Micah 3:1.2.3.

We are living in a time when people think right is wrong and good is evil. Social injustice runs rampant and Christian love has grown cold. It is sad and depressing to see God’s people in such a state. 

 Wicked rulers and false prophets seem to be the new normal. 

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

The rulers of Israel were responsible for ensuring justice and equity for all people in the land. The cruel oppression of the rulers against their own people is likened to cannibalism. The image is of a hunter cleaning his kill and making a pot of stew out of it.

The idea here is that one might not expect justice from pagan leaders in a faraway place. But the rulers of the people of God were expected to emphasize justice. Justice is one of the key concepts of the Law. Perverting justice was strongly prohibited by God. Yet this was precisely what the leaders of Judah were doing. They had used their authority to destroy justice rather than to establish it among the people.

Micah 3:1–3 (NKJV)

3 And I said:

“Hear now, O heads of Jacob,

And you rulers of the house of Israel:

Is it not for you to know justice?

² You who hate good and love evil;

Who strip the skin from My people,

And the flesh from their bones;

³ Who also eat the flesh of My people,

Flay their skin from them,

Break their bones,

And chop them in pieces

Like meat for the pot,

Like flesh in the caldron.”

Psalm 14:4 (NKJV)

⁴ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,

Who eat up my people as they eat bread,

And do not call on the Lord?

Luke 11:39-40

Lord help me not to be self righteous but to exalt Your righteousness! Help me to walk humbly with You. Help me to hear You clearly and without prejudice.

The state of Your Body, the Church, seems totally out of Your will based on the Scriptures. 

 Help us to be doers of Your Word not just hearers.

Jesus contrasts external purity (proper behavior) with internal cleansing (transformation of the heart). Faithlife Bible.

The Pharisees washed the outside of cups, making sure that the cups had not become unclean through contact with a dead insect. Jesus pointed out that the Pharisees concerned themselves with outward appearances and ritual cleanness, while what was inside, what really counts, was full of selfishness and evil.We should be more concerned about renewing our mind and focusing it on Jesus than observing a list of rules that have no biblical support. The inside of the cup represents a person’s character. Sometimes those who most loudly protest the sins of others are secretly guilty of those or worse sins themselves. NKJ Bible.

Luke 11:39–40 (NKJV)

³⁹ Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

Matthew 23:25 (NKJV)

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.

Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)

²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Titus 1:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.

Mark 3:23-25

America is in deep trouble. In my lifetime I have not seen such a division of the moral standings of our country. We were built with immigration. We are now established by party, money and power. Partisanship needs to go. WWJD has gone by the wayside.

God help us!

Jesus confronts the religious leaders with the possibility that, by opposing Him, they might be aligning themselves with evil powers. The defining mark of a disciple of God’s kingdom is allegiance to Jesus and His teaching. Faithlife Bible.

Jesus’ reply in parables was actually a threefold message that contrasted unity and disunity. Nothing—including Satan’s kingdom—can stand if it is divided.NKJ Bible.

Mark 3:23–25 (NKJV)

²³ So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

Matthew 12:25 (NKJV)

²⁵ But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

Luke 6:20-22

 Please, help me Holy Spirit to understand Your will not mine! 

Your ways are so much higher and compassionate than my own and You want no one to perish. Open my eyes to the love that You have in Christ Jesus for all of Your creation.

In Luke, these beatitudes focus on the socioeconomic conditions of first-century Palestine. Blessed are those who mourn over the brokenness of the present world and the suffering it causes. They will experience great joy when God’s kingdom arrives in full, upon Jesus’ second coming. Jesus praises both those who suffer for the sake of doing what is right, and also those who experience persecution because of their allegiance to Jesus Himself. Faithlife Bible.

Identification with Jesus usually leads to rejection and hardship, but the disciple who has left all to follow Jesus understands what placing Jesus first means. He or she also recognizes that God is aware of all suffering. NKJ Bible.

Luke 6:20–22 (NKJV)

²⁰ Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you poor,

For yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled. 

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh.

²² Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man’s sake.

Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

Psalm 126:5 (NKJV)

⁵ Those who sow in tears

Shall reap in joy.

Isaiah 55:1 (NKJV)

55“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price.

1 Corinthians 1:1.2.3.

We are called according to God’s purposes not our own. 

Help us to be sanctified in Your will. In everything we do may it be done through and in the salvation You provided inJesus Christ. Our faith pleases You…Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the unity of the Holy Spirit we can accomplish Your will for our life.

 May the peace of God reign in our hearts!

Paul’s appointment to the office of apostle was God’s decision, not a person’s or group’s. Paul doesn’t need the affirmation of the Corinthians because God chose him. Sanctification is the process of a believer becoming more like Christ in thought and action.

The Greek word used here, ekklēsia, refers to a gathering of people, not a building; here, it references the gathering of Christ followers in Corinth. Faithlife Bible.

Corinth was a metropolitan city on the Mediterranean Sea with a population consisting of between 150,000 and 300,000 Roman citizens and approximately 460,000 slaves. Jewish people may have been some of the first settlers. The city contained many freed people who often became criminals because they were unable to work legitimate jobs; these may have represented the poor that Paul mentions. In the first century ad, when Paul wrote his letter, Corinth was known for its banking industry and incredible wealth. Shrines to deities of Greek, Roman, and even Egyptian gods have been discovered, and cult prostitution was common. The biannual Isthmian athletic games were held at Corinth, which made it a travel destination; these games also involved a celebration of the god Poseidon.

Paul’s words of introduction are more than simple words of greeting. The first few verses introduce the themes of his letter. Thus in his greeting, Paul introduces his apostolic authority, the sanctification of his readers, and the unity of all believers, all major themes of the letter and concerns for the Corinthian believers.

The Corinthian church greatly valued human wisdom. This misplaced emphasis had caused some in the church to challenge Paul’s authority. They forgot that Jesus Christ Himself had called him to his ministry as an apostle of Jesus Christ where Paul uses the same title.

The work of Jesus Christ makes a believer holy forever in God’s eyes. But in everyday living, sanctification involves small, daily changes. This is why Paul could call the Corinthian believers to become saints, even though the problems in their church testified that they were far from the goal of holiness. NKJ Bible

1 Corinthians 1:1–3 (NKJV)

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

² To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:7 (NKJV)

⁷ To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:1 (NKJV)

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

Romans 3:22 (NKJV)

²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

Daniel 7:13-14

How I long for the Lord Jesus to return but there are so many that do not know of the salvation that the Father gifted to mankind in Him. Help me to care about those that I disagree with and show all Your creation the inherent respect that You gave to them. Help me to be an example of Your graciousness, love and mercy.

 If I hold you up mankind will be drawn to You!

Micah 6:8

Be fair

Extend mercy

Be humble

Knowing it is all about YOU!

The references to kingdom and dominion in this verse are what the Jews were anticipating. They sought an end to the world’s kingdoms by the establishment of God’s kingdom, which also meant an end to their suffering. It did not happen in Daniel’s lifetime, but those undergoing the persecution by Antiochus could hope for it in theirs. This kingdom concept is carried into the Gospels. Faithlife Bible.

Daniel saw One like the “Son of Man,” indicating that He is not a man in the strict sense, but rather the perfect representation of humanity. Jewish and Christian expositors have identified this individual as the Messiah. Jesus Himself used this name to emphasize His humanity as the incarnate Son of God. NKJ Bible.

Daniel 7:13–14 (NKJV)

¹³ “I was watching in the night visions,

And behold, One like the Son of Man,

Coming with the clouds of heaven!

He came to the Ancient of Days,

And they brought Him near before Him.

¹⁴ Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,

That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

Which shall not pass away,

And His kingdom the one

Which shall not be destroyed.

Psalm 2:8 (NKJV)

⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You

The nations for Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

Psalm 145:13 (NKJV)

¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

Acts 8:34-40

We must not, cannot, ever put our Lord in a box! If you seek Him He will find you.

 Nothing is impossible with God…nothing!

Philip used the fourth Suffering Servant song to explain the gospel of Jesus’ sacrificial death, victorious resurrection, and the significance of Jesus’ actions for all people. Philip would have explained that the prophet is speaking about an individual suffering servant, who takes on the sin of all of humanity. Faithlife Bible.

First-century Jews did not speak much about a suffering Messiah. The Jewish people, facing the yoke of Roman rule, believed that the Messiah would come as the Lion of Judah, a delivering King, not a weak lamb. They believed and taught that the suffering One spoken of by Isaiah was the suffering nation of Israel. Most likely this eunuch had heard the “official” teaching of this passage in Jerusalem but still had some questions. Philip showed him that suffering One was Jesus. He had to suffer on the Cross for the sins of all of humanity.

Having heard the message of Christ’s sacrifice for sin, the eunuch responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Irenaeus, an early church father who lived between a.d. 130 and 202, wrote that the eunuch returned to Ethiopia and became a missionary to his own people.

The Greek word translated caught here is also used in 1 Thess. 4:17 for the catching away of the church into the air. Though this passage may say only that Philip went from the desert to Azotus, most likely the terminology indicates a miraculous transportation.

Acts 8:34–40 (NKJV)

³⁴ So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. ³⁶ Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

³⁷ Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

³⁸ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. ³⁹ Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

Ezekiel 3:12 (NKJV)

¹² Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place!”

Micah 1:3-4

GOD hates pride and arrogance especially in those who claim to be His. He hears the cries of those in need and He acts in their defense. Knowing that He corrects those He loves we need to be aware of His words of warning to us and our relationship to the world.

 Everything good comes from God…it is His right to take it away.

 A proverb was a taunt song. God would take the property rights from those who had seized them illegally and give them to people who were even more reprobate than they were. NKJ Bible.

The mistreatment of others has given these evildoers the impression that they are better than those upon whom they prey. Faithlife Bible.

Micah 2:3–4 (NKJV)

³ Therefore thus says the Lord:

“Behold, against this family I am devising disaster,

From which you cannot remove your necks;

Nor shall you walk haughtily,

For this is an evil time.

⁴ In that day one shall take up a proverb against you,

And lament with a bitter lamentation, saying:

‘We are utterly destroyed!

He has changed the heritage of my people;

How He has removed it from me!

To a turncoat He has divided our fields.’ ”

Amos 5:13 (NKJV)

¹³ Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time,

For it is an evil time.

Psalm 72:12–14 (NKJV)

12 For He will deliver the needy when he cries,

The poor also, and him who has no helper.

13 He will spare the poor and needy,

And will save the souls of the needy.

14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;

And precious shall be their blood in His sight.

Matthew 22:37-40

Love alone matters. 

LOVE your enemies too because even the heathen loves those that love him. Help me Father to love all people but still be able to base decisions on Your biblical truth alone. Help me to b a voice for those who have no voice in our culture today. let me be as wise as a serpent but as gentle as the lamb of god.

The world is our neighbor!

To answer the lawyer’s question, Jesus quoted from the great Jewish confession of faith called the Shema. The confession is called this because it begins with the Hebrew word shema meaning “hear:” “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”. The heart, soul, and mind represent the whole person. Because we love ourselves, we want the best for ourselves; likewise, we should be concerned for the welfare of others.

The Ten Commandments can be divided into two categories: those dealing with love for God (the first four Commandments) and those dealing with responsibilities toward other people (the last six Commandments). The same may be said for all the Law and the Prophets. NKJ Bible.

The heart, soul, and mind collectively represent the whole person; one should love God with total love and devotion.The commands to love God and others do not replace the instructions of the Law or the teaching of the Prophets. Rather, obedience to this twofold commandment fulfills the essence of their teaching. Faithlife Bible.

Matthew 22:37–40 (NKJV)

³⁷ Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Luke 6:31

¹² Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.