First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Devotional: Amos 2:4-16

Today’s passage: Amos 2:4-16

Helpful thoughts:

  • After listing several judgments on the foreign nations.  The Lord now turns to Judah and Israel.
  • Judah and Israel had something all the other nations did not, the Lord.  Yet, they did all the same things as the other nations, even refusing to hear from the Lord.
  • Amos’ primary prophetic ministry was to Israel, they get the most detailed list of reasons for God’s judgment.
    • There is much prosperity recorded in Israel during this time. However, that wealth remained with those in power while the poor and righteous were used and abused for personal “gain.”
    • Everything from the middle of verse 7 through 8 was probably part of their idolatrous practices.  The god in verse 8 should be a little “g”.  The Israelites built houses to “their” gods (Initially the sin of Jeroboam, making the altars to the golden calves – 1 Kings 12:25-29).

Questions to consider:

  1. What were the rich and powerful in Israel doing to the righteous and poor?  What does their prosperity and strength (Verses 14-16) indicate the leaders of Israel valued over righteousness and their rightful Lord?  Should we always assume that everything is great when the economy is good and there is “peace?”
  2. In what way was Israel’s and Judah’s sin even more acute than that of the other nations?  What does verse 12 say they did with God’s gracious provision of truth for them?  What must the posture of our hearts and minds be as we approach the Word of God?
  3. What was Israel trusting in for its safety and protection?  And…safety and protection from what/whom?  What is the salvation that man truly needs?  Who is our rock, shelter, rescuer, and our salvation?

Devotional: Amos 1:1-2:3

Today’s passage: Amos 1:1-2:3

Helpful thoughts:

  • Amos, the shepherd from Tekoa (About 10 miles south of Jerusalem) became a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel around 760 B.C.
    • The earthquake mentioned is said to have occurred in 760.
  • Judgments are prophesied against six of Israel’s neighbors; The Arameans, Philistines, the city of Tyre (The home of Jezebel), the Edomites (Descendants of Esau and therefore brothers of Israel), Ammonites, and the Moabites (Both the Ammonites and Moabites are the descendants of Lot).
    • There will be more to read about tomorrow.  Today’s judgments are on those outside of Israel, tomorrow turns to Judah and Israel.
  • The use of “three…and for four…” is a rhetorical device which carries the meaning of a large (An innumerable) amount of transgressions.

Questions to consider:

  1. If you are Israel hearing these prophecies, what might you be thinking thus far?  If God is promising judgment on all these surrounding enemies, what would you be thinking/feeling?
  2. What was the cause of judgement?  What had these people groups done?  What does God judge against?
  3. Back in verse 2, where is the northern kingdom reminded as to where judgment comes from?  What location and what God?  From whom does rescue and salvation from our sin come?

Devotional: Joel 3:1-21

Today’s passage: Joel 3:1-21

Helpful thoughts:

  • Jehoshaphat is a name that means, “Yahweh judges.”
    • The judgement depicted here in Joel 3 is also taught in Revelation 16:16 and 19:11-21 among a few other places in scripture.  This is the battle of Armageddon.
    • We are reminded again today, in the end, God wins.
  • Verse 13 reminds us that this final battle is not simply a war for gain of wealth or land.  This is God’s just wrath being poured out for the sin of the world.
  • In the day when all our sin is gone and we wouldn’t be tempted or lured away from God by the wealth of this world, “the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk.” (Verse 18)  
    • And when that day of prosperity comes, we will truly understand how much more valuable Jesus is than any health or wealth we may clamor for in this life.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why will the battle be won by God in the end?  Will His people be too strong for the world to overcome?  Will God be thankful for our strength and protection?  OR…what does verse 16 teach us?
  2. If I was a Jewish person in the first century A.D., and if I was more into the prospect of prosperity and vengeance over my earthly enemies, why might I have questioned Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah when He died on the cross?  Why is it so important to know and remember that my greatest problem is my sin, and God’s greatest gift is Christ’s sacrifice?
  3. What do you look forward to the most in eternity?  How does one’s answer to that question give evidence to growth and spiritual maturity?

Devotional: Joel 2:18-32

Today’s passage: Joel 2:18-32

Helpful thoughts:

  • With verse 18, the theme of this book transitions to God’s merciful and gracious restoration of His people and their land.
  • Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2:16-21.  Joel’s prophecy appears to refer to the end times, but the day of Pentecost served as a major transition toward God’s plan of final redemption.
  • Paul also refers to this passage in Romans 10:13.  This promise is not for the Jews only.
    • But, there will be a remnant among the people of national Israel who call on the name of the Lord for salvation.  And whoever calls, will be saved.

Questions to consider:

  1. What kinds of markers do you see in today’s passage that convey a different time from the prophecies of the previous section in the book of Joel?  What changes are evident?
  2. What is God’s motivation for these actions?  What do verses like 18, 21, 23, 27, and 32 teach us about God?
  3. From what do we need to be saved?  How does our sin eliminate the possibility that we could save ourselves?  What can we learn from the first and second half of verse 32?  Who is doing the calling in each instance?

Devotional: Joel 2:1-17

Today’s passage: Joel 2:1-17

Helpful thoughts:

  • The Day of the Lord is coming…soon…in the future.  But the day to “tremble,” or the day to be prepared, is today (Verse 1).
  • Verses 2-11 again depict this plague of locusts from chapter 1.
    • They are like a darkness that spreads to the opposite effect of a sunrise.
    • They are like fire that devours.
    • They are like war horses that overpower whatever stands in their way.
  • Verses 12-17 are a call to response concerning the truth of what’s to come.  Whatever you’re doing, stop and turn to the Lord!

Questions to consider:

  1. When people want to go on a diet, they often determine the best day to start, is tomorrow.  What fickle pleasures of “today” are prone to distract us from the truth of “tomorrow?”  Why must we remember that today is the day of salvation? (2 Corinthians 6:2)
  2. When we meet natural disasters and calamities in our day, where do we turn for answers?  Where does the western culture go to fix what it decides is broken?  What was Israel’s greatest problem?  Was it ever locusts?  What is our greatest problem and who alone can “fix” it?
  3. How does the gospel of Jesus Christ give us contentment and peace even in the midst of this world’s calamities?  Is our well-being defined by or under the control of our circumstances?   (Philippians 4:11-13)  How does this truth give us freedom from so many of this world’s concerns?

Devotional: Joel 1:1-20

Today’s passage: Joel 1:1-20

Helpful thoughts:

  • Little more is known about the prophet Joel than what is written in this short book.
    • His name means, “Yahweh is God.”
    • It’s quite possible that he lived and served in Judah during the period of the divided kingdoms.  But, this is not certain.
  • Joel’s main message in this book is that the “Day of the Lord” is coming.  The “Day of the Lord” is a phrase referring to God’s judgment against sin which, in the end, will be followed by gracious blessing and life for God’s people.
  • Today’s passage refers to a time of judgment during Joel’s lifetime.
    • The right response of the people was to cry out to the Lord in repentance.
    • God is the one to whom we must go for forgiveness, and only God could restore a nation’s physical well-being after the devastation described in this chapter.

Questions to consider:

  1. What is significant about verses 2-3?  What must we do with the word that God has given us?  What would indifference to God’s Word result in?  How do we show a right reverence and healthy fear of God and also respond appropriately to His love for us? (James 1:22-25)
  2. What was the means of distraction for the drunkards in verse 5?  What was going to happen once their distraction was taken away?  Did their problems actually just start for them once they were sober, or were the problems already there and being ignored in their drunkenness?  What are some ways you might be tempted to “distract” yourself from dealing with problems or the need of repentance?
  3. What does the necessity of crying out to God remind us of?  Knowing that we are all sinners, what is our hope of rescue?  Living in a world that will one day see the Day of the Lord, to whom must we look, and point others toward, as we persevere in the faith (Hebrews 12:1-2)?

Devotional: Romans 16:25-27

Today’s passage: Romans 16:25-27

Helpful thoughts:

  • God is the one who provides our strength to stand (To be established in the faith)  We are the ones who need establishing.  And the message through which our strengthening comes is the gospel.
  • The gospel truths and message are all throughout the Old Testament.  Their fulfillment and specificity are revealed in Christ and therefore also in the New Testament.  The “mysteries” have been revealed in Christ.
  • Obedience is a fruit of faith.  Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-10).
    • Making obedience the prerequisite to faith and eternal life is the “wisdom” of man (To the glory of man) and this world, and it is foolishness with God.
    • Obedience which results from faith is the wisdom of God.  This brings God glory (And joy to man) forevermore.

Questions to consider:

  1. After reading through this letter to the church at Rome, how has your understanding of the gospel grown?  What is the gospel?  What must we do to be saved?  What did God do to save us?
  2. If a person thinks his obedience will “save” him, what has he missed?  How could you use the book of Romans to point him to the truth?
  3. How does the gospel and our salvation bring glory to God?  If we were left to ourselves, what glory would there be for us to obtain in truth?  Why is God’s glory our greater joy?

Devotional: Romans 16:17-24

Today’s passage: Romans 16:17-24

Helpful thoughts:

  • This warning against false teachers emphasizes looking out for:
    • Causing division – Giving people something to argue about
    • Creating obstacles – Giving people requirements or rules to follow
    • People serving their own appetites – They get a sense of achievement or pleasure from seeing people follow their teaching or counsel.
    • Smooth speech and flattery – They know how to argue and they make people feel good about themselves to get their foot in the door.
      • Christians are able to discern when teachings, divisions, or obstacles (Commands) are contrary to what we have been taught in the Scriptures.
      • The reason Christians wouldn’t be able to discern between truth and fiction…naivety.
  • In Christ, we are on the victory side (Verse 20).  God wins.
  • Tertius would have been a scribe (Or, the technical term: Amanuenses) who wrote down this letter as Paul dictated.

Questions to consider:

  1. Since these obstacles and divisions are contrary to “what we have been taught” in the Bible, what would be the Christian’s right response to ready themselves for any false teaching they may come across?  What must pastors and teachers in the church preach and teach?  If pastors and teachers in a church are still naïve, what kinds of things will they teach the congregation?
  2. In conjunction with Paul’s writing on the “strong” and “weak” consciences of chapter 14, if a church becomes legalistic and divisive, where would it stand according to this passage today and what would that church be ripe for?  What kind of a church do we want to be?  What do we want to be experts in?
  3. If a person has great knowledge of the Bible and remains cold-hearted, divisive and legalistic, what is wrong?  How does growing in the knowledge of the Scriptures (In the heart of a truly regenerate person) result in change and growth?

Devotional: Romans 16:1-16

Today’s passage: Romans 16:1-16

Helpful thoughts:

  • The word translated as “Servant” and “Deacon” (Or in the feminine form, “Deaconess”) is the same Greek word.  At least one modern translation calls Phoebe a Deacon of the church in Cenchreae (Implying that she held that office), but when the same word is used for Epaphras in Colossians 1:7, the same modern translation decided to use the word, “Servant.”
    • It would not be appropriate to use this verse alone to argue for which gender(s) should hold the office of Deacon.  Though 1 Timothy 3:11 may speak to the idea of women serving as deaconesses.  According to 1 Timothy 2:12, Phoebe would not have served in a role where she held authority over the men in the church.
      • Let’s focus on being thankful for the Lord’s grace in Phoebe’s life to serve the church so well, as well as so many other women who have faithfully served throughout the history of the church.
  • Of the several people in this list made for greetings and to encourage warm welcomes:
    • There are men and women
    • There are Jews and Gentiles
    • There are upper and lower class
    • There are slave (Or former slave) and free
      • The origin and typical uses of these names signify an incredibly diverse congregation…and they all make up one church.
  • The “Holy kiss” was simply the common greeting in the ancient world made “holy” by the fellowship of the people greeting one another in Christ.  Perhaps in our culture today we would prefer a “Holy hand-shake.”

Questions to consider:

  1. Which description of these brothers and sisters sticks out most to you?  Why?  What seems to be the theme of these characteristics?
  2. If Paul had added some names from our church to this list to greet, what do you think he would have said?  How could you be an encourager to those people the next time you see them?
  3. What can we learn about from the diversity of the church in Rome?  What does the church fellowship around?  What truly unites God’s people?  What might be some examples of preferences that have taken precedence over the Gospel in determining our fellowship in our culture?