Today I find it challenging not to pause from the judgment of Zephaniah, Haggai, and Revelation and focus on the birth of Jesus. True, His arrival on earth is an aspect of God's judgment. It was our sin, our Sin, that necessitated His advent. That is to our shame...that is, the shame of the human race. Though judgment comes wrapped in swaddling clothes, it's so difficult not to see the greater rea...  Read More

The 'great day of the LORD is near' (Zephaniah 1:14). The 'day of the Lord' is a phrase that is used throughout the Bible speaking of judgment, where the wicked are punished and the righteous (by grace) are rewarded. The great day is the final judgment. Today is Christmas Eve. What a day to ponder judgment. Yet, if you think about it, Christ's very entrance into this world is an act of judgment. H...  Read More

"I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint." (Habakkuk 2:1, NLT)Habakkuk's relationship with God is extremely honest, and brave. He launches right into his 'complaint' from the very outset of his prophecy. "This makes no sense to me...what You are doing, how You are doing it makes no sense, God!" He i...  Read More

"The LORD is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him." (Nahum 1:7, CSB)Though Nahum's prophecy concerns Nineveh, it could apply to Roman occupation during the days when God entered the world, Immanuel. It can also apply to the conversation in the Revelation concerning 'Babylon' and those despots associated with its administration who have the goal of tota...  Read More

"But I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me." (Micah 7:7, CSB)There that word is once again: wait. From time to time this Advent season we have referenced Advent as 'God's Waiting Room.' Micah certainly is looking for a day when God shows up in a world that sometimes feels totally godless. His resolve is that of the faithful who endure the fury of the...  Read More

“Prayer is all-inclusive. There is no time or place that prayer does not cover and sanctify. All things on earth and in heaven, everything for time and for eternity, all are embraced in prayer.” (E.M. Bounds, The Power of Prayer). We pray to the One Who has made the kingdoms of this world His Kingdom (Revelation 11:15). He reigns sovereign and supreme. There is nothing impossible with Him! Pray wi...  Read More