MORE MINOR PROPHETS

I've got my coffee right at hand, and I'm in the Minor prophets again.  Yesterday, I finished Jonah and today I start in Micah.  There are 68 chapters in the Minor prophets so it takes three days to go through them.  It only takes two weeks out of two months to get through the New Testament.  Here are a few thoughts I have for you today: 1) TWISTED- That is how you can describe Israel before the captivity and perhaps America in these days ahead.  Here is the precise wording:  Micah 3:2- "Who hate the good, and love the evil;"  It's that twisted?  We see that good is attacked in our country and the bad is promoted.  How sad for our nation.  "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." 2) HEAD FOR THE STORM CELLAR- In the south, you have area that are prone to have tornado's.  Many of those places have a storm cellar dug in the ground and reinforced with concrete so that they can hide in there while the storm passes by.  In Nahum, 1:3, it says: "The LORD hath his way in the whirlwind, and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."  Here we see that God has His way in the storms of life and on earth, but in verse 7 it reads:  "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."  God is also our "storm cellar"!  In these days of uncertainty throughout our land, let all of God's people head for the storm cellar!!  We will find our protection in the LORD! 3) MAKE IT PLAIN- In Habakkuk 2:2 the Bible says: "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it."  Straight preaching and teaching is what is needed.  Not that which is above the heads of the people, and certainly not that which goes in circles so that no one knows exactly what you mean or even what you are saying.  We need plain speech and straight forward preaching!  This will change us and our people! 4) FAITH IN DARK DAYS- It is easy to have faith when all goes well, but faith in dark days are what is needed.  Habakkuk 3:17,18 spells this out:  "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."  This is a great example of "faith in dark days".  May we have this same faith for whatever we may face in the future! 5) BUILD THE HOUSE!!  Haggai 1:8 says: "build the house".  God is telling the people who have come back from the captivity that they have built their own houses but have not built the house of the LORD.  God says: "build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD."  What do you think about your church?  That building is special because God meets with His people there.  That is why we want to take good care of the house of God.  He dwells in us, but meets with us at Church!! Well, I have to go for today... I could spend the whole day I think just going from verse to verse.  So much I have to skip over, but in time.... I may get to those verses too!  Have a blessed day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler