TCN's Biblical Journey September 20th

Tell City Nazarene Church's Biblical Journey

With Pastor Charles Areson

Today's reading is Nahum 2-3 and Habakkuk 1-2

Habakkuk begins a complaint about how bad things are and wonders what God is going to do about it. God answers but it is something that Habakkuk won't like, the destruction of the nation by the Babylonians. 

This to me is a reminder that sometimes the solution to the problems we see is not always what we want. We want God to deal with problems but usually, we want God to do it our way. The problem is God is going to use nations, people, or things which we might never want. However, as this book ends you see that God is going to deal justly with those he may use in the short term. Or to say it another way, God is going to make everything right. 


Bible Project Video for Habakkuk: https://youtu.be/OPMaRqGJPUU 

TCN's Biblical Journey September 19th

Tell City Nazarene Church's Biblical Journey

With Pastor Charles Areson

Today's reading is the Micah 5-7 and Nahum 1


The book of Nahum is filled with the prophecy of Israel's greatest enemy Assyria and it's capital Nineveh. The book can be a real downer, but one of the things which really stand out is even here God gives promises to those who trust him. In verse seven of chapter one reminds us God is good and he cares for those who trust him. As in prophet after prophet, we see here that in the middle of destruction, God promises to do what is right for those that love him. 


Here is a link to a great video to understand Nahum: https://youtu.be/Y30DanA5EhU

TCN's Biblical Journey September 18th

Tell City Nazarene Church's Biblical Journey

With Pastor Charles Areson

Today's reading is the Micah 1-4

Micah's prophecy isn't just for Israel or Judah but for both. Micah says the sin of these nations is their capital cities. Which can cause someone to wonder how can a city be a sin?

The answer is that these are the places where the leaders of the nation live and rule. It is from here that the corruption in these nations is celebrated and encouraged. It is like when people in the USA say that the problems in the Government come from Washington, D.C.

God holds rulers and leaders responsible for what they do. This doesn't mean that everyone else is off the hook. Each of us will answer to God for what we do in response to the rulings of those who lead us.
 

Here is a video which may help you understand Micah: https://youtu.be/MFEUEcylwLc

TCN's Biblical Journey September 17th

Tell City Nazarene Church's Biblical Journey

With Pastor Charles Areson

Today's reading is the book of Jonah

What is that heading toward the guy we threw overboard?

“Jonah was a prophet, Oo-ooh! but he really never got sad but true...” sing the vegetables in the Veggie Tales movie Jonah. The story has a lot of silly stuff happening in it but this song nails it. Jonah was a prophet and he never did get it.

In the first chapter Jonah, who later confesses God was the Lord of the land and the sea tried to run from him by going on the sea. This is as smart as jumping into the ocean to escape sharks. In the defense of his thinking, it wasn’t like staying on the land was going to help him any better. However, he should have known there wasn’t anywhere he could run to.

Though Jonah was not an example of what a prophet should be, I am amazed to see God using Jonah’s actions to bring people to Him. We see at the end of chapter one, as Jonah is being swallowed by a great fish, the sailor on the boat calling out and making vows to God.

God can even use disobedience though that doesn’t save the disobedient from trouble.

Here is a great video to help you understand Jonah (sorry no singing vegetables): https://youtu.be/dLIabZc0O4c

Photo by Mihail Minkov on Unsplash  

TCN's Biblical Journey September 14th

Tell City Nazarene Church's Biblical Journey

With Pastor Charles Areson

Today's reading is Amos 7-9 and Obadiah

 

A village in the mountains

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament. It is God’s pronouncement of judgment against Esau’s decedents the Edomites. These people were related to the Jews yet lived as their enemies.

Their first sin was pride. They were filled with pride because the mountain where they lived offered protection from attack. God was further displeased by their actions toward Israel when they were attacked. They didn’t assist them and even took advantage of the attacks to attack Judah themselves.  

Esau had been taught by Isaac about God, but he and his family chose another way. Now they were going to face the consequences of those choices.

A historical note: Four years after the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, Edomites were successfully attacked. By the time Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., the Edomites ceased being a people. 

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

TCN's Biblical Journey Sept. 13th

Tell City Nazarene Church's Biblical Journey

With Pastor Charles Areson

Today's reading is Amos 3-6

God is saying here in Amos 3:2 that because they have been so blessed by God, now they will be judged by God. Some may think this is unfair but once you consider the patience of God it is more than fair. The moral in Spiderman is with great power comes great responsibility. Here is the perfect example, Israel had been blessed by God they saw God’s mighty power and immeasurable blessings, but the majority chose another way to reject that responsibility.

We might understand someone who steals because they are hungry, but when they have all they need there isn’t a reason to show understanding or mercy. We are pleased when an infant crawl across the floor but are irritated when our ten-year-old does. Why? Because they can do so much more.

In Luke 12, Jesus said to whom much is given much shall be required and if we won’t use what we have we will lose it.

Just as we expect more in a math test for a high schooler than a first grader, God expects more for those he blesses. God wouldn’t be just if he allowed those who waste God’s blessings to not be held a greater standard.

To those who might think it would be better not to be blessed by God, 1 Peter 4:17-18 gives this warning: “For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"”

Photo by Joey Nicotra on Unsplash

TCN's Biblical Journey Sept 12th

Tell City Nazarene Church's Biblical Journey

With Pastor Charles Areson

Today's reading is Joel 2-3 and Amos 1-2

 

“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand—" Joel 2:1

There is a chorus which I sang a lot in the late 1980’s and 90’s, it was called blow the trumpet in Zion. It talked about God’s great army who was going to carry out his word. It is an upbeat song which can get you excited. After the song, we would blow our shofars, ram’s horns, and it felt great.

The scripture it was derived from was Joel 2. The problem with this scripture is it has nothing to do with Israel or the church. It has to do with the destruction coming on Israel. The blowing of the trumpet was a warning to Israel not the charge of God’s victorious army.

Does this mean I won’t sing this song again? No, it’s a cool tune and God’s army be they a band of locust or the church can do whatever God has called them to do. However, (I seem to use that word a lot) we need to realize when we hear the horn blow or whatever God uses to get our attention, we need to understand what it means for us. We need to ask, it this a warning or a call to action.  

Image by Jake Roxen