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Today: Proverbs 21:17-26; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Micah 5, 6 & 7
2 Corinthians 5
I have been so disheartened to witness all the fearfulness within the church about this cursed virus. It has opened my eyes more than anything else just how far our church has fallen away from faith in God…
Our bodies are given to us from God, so yes, we should take care of them. But this abject fear is NOT from God. Our churches have bowed to this lying god of fear, shut their doors, and run away from their ministries. Way too many people who claim to be Christians are far too attached to their own fleshly tents and have no eternal vision, no concept of this eternal house in heaven that awaits us. We are enslaved by fears. Do we believe the Bible or not? We are called to be “always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.” We are called to “live by faith, not by sight.” A lot of us need to turn off the fearmongering news and get on our knees.
Micah 5-7
Most (if not all) of the prophecies contained in the Bible have many different meanings and cover multiple time periods. God’s Word is that complex. His vision is too extensive for us to fathom.
Micah’s prophecies are no different. He speaks of judgments that have already happened to Israel and of future judgments and forgiveness. He prophesies the coming of Jesus Christ repeatedly.
I believe Micah also prophesies things that we are watching unfold in our world TODAY. He speaks of a coming judgment which I believe will happen soon, when God will “take vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not obeyed [Him].” (v.5:15)
In that day, God says:
“I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells. I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities.” Micah 5:11-14
Micah describes our own culture in chapter 6. I believe this is God’s warning to US today:
“Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully. Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins. You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. You will store up but save nothing, because what you save I will give to the sword. You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine. You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practies of Ahab’s house; you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations.” Micah 6:12-16
But all is not doom and gloom. God wins in the end. We who “watch in hope for the LORD” and “wait for God” also will be victorious. God WILL hear our prayers and deliver us.
“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.” Micah 7:18-19
