However, the truth is exactly what these people needed to listen to in order to avoid God's coming wrath. This is exactly the state of affairs today. People caught up in sin reject the truth for what it is that affords them the illusion that God's judgement is not coming.

Today, as in Micah's day, folks need to hear of God's coming wrath. They need to hear that the only hope they have is in Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for their sins. Without that payment on their account with God, they will have to face God's coming wrath all alone. The only way to secure that payment on their behalf is to embrace him in faith.

How sad that so many today reject God's message for something else they want to hear. Jesus spoke of this to Nicodemus when he said, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20.

Sure, I would love to hear that God is promising plenty of wine and beer, but that is not the message. When my eternal existence is hanging on what I listen to, I want to know of God's coming judgement, as much as I hate to hear of it. I also want to know how I can leverage God's love for me by escaping his wrath for my sin and how I can have a place in his family.

How about you? There are plenty of voices out there... who are you listening to?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God's judgement, God's love - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 3:3, 12-13,

"I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot
save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a
time of calamity... I will surely gather all of you, Jacob; I will
surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them
together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place
will throng with people. The One who breaks open the way will go up
before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King
will pass through before them, the Lord at their head."

The Lord pronounces judgement on his people, and nine verses later he
encourages them with his word of coming blessings from him. This is
just like the Lord. He effectively deals with the rebellion of his
people and then extends his loving kindness and blessings to them, as
he knows just how effective his judgement will be. He tells them of
the coming suffering their rebellion has brought, and of later
blessing their return to him will bring.

Here is yet again the two chief aspects of the Lord's nature on
display. Our God is a God of judgement and also a God of love. He
wants us to know these two things about him. He wants us to know of
the horrific nature of his judgement, as depicted as a "fiery lake of
burning sulfur", Revelation 21:8, as well as his incomprehensible love
for us all. His love is so profound that John simply says, "God is
love" twice in 1 John 4.

I am reminded of what the Lord said through Jeremiah 9:24, "Let the
one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to
know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and
righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Both kindness as well
as justice and righteousness.

It is important for us all to know of these two aspects of God's
nature for us to understand our predicament as well as our opportunity
with him. Our predicament is that we have all sinned and face his
judgment. Our opportunity is that he sent his Son to die on that cross
to take our punishment for those sins on himself. All he asks is that
we embrace him in faith. As Jesus said in John 5:24, "Whoever hears my
word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be
judged but has crossed over from death to life."

How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just
respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The Scriptures in time and space - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 1:1,

"The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem."

Some folks, who could stand to be better versed in the material contained in their Bibles, fail to acknowledge the authenticating information contained in it. As Micah writes his prophetic utterances, he does so, not as if this material was fished out of thin air, not as if this material had no mooring in time and space, not as if this material spoke of heavenly things without reference to earthly things we can see, touch, know and smell. No, Micah writes the message God gave him in the context of time and space.

Micah begins his prophetic message by anchoring it to the time frame he lived in. The "word of the Lord" came to a real man named "Micah of Moresheth" during the reign of three kings of Judah: Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. We know of these kings. We know when they reigned in Judah and we know of some of their activities. It was during this time-frame God spoke to Micah.

Micah ties his message to the geographic world we know existed in his day. We know where Samaria and Judah existed in his day, where Jerusalem was. We also know of the extent of the land holdings the Assyrians amassed during this time frame. Micah makes mention of various places of his day, such as: Gath, Beth Ophrah, Shaphir, Zaanan, Beth Ezel, Maroth, Akzib, Lachish and others.

Beyond the who, when and where of Micah's message, he spoke of the "what" of his message, to the religious and social evils of the day. The idol worship, the "high places", as well as the decline of the moral fabric of the day, of those who "plan iniquity", the rampant theft of property, the fraud and pillaging of estates are all documented by Micah. These, of course, frame the proof of God's indictment of his people for abandoning him.

Our Bibles are not filled with fanciful tales that have no bearing in or context of reality. On the contrary, much of the material in our Bibles are couched within the context of real space, real time, real events. Space, time and events that are clearly documented and much of which has been authenticated (not as though it needed it) by the external sources of historians of the day as well as modern day archaeology.

Folks who attempt to dismiss the Scriptures as simply the writings of men who sought to fool others have great need to get themselves better informed. Simply put, the Scriptures are "the real deal!"

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

When a people rebel, do all suffer? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 1:16,

"Shave your head in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourself as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you into exile."

Israel had abandoned the Lord and had given themselves to the worship of idols. An idol is nothing of course, but in their rebellion against God, the people had become as stupid as the chunks of wood overlaid with gold they turned to worship. As they did so, the people of Israel incurred the Lord's wrath.

Something to note is that the innocents of Israel, the children, would suffer the Lord's retribution just as their parents, for the rebellion of the parents. Everyone was going to suffer. I am quite certain there were those who did not rebel against the Lord at the time (just as Micah), but nevertheless, they would all suffer as a people. Both those who incurred the Lord's wrath, as well as the innocents and those not guilty of idol worship would all suffer. The nation of Israel now faced the Lord's wrath and all in the nation would suffer.

Some, who must not read their Bibles with care, fail to realize that God's judgment on a nation will impact the entire nation - not just the culprits. They tell themselves that since they are better than those who do rebel, God won't cause them to suffer like everyone else. Micah dispels that notion. Note what we read in 2:9, "You take away my blessing from their children forever." The judgment God brought against Israel would have impact on everyone in Israel, not just the "bad guys." I am reminded of what Jeremiah had to suffer because of Judah's abandonment of the Lord.

I recall a number of years ago, when Francis Schaefer, the late theologian, and C. Evert Coop, who became the Surgeon General of the United States, did a talking tour across the country, warning of the direction the country was going in terms of abortion, euthanasia and infanticide, (And now, thirty years later, all they warned of has come to pass.) Attending the event, and seeing the abortionist demonstrators who gathered outside in a failed attempt to shut up Coop and Schaefer, some of us decided to mingle with the protesters to share the gospel with them. I recall one man confronting me, yelling at me that I had no right to push my religion on others, and so I had no right to voice an opinion publicly about abortion.

I, of course, pointed out that society was going to adopt somebody's moral standards, and that I had every right to promote my own views just like anyone else, whether I was a Christian or not. The reality is, of course, when we realize that when God judges a nation, and that it impacts all, not just the bad guys, we have a greater responsibility to speak out because we know the truth. We also know that if and when we, as a people, adopt a sinful direction in our country, we will all suffer at God's hand. Not just the bad guys, but all of us, all our children, as well as all who warn the country to not rebel against God. Good guys and bad guys and the children - we all will suffer God's judgment if our nation turns from him.

When God judges a nation, all suffer. The innocents as well as the culprits. 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

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The indictment - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 1:5,

"All this is because of Jacob's transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob's  transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah's high place? Is it not Jerusalem?"

The "All this" is a reference to God coming from his dwelling place to bring his judgment on Israel. It is instructive for us to look at the indictment the Lord brought against his people for us to understand what it is he finds important.

What if, in the church today, we focused on all the wrong things?

Here in Micah, the Lord  delivers his condemnation of his people for their displacement of him in their lives. Judah's transgression is Samaria, which had abandoned the Lord in favor of giving itself over to idolatry. The "high place" of Jerusalem is a reference to the idol worship of the people of Judah, as they abandoned the Lord. In short, the indictment of the Lord against the people of Israel was her abandoning him. It is my perspective that the particulars that follow are simply the proof, demonstrating Israel's abandonment of God.

In verse seven we read of Samaria enriching herself through the wages of prostitution. Those who walk with the Lord do no such thing. We read of the people of Israel "who plan iniquity". 2:1. Those who walk with the Lord do no such thing. Those who covet fields and take them, those who defraud people of their homes, robbing them of their inheritance, 2:2, are not those who walk with the Lord. These are the particulars that prove the indictment the Lord made that Israel had abandoned him.

I can't help but think that often the particulars, the "proof" is all that is seen and focused on in the church. If we don't indulge in prostitution, then we're OK. If we don't covet other people's stuff and cheat them out of it, then we are OK. You get the picture... cleaning up the manifestations of not walking with the Lord, and yet, somehow, still not walking with the Lord.

Embracing the Lord, walking with him, is much more than avoiding and eliminating evidence of doing otherwise. Loving the Lord and walking with him cannot be experienced and expressed without caring what he cares about, exchanging our agenda for his, imploring him for what he wants and then doing it, rather than begging him for what we want. These kinds of things. Living for the Lord rather than living for ourselves.

How can we not live for the Lord who loved us, who died a miserable death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins? How can we not love the Lord who has given us eternal life, a place at his table? How can we not walk with the Lord who has promised us an inheritance for those who are his?

Cleaning up the evidence of not walking with God will not do. We are to be those people who cling tightly to our Lord, who love our Lord in all of that which we expend our lives for.

Something to think about today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

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Choices - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 4:5,

"All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever."

Micah and those with him made their choice - they chose to "walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever." It mattered not what others did. They made their choice.

The ability to choose is rooted in the freedom to do so and expresses much more loudly than any other means what is important to us. We can say we love God... but is that reflected in the choices we make?

Micah observes the freedom people have to choose that which is anathema to God, "Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it." Micah 2:1. We all have the ability to choose the Lord, as Micah did, or reject him, as do those who plan iniquity.

Jesus spoke to Nicodemus of this when he explained why some reject him. He said, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." John 3:19-21. Again, we all make our choices.

As Joshua challenged his countrymen, "If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15.

Astonishing anyone would not choose the Lord! Who, in their right mind, would turn down eternal life? Who, in their right mind, would turn down eternal pleasures at the right hand of God, Psalm 16:11? Who, in their right mind, would turn down God's inheritance that he has for all those who choose him? Who, in their right mind, would turn down a place in God's family, a place at his table? Who, in their right mind, would choose a fiery lake of burning sulfur over all of the wonderful things our Creator has for those who choose him?

As Jesus told Nicodemus: some simply hate the light and prefer to remain in their sin. What a horrible choice!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

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Writhing in pain at the hands of our loving God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 1:12,

"Those who live in Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the Lord, even to the gate of Jerusalem."

Micah's message is not just for the northern ten tribes of Israel, but for the southern two as well. Maroth was a town probably not far from Jerusalem. As Micah prophesied the coming destruction of Israel by the Assyrians at the hand of God, mention is made of this town.

The folks in Maroth were suffering. Micah's prophecy tells us the pain was so great, the folks were writhing in it and looked for relief. In short, it was a disaster from the Lord these folks fell into. It brings to mind Hebrews 10:31, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

How do we square this action of the Lord, his bringing pain and destruction to people, when we read of his great love for man? How does our Creator both love man and inflict this kind of pain on man? In John 3:16 we read that God loved man so much he sent his Son to die a miserable death to pay the penalty for all of our sins. How can God, who would send his Son also send pain and destruction like this?

To know the answer to this requires us to understand what God's agenda is for us all in this life. This life has one chief purpose: God is building his kingdom, his family. Anything and everything that impinges upon that agenda will bring action from our Creator. Nothing will stop God's campaign of redemption for all who will embrace him in faith. This life is all about God building his family, his kingdom.

Israel, God's "covenant people", had prostituted themselves in turning from God to serve idols. Idol worship, of course, leads folks away from their Creator and Author of salvation. God is not going to build his family out of a people who reject him, who turn from him and he will not allow those who do so to thwart his program of redemption. Not only had these folks rejected God, they had also placed themselves in a position where the agenda of God's redemption was not going to be furthered through the direction they had taken.

Therefore, we read of the Lord stepping into human affairs and making course corrections for the direction things were going. Because Israel, in this failed spiritual condition, was no longer useful in moving God's program of redemption ahead, they now found themselves subject to painful changes the Lord took to ultimately get things back on track.

I am reminded of what Paul wrote to the church in Rome, "The creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." Romans 8:20-21.

We tend to think of a life well-lived is a life rich in purpose, meaning, fulfillment, and, at the more base levels, satisfaction, pleasurable distractions, toys, the "American Dream" and so on.

Precisely, a life well-lived is any life that finds us entering into God's family, having a place at his table, eternal life, eternal pleasures at God's right hand (Psalm 16:11), a share in the inheritance for all those who are his. This is what this life is all about... God is building his family, his kingdom for these very things. 

An act of love on God's part is not to let us wallow in sin and rebellion, no matter the satisfaction or pleasure it might bring. If we have placed ourselves opposed to embracing God in faith, seeking him, he will do all that is necessary to provide us every opportunity to reach out for him. Unfortunately, given our sinful condition, this often involves pain and suffering. Pain and suffering from the hand of our loving God who does not want us distracted from eternal life by the limitations of what this life has to offer.

Often, God has to bring folks to their knees. 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

If you play, you will pay - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 2:2-3,

"Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance. Therefore, the Lord says: 'I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.'"

There are two actors in this passage: those who plan iniquity against the innocent and the Lord. The sinful plan and plot their sins against others, and carry them out. I note they succeed in their plans in this passage, as the Lord does not intercede to prevent them from carrying them out. However, following the success of the sinful in their schemes, the Lord takes his turn... a frightful turn from which the sinful cannot save themselves.

The sinful will always have to face the Lord. In their arrogance, fools deceive themselves into thinking there is no God and so pursue their wicked schemes, assuming they will never have to give account. But, eventually they will have to face our Lord of justice. Where the Lord may not prevent the sinners from carrying out their plans all of the time, he will certainly call them to pay for what they have done every time.

I am reminded of what the writer of Hebrews said in 4:13, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Also, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.

Something sobering to consider here.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

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A serious theological blunder - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 1:6-7,

"Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations. All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used."

The Lord announced his judgment of the northern kingdom of Israel. His indictment against Israel is her idolatry, her abandonment of the Lord. The Lord will use the Assyrians to destroy the nation. Military action, conquest, destruction, genocide. There will be a slaughter of the people and devastation to all that Israel had built.

This is God and this is who he is, what he does, what he is like. So many folks, who don't read their Bibles, have no idea what God is like or what God is about. In a huge blunder of assumed theology, they perceive God as some kind of cosmic disciplinarian. Those who "do good" in this life go to heaven and those who don't go to hell. When man acts really bad, he might come down to take care of business. In a Hallmark holiday card fashion of the misunderstood "peace on earth" announcement from the heavenly host at Jesus' birth, folks feel that God condemns war as evil... and, yet, here he is, making it happen.

What do these folks make of this? How do they reconcile their notion of God with what we are told God really does? Israel is going to be slaughtered by Assyria at the hand of God. This prophecy was literally fulfilled in 722 BC.

A few thoughts come to my mind. First of all, God is not some kind of cosmic disciplinarian. God is our Creator and will be our Judge at the end of the age. Having said that, he is not carrying out some kind of divine social experiment to see if man will behave or if he can get man to behave in this life. The reality is that we are all infected with a sinful nature and we all sin. We all face his judgment. 

Out of God's unfathomable love, he sent his Son to die a miserable death to pay the penalty for our sins. What God is looking for are those who are looking for him. What he is looking for are those who will embrace him in faith. All who do so will not only be spared of his judgment, but will also be given eternal life, a place in his family and a share in the inheritance of all those who are his.

Far from some kind of divine social experiment to see who might behave or if he can get us to behave, he is building his family, his kingdom. This is what this life is all about - God is building his kingdom. All who receive him in faith join his family. His effort is what we may call his program of redemption. He sent his Son to pay the price for our sins, and then he invites us. All who respond to his invitation by faith join his family and go to heaven after this life. All who reject him will have their place in a fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 21:8.

When the affairs of this world impinge negatively on his program of redemption, the Lord steps into his creation to bring about changes that provide the opportunity for it to continue, to proceed. This is what took place when Israel was judged by God when he sent the Assyrians against them. His covenant people had placed themselves beyond the opportunity for redemption to move ahead, and so the Lord came and brought about some changes. This is what we see in the flood during Noah's day, and so much else we read of in our Bibles.

War is not the problem. God uses war. It is rejection of God that becomes a problem. And, when a nation places itself in the position of being an imposition to the gospel, look for some serious and fearful changes to come by the hand of God.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The two aspects of God's nature on display in Micah - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 1:6-7,

"Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations. All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images."

Throughout the Scriptures the Lord reveals much of himself. We call the Scriptures God's revelation because he reveals himself, his intentions and his agenda within its pages. One theme he revisits over and over again is the two primary aspects of his nature: justice and love.

When God revealed himself to Moses on Mount Sinai, he proclaimed this of himself, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:6-7. Love and justice. In another place, the Lord said though the prophet Jeremiah, "Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," Jeremiah 9:24. Love and justice.

These two primary aspects of God's nature are on full display in Micah. The book begins with the announcement of the Lord's judgment of Israel's northern kingdom. Micah 1:6-7. This the Lord completes in 722 BC when the Assyrians destroyed Samaria. The book ends with the expression of the Lord's love and kindness, "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago." Micah 7:18-20. This will find its ultimate fulfillment when Jesus Christ returns to bring his salvation for all those who are his, Hebrews 9:28.

Love and justice. As we read in Jeremiah 9:24, these are the qualities the Lord wants us to know of himself. Some have God all confused. Some think he is a god of justice in the Old Testament and a god of Love in the New. Hardly an accurate conclusion to arrive at if we read our Bibles. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Lord is consistently both thoughout the ages. The closing book of the New Testament describes Jesus Christ as not only like a lamb who had been slain, but also, "He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty." Revelation 19:15.

The Lord wants us to know of him. He wants us to know of his justice and his love. He also wants us to know what his plans are for mankind and just what it is he is up to during our day - he is building his kingdom!

To read our Bibles is to know the Lord. To read Micah is an excellent place to start to begin to understand who our Lord is - what he is like.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God's interruption of mankind - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Micah 1:1,

"The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem."

As I read the opening words of the book of Micah, I note this is a book of prophecy from a man the Lord used as a prophet. I am reminded of Peter's observation about the prophets such as Micah, and their inspired writings, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21.

Micah was just such a man. He was a prophet and his message did not originate within himself. He was hand-picked by God who had a message for the northern kingdom of Israel, the southern kingdom of Israel, all mankind of the day and all mankind for all ages.

Therefore, when Micah speaks of the judgment to come, it is not simply a weather forecast of an insightful person, but an announcement by God of things to come. As Micah recounts the transgressions that have triggered the Lord's coming judgment, it is not a theological deduction of Micah, but an indictment of God himself against his creation. Israel and Judah have sinned and the Lord has taken note and now he will respond.

The entire consequence of rebellion bringing the Lord's judgment speaks to the "interactive" nature of God with his creation. I causes me to think of something the Lord had to say through his prophet Jeremiah, "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it." Jeremiah 18:7-10.

Some folks feel uncomfortable with the idea that man's actions can, and will, have an impact on the things our Creator says and does relative to man. The notion that the Lord will respond in one way or another, in real time, to the things we think, do and say gets lost in their confusion over the sovereignty of God. May I suggest that we all leave our theology at the door when we enter into the pages of Scripture in favor of just accepting what they have to say. Good advice for myself and anyone.

If we do not understand this involvement of the Lord in the affairs of mankind, responding this way and that way to the things mankind does, we will never understand the message of Micah, as well as much of the Scriptures. What this book represents is God's interruption of his creation to effect his ultimate purposes in creating it in the first place: to populate his kingdom, his family.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

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It is confidence, not arrogance - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Timothy 4:14-15,

"Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message."

Paul encountered opposition to his message, the gospel. Not only did he face opposition, he also experienced the grief of having everyone abandon him, "At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me." Verse 16.

Nevertheless, Paul stood confident. He said  as he faced his impending death, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day..."

Even though there were those who opposed Paul and his message, those who advanced other ideas, Paul remained confident and assured in his message. He knew the Lord, he knew the truth, and he knew what was consistent with that truth.

We live in a world today that might view anyone with the confidence Paul had, as arrogant. How can anyone know for sure what the truth is? One church teaches this, another teaches that. Who's to say? I have a feeling Paul might find such an outlook with disdain, and even disgust. Paul took the trouble to find the truth. After his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he sent time with the Lord, learning directly from him.

Paul had an expectation of Timothy that he do likewise by spending time in the truth. "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:14-16.

I am thoroughly convinced we are to do as Timothy was to do. For those who claim "Jesus is Lord", he has an expectation that we get ourselves equipped in the Scriptures. Sitting in the pew, listening to the pastor tell us what the Scriptures have to say won't do. Reading commentaries and books by our favorite theologians won'd do. Although these things may be helpful, it is to the Scriptures we must go. It is in the pages of our Bibles we need to be instructed, we need to be informed, we need to be prepared, we need to be equipped.

When we do, we develop, not an arrogance, not a conceit, but a confidence. When we know what truth is, we need not be embarrassed by it, but to proclaim it. When we know the Scriptures we need to be confident, assured and firmly settled in it. Anything short of this demonstrates we really don't know the truth... maybe we have only had a passing encounter with it.

"How dare you think you know more than those theologians that debate these things..." "Greater minds than ours have struggled with these things..." These are the kinds of things spoken by those who have not invested in the effort Paul asked of Timothy.

Time to put on our big-boy pants, thoroughly investigate the Scriptures, learn them well and be confident and entirely assured about the things they speak to. There is no room in the kingdom of God for mamby-pamby weenies who either neglect the Scriptures, or supplant them with what others have to say about them and feel the need to challenge anyone who might have the "audacity" to know and proclaim the truth. 

After all, why do you think the Lord went to all the trouble to provide the Scriptures to us? 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com