THE MINOR PROPHETS

Today, I'm writing about the Minor Prophets.  I've been away a few days on a short vacation, and tomorrow I'm spending with my three sons in eastern Oregon, driving some quads around a 30,000 acre ranch, so I'm writing now about all seventy nine chapters in the Minor Prophets which consist of the last twelve books of the Old Testament.  They are called Minor because of the length of their message, not the importance of their message.  Here goes: 1) CONSEQUENCES- People just do not think of consequences when they go against God or God's man.  In Daniel six, Daniel was preferred above the other presidents and princes of the Medes and Persians, but they sought means against Daniel out of jealousy.  You know the story, he could not pray to any god but the king for 30 days, but Daniel prayed to God three times a day and was put in the Lion's Den for doing so.  They didn't harm him at all!!  But... the Men, their wives, and their children were put into the den of Lions and all killed and eaten.  Now here is the lesson:  Going against God and God's man led to consequences for themselves.... bad enough, but it doesn't end there.  There were consequences for their families... they died too!  A man goes to the bottle, or drugs, and yes, his family bears the consequences of the father's sin.  A mother disregards her duties as a mother and the children will bear the consequences of her sin.  It's called family!!  But, it didn't end there.... the kingdom suffered the consequences of their sin because it was the presidents and princes, the kingdom lost much leadership!!  One of the worst things about our sin is that it keeps us from doing God's work!!  We become AWOL!  There are consequences!! 2) HOSEA 6:2 says: "Come, and let us return unto the LORD,"  What good advice!  We too need to constantly keep this truth before us so that we stay close to the Lord.  3) JOEL 2:12 tells us how to return to the LORD.  It says with "all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning;"   It takes effort, it is not just simple prayers that bring us back to a holy God, but a repentant heart to once again grant us the joy of our Salvation!  We are still saved when backslidden, but we do not experience the joy of it. 4) AMOS 3:3- "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"  I have known this verse for forty years, but I never understood exactly what it was talking about until today!  It is talking about God and the nation of Israel.  They were not agreed, so they could not be walking together.  I hope we are in agreement with God today.... so we can walk with Him!! 5) JONAH- This is a great book of only four short chapters.  In it, God prepares a Great Wind, A Great Fish, A Gourd, A Worm, and An East Wind.... all to teach his servant a great lesson.  Read it for yourself, and look into why God prepared each one of these things.  Good luck, you will see them if you go looking. 7) HABAKKUK 1:13 says: "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity."  This is why when Jesus was on the cross, God the father, and God the Holy Spirit, turned away from God the Son when He bore all of our sins, and Jesus cried out:  "My God, My God!  Why hast thou forsaken Me?"  It was because God is of purer eyes to behold evil, and Jesus bore our evil on the cross! 8) HAGGAI- This whole book is about rebuilding the temple and God telling the people that they would not be blessed until they put God's house first!  When they built the temple, the prophet asks the old men, "How do you see it now?" in 2:3.  It was rebuilt, but it did not look like Solomon's temple.  Hey, now that you have been saved a while.... how do you see it now??  Still excited??  I am!! 9) ZECHARIAH- 10:1 says:  "Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain."  While it is raining, ask God for the rain you will need later in the season.  While your family is being blessed, ask for His blessings!  Don't wait until things fall apart to ask God for His blessings!! 10) MALACHI- The Last book in the Old Testament, and the last word of it is "curse".  The New Testament is about "Grace", not a "curse".  Thus the difference!  Well, I've written a lot for today and tomorrow as well.  Have a blessed day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler