Why is Zephaniah called the Terminator by some conservative Lutheran scholars? He is the WOE to WOW prophet. Watch and find out!
Jonah
The prophet Jonah is my least favorite. Sound a little harsh for someone God used to pen a book of the Bible? I think after a quick study you’ll agree, Jonah is not a good guy.
Obadiah
Obadiah was a prophet who lived to see the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. What is interesting about the book is that the focus is the little nation of Edom. This was a neighboring nation to Israel. Edom was more than that! You see, the feud between Edom and Israel went all the way back to Jacob and Esau.
Habakkuk
Does God want us to complain? The prophet Habakkuk wrote in grievance down in his prophecy. We hear God’s answer, the prophet’s follow-up, and then God’s reply. Check out this dialogue between a troubled Old Testament Christian and the God who loves him. God’s promises are for you too! The righteous will live by faith.
Micah
Micah might be the most well known of the Minor Prophets because of his contribution to the Epiphany accounts, pointing out that Bethlehem would be the birth place of Jesus. His words offer very pointed comparisons to modern politics and immorality. He was quoted by Jesus and reminds us that we have a God like no other! Ours is a God who forgives.
Joel
Joel is one of the minor prophets that can be summed up with one word – locusts. We continue our study Minor Prophets Major Messages with our study of Joel. Joel has alot to say on the end of the world and repentance. Check it out!
Hosea
Hosea is a Hebrew word that means salvation. The prophet was given a unique ministry because he was told to take an adulterous woman as his wife. This is normally a bad idea, but God was going to use his family as an object lesson. If that sounds horrifying to you, I would agree on a few different levels.
Amos
Amos is the first Minor Prophet that we will consider in our new Bible study: Minor Prophets Major Messages. In this book God does not hold back. He unleashes threats that would be made real in just a few years. The economic good times didn’t help Israel as they turned back from our God. Amos has some surprising insights into our culture as well. That days are evil!
The Conclusion
Is the Conclusion to the Ten Commandments something new to you? If you have gone through catechism instruction in the Lutheran church as a youth, the chances are extremely high that you covered the Conclusion.
Coveting
Does coveting sound simple? Maybe on paper or in the sterile screen of a blog post, but in practice controlling our emotions and thoughts is really difficult.
False Testimony
False testimony might be something people do in court when they don’t tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. False testimony, and the 8th Commandment, is actually a little more than that. As Martin Luther explained in his Small Catechism, keeping this commandment is done when we protect our reputation and our neighbor’s reputation. As the thousands of years have gone by since our God gave this commandment, this hasn’t gotten any easier.
Protect Possessions
What is the best way to protect your possessions? If you’re thinking a moat and a castle, you might be going in the right direction.
Love and Marriage
We’re going back to the basics with the 6th Commandment. God’s plan isn’t just a nice idea – it’s the best idea – because God is the one who designed love and marriage. His plan will work for you too.