Amos
It wasn’t just King David who was prepared for the Lord’s service by tending sheep. Amos, also a shepherd, lead a spiritual reformation, denouncing selfishness and sin. Amos tended sheep and cared for a sycamore fruit vineyard (7.14) in the small town of Tekoa, Judah, located 10 miles south of Jerusalem. Though a citizen of Judah, Amos’ prophecy was directed toward Israel in the North. This ministry was during 757-58 BC, a couple years before a major earthquake befell Israel.
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Ephesians - The Opposition
After establishing the concept of submission to each other (5.216.9), Paul tells us to submit to God. Verses 10 and 11 exhort us to be "strong in the Lord" so that we can stand against Satans plan. In verse 12 Paul identifies the our foes by name and rank. After defining the enemy, Paul introduces us to our weapons: belt, breastplate, shield, helmet, and sword. By using these weapons against our spiritual foe, we help elevate Christ's headship on earth and in our life. In this way we are submissive to God and honor our spiritual Father.
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Ephesians 4 - A Summary
After Paul reveals our calling and walks us through how to live up to it (verses 1 through 4) he begins a discussion of the body and how it relates to the head which is Jesus. So there are no misunderstandings he again emphasises the Trinity (“one spirit… one Lord… one God and Father of all”) and our calling (“one faith, one baptism”). Our faith is in the one God and our baptism in the one name above all, Jesus Christ. Our faith and baptism are a result of the grace extended to us by the Messiah.
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Ephesians Series Part 7
Mystery. Ancient secrets. These words conjure up intense sparks of interest and controversy. Everyone wants to be the detective who uncovers the secret and the sage who understands it. Whether we prefer Sherlock Holmes or Indianna Jones doesn’t matter, we all share a common curiosity to be the first to know the sapiential truth of life. Perhaps that’s why Paul employes the word for secret five times in this chapter alone. Do you want to know a secret that been hidden for the aeons in God? Then read on!
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Joel
830 BC? 595 BC? No one seems to know for certain when Joel was written, or even who wrote it. Joel was a common Old Testament name, meaning “The Lord is God.” Not much is known about the author of the book, save what he tells us about himself, which is almost nothing. The book itself gives no reference to any datable historic events. Locust plagues, though infrequent, occur often enough in the Near East to be of no assistance in dating the book.
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Ephesians - House Rules
Part of living one’s life for God involves personal discipline. Leaving one’s old life, old ways of speech, old past times behind and embracing those activities and speech that are honoring to all and pleasing to God. This growth in righteousness isn’t done in a vacuum, however. Many of the members of the church were husbands, fathers and sons; some were wives, mothers and daughters. Still others were servants or masters. In short, we grow up in faith while in relationship with others. How does one impact the other?
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Ephesians 4 - Our Calling
In the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul had explained how God would unify Jewish and Gentile believers (by creating a new “man,” or ethnic group, 2.11-.22) in Christ. Now in Chapter four Paul directs his attention to defining unity in the body through Christian behavior.
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Ephesians Series Part 6
Let’s start this chapter with a reminder that this chapter dicvision is absolutely meaningless in the context of the original language. As we’ve learned, chapter one is actually one long sentence. Chapter two does not continue in that run-on manner, but does connect the same ideas. In fact, the first word of the second chapter is kai, the Greek word for “and”. Paul is continuing his thought process from the first chapter, so ignore the titles, the chapter and the verse divisions in your Bible and see this as part of the same context.
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Hosea
Think-Biblically.com is excited to be embarking on both a new series and a new chapter in its life. As we approach the close of the sites second year we begin a new series on Prophecy. We’ll be exploring concepts both old and new and find new ways to understand ancient prophecies about our future. We’re kicking things off with a series on the Minor Prophets. This series will include 11 of the 12 minor prophets. The shining jewel of the Minor Prophets, the book of Jonah, will not appear in our series but will be the first book co-authored by T. N. Thorne and Leonard Cook. More details on this work in a few weeks. Right now let’s get the ball rolling with Hosea.
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Ephesians Chapter 5
Every tennis player I know has modeled their style of play from one of the greats. For my dad it was Jimmy Connors, for a friend of mine it was Mats Wilander. It’s not only tennis players, if you play a sport you are likely to find someone who plays the same position that you do and to try and mimick their style and their success. Comedians watch other comics, artists examin the works of other artists, so why shouldn’t people of faith look to the example of other people of faith?
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The Calling
A solitary figure stood in a large clearing with a couple hundred sheep. From a distance, he might have been any other shepherd, dressed only in robe and sandals, possessing only a hooked staff. But a closer examination revealed him to be handsome, lucid of speech, his eyes revealing deeper intelligence. After a short conversation one would realize he was well educated, capable of shepherding not only sheep, but an entire nation.
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Ephesians Series Part 5
Now that we understand the teachings of chapter one overall, we may turn our attention to what Paul is teaching us about God and our salvation. I will take the lessons mostly so you may read the chapter alongside these revelations.
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