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Classic Bible: My Favorite Passages From Amos

This is part of the Classic Bible: Favorite Stories & Passages series. Read more from the series!

Have you ever wondered why many people don’t seem to read much of the prophecy book of the Old Testament? I have. And I wonder if those people have any idea of what they are missing.

Level

The books of prophecy can be intimidating, I understand that. They are written in poetic form, and address people and events that seem far removed from life in the twenty-first century.

But nothing could be further from the truth!

These books are full of incredible passages, passages that proclaim God’s promises and presence to his people, both in ancient times and now.

Take the book of Amos for example. This short book begins by announcing judgment upon eight nations. Six of those nations surrounded Israel, and God was proclaiming punishment on them for their oppression upon other people. The seventh nation listed was the nation of Judah, with whom Israel shared a close cultural and national heritage.

But the eighth nation listed was Israel, not because the oppressed other peoples; Israel oppressed her own people and was guilty of a grave injustice.

Amos is believed to be one of the earliest prophets to write, and his book is dated to the eighth century BC, along with Hosea, Isaiah and Micah. This was a time of great prosperity for the nation of Israel, and they were at peace with their neighboring nations. But blessing and prosperity can soon degrade into complacency and corruption. This is the climate into which Amos writes.

Even though much of this book details God’s judgment upon these nations for their oppressive ways, there are sparks of light that shine through, giving us a glimpse of God’s ultimate plans.

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Book Review – Spark by Jason Jaggard

SparkOne of my least favorite genres is the self-help book. Every time I read something from this category, I feel completely underwhelmed. Spark, by Jason Jaggard, is no different.

Full of forced optimism and predictable cliches, Spark left me with the unmistakable feeling that life is nothing but formulas: if you do this, then that will happen. If you want to go here, you must go there. I wasn’t impressed or encouraged at all; instead, I felt like I had little benefit to show for the time invested in reading the book.

While Jaggard seems to have built a successful business based on the premises laid out in this book, I continue to be skeptical about the formulaic strategy he describes. In my experience, very little in life can be continually maintained by such formulas.

Jaggard asks the question, “What is one thing I could do this week to have an impact on the world around me?” I agree that we can and should be attempting to answer this question in our day to day lives. And in order for that to happen, we have to be intentional about the things we do. I’m just not so sure that if I step out of my comfort zone, then the results will line up at my door as he suggests.

But that’s what this book seems to promise.

Jaggard’s goal is to motivate you to change your world, one small step, one small risk, at a time. The problem is that his suggestions feel forced and stilted.

As I mentioned, I wasn’t impressed. I wouldn’t recommend this book if you are trying to grow in your faith and impact your world. Instead, simply start reaching out to those around you in love. You’ll see sparks of transformation soon enough.

In the meantime, spend your time reading something more worth your time.

Have you read Spark? If so, what did you think? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Coffee Break – 06.17.2013

Coffee Break

Coffee Grounds Turned Decorative Pots – This is a pretty cool concept. Unfortunately, it didn’t succeed on Kickstarter. I would have chipped in…

Breathtaking Eruption Of Plosky Tolbachik Volcano – This site offers a pretty cool 360° panoramic view of the eruption of a volcano east of Russia on the Kamchatka peninsula. The volcano erupted on November 27, 2012, and spewed lava for several months. There are some extremely beautiful shots displayed here.

10 Facial Reconstructions Of Famous Historical Figures – Ever wonder just what someone from distant history really looked like? Wonder no more, because the technology is here, and has been used to reconstruct several faces from the past. While some of these look real, others look like they should be in a wax museum, or even on a video game, such as Cleopatra’s sister. Has anyone even ever heard of her before?

Prisoners Of Technology – “In a cool campaign for Go Outside magazine Felipe Luci shows us in a striking way that we are sometimes prisoners of technology.” Very creative approach to how we are attached to our gadgets.

More Than Half Of Humanity Lives Within This Circle – Although I think I already knew this, at least on some level, this map reinforces the need for missions, and shows where we might need to target.

Five Lies Sin Tells Me – Sin is sneaky. It infiltrates our lives and then helps us justify it. We need to be aware of its subtle influences, and the lies it leads us to believe.

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who did most for the next. – C. S. Lewis

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Memorize Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-15

As Paul wraps up chapter three, he states in detail the purpose of his letter to Timothy. This reflects his desire to briefly put into perspective his instructions to this point. In chapter two, he dealt with concerns in worship, and in chapter three, he discusses some concerns in church leadership. All of these seem to stem from his initial remarks concerning the false teachers Timothy needed to correct.

You can see the passage for yourself in 1 Timothy 3:14-15:

1 Timothy 3:14-15

Paul begins by stating that he anticipates a visit to Timothy in the near future, but he is writing all of this in case that can’t happen as planned. Since Paul is planning for that contingency, it seems likely that his visit might be delayed. That can happen in ministry; often our plans don’t go as we wish because God has something different in store that we haven’t seen.

Paul gives his instructions in case of this delay so that Timothy will have something to base his teaching on for the church in Ephesus. In the next few words, Paul uses three different phrases to describe the church.

The first phrase he uses is “God’s household.” This idea plays a pretty significant role throughout 1 Timothy. This flows naturally from the concept that God is Father, and Christians are brothers and sisters together in this household.

The next phrase shifts the focus slightly to “the church of the living God.” This seems to take the idea to the next level, and connects the church to the “living God.” A living God is in direct contrast to the dead gods of the Gentiles or the misrepresented God of the false teachers.

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The Importance Of Routine

This is part of the series How To Develop A Daily Routine. Check out more from the series!

Developing a good routine is one of the most important parts of my day to day life. It can be a crucial element to being as effective as possible.

But routine can be detrimental, too. It can become a rut if you’re not careful.

Desert Ruts

This was made very evident to me over the past few weeks. You may already know, I just moved my family from the Gulf Coast of Florida to southern Missouri to take the lead minister role at Cabool Christian Church. This is a very exciting time for me, as a minister, and for my family, not only as we start a new ministry, but start a new type of ministry. I’ve been a minister to teens for more than two decades, and making the transition to the lead role in a church comes with a new learning curve.

But the process of making the ministry change, both from youth to preaching, and from Florida to Missouri, has caused some significant upheaval in our lives.

I have a pretty typical routine that I adhere to most days. The past several weeks have been difficult, simply because the familiar routine hasn’t been there.

Here are a few of the elements that occur in my morning routine on a daily basis, almost without fail. My morning starts with a cup of coffee, brewed in my Chemex, once I get to the office. While the water is heating, I boot up my computer and pull out my iPad and journals. Once the water is hot, and the coffee is brewed, I sit at the desk, and read the days’ passages from my Bible reading plan, usually using the Logos app on my iPad. When I finish my general reading, I turn to the passage I’m writing. On a normal day, I handwrite several verses from whatever book I’m currently working through, usually eight to ten or so, in my Journible. While I am writing these verses, I watch for things that stand out to me from the passage, with an eye to what God may be trying to teach me for the day. These I list out in my journal, along with other thoughts and prayers. All of this usually takes me around an hour or so.

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Book Review – A Matter Of Trust by Lis Wiehl

A Matter Of Trust by Lis WiehlOne of my favorite genres is the legal thriller. I’ve read such authors as John Grisham and Randy Singer for years, and have enjoyed their books. However, I’ve never had the opportunity to read anything by Lis Wiehl. It’s just never crossed my path.

Recently, I had the chance to read Wiehl’s newest book, A Matter Of Trust. I found it to be very captivating and hard to put down. I really enjoyed it.

The story is about a single mother named Mia Quinn, who has stepped back into the legal world after the death of her husband, in order to support her two children. After the murder of a colleague and friend of Quinn’s, she is thrust into the investigation full force, attempting to solve the crime before anything else happens.

With the pressures of raising two kids as a single parent, struggling under the financial pressures left behind by her husband, and dealing with the politics and problems of the workplace, Quinn is forced to face some hard realities, both as a professional and as a mother.

Besides the investigation of her friend’s death, a subplot of cyber-bullying twists and turns through the story, and the lives of her kids.

With so much going on in the story, A Matter Of Trust keeps your attention until the finish. And it left me with a desire to read more of Wiehl’s works. I will be seeking out another one to read in the very near future.

All in all, I really enjoyed A Matter Of Trust. If you like reading legal fiction, I recommend that you pick up a copy. It’s a story worth reading, with a lot of positive and encouraging elements. You’ll be glad you did!

Have you ever read any of Lis Wiehl’s books? If so, which is your favorite? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading A Matter Of Trust, by Lis Wiehl, you can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“