The book of Ruth illustrates the long-reaching effects of our decisions, both good and bad. When famine struck the village of Bethlehem Judah, Elimelech moved his family to the wicked, pagan country of Moab. His choice set in motion a decade of sickness, sorrow, and death. In part 2 of the series “Bread In Bethlehem”, we are warned about the Choices That Condemn Us to suffering and regret.
Life brings suffering and sorrow even for the people of God. It is the dark days of our lives that challenge and put our faith to the test. When fleshly circumstances appear to conflict with spiritual values, the Christian must make difficult decisions that have consequences. In this broadcast of Let the Bible Speak, we begin a series in the beloved Book of Ruth. We begin by learning about the family of Elimelech and the famine that tested them.
While the number of people who self-identify as Christians is in decline in America, so is the number of professing Christians who attend church gatherings or claim membership in a local congregation. More and more claim a relationship with Christ has little to nothing to do with affiliation with a church. In this broadcast of Let the Bible Speak, we emphasize several reasons why every Christian needs the church.
Some people have a hard time saying “thank you”. But in the eyes of God, the problem is much deeper than a personality trait or a lack of training in social graces. In this broadcast of Let the Bible Speak, we consider the serious spiritual malady that prevents man from offering God the thanksgiving he is due. Are you a truly grateful person?
Is it a given that those who read the bible will “understand it differently?” There is so much division over what the bible supposedly teaches that the modern mantra is “there are many interpretations of scripture.” Is this true? The bible is a message to man from God. In every form of communication there are three elements involved: a source; a message; and a receiver. If there is a breakdown in communication, the fault must necessarily lie with one of these three. So, why do we not see the bible alike? Who or what is at fault? In this broadcast of Let the Bible Speak, we examine three proposed answers to this question.
Is the Bible to govern the church’s belief and practice or are we free to do as we choose? Most people recognize some standard of authority in their life but the source of that governance is what is in question. In today’s broadcast of Let the Bible Speak, we look at some of the things people who profess Christianity look to as a standard of authority and we pose the question: Do we need BIBLE authority for what the church believes, says, and does?
He was the grandson of Abraham and a chosen son, but Jacob’s life was far from exemplary. After fleeing from his enraged brother Esau, Jacob, the deceiver, had an encounter with God at a place he named Bethe, the House of God. Despite the commitments he made to the Lord that night, a sinful heart led him far away from that place. It took many years and many hard lessons learned, but at last a weary and broken Jacob listened to the Lord and went “back to Bethel.” In this broadcast of Let the Bible Speak, learn how we, like Jacob, can easily get away from God’s house. Is God calling you back to your own Bethel?
A failed family; a compromised preacher; and now a wayward tribe. In the Book of Judges, the phrase “every man did what was right in his own eyes” describes the chaotic and morally ambiguous period in Israel’s history when there was no central leadership, leading people to follow their own desires rather than God’s law. This lack of guidance influenced the tribe of Dan as they sought land and encountered Laish, a peaceful and isolated city. Rather than seeking God’s will, the Danites acted out of self-interest, attacking and taking over Laish for themselves. They also adopted idolatrous practices, bringing a graven image from Micah’s house and setting up their own priesthood. In the last part of our series “Strange Times”, we see how disregarding God’s law led to moral compromise and the adoption of false worship, undermining Israel’s covenantal identity.
In the story of Micah and a young Levite in the Book of Judges, the spiritual decay of a family is validated by a compromised and corrupted religious leader. In this broadcast of Let the Bible Speak, we continue our series “Strange Times” by seeing the consequences of spiritual leaders not standing up and speaking out against sin and error.
What happens to a society when there is no universal standard of authority and conduct? It may sound appealing for every person to determine their own “truth”, live by their own morality, and believe and worship according to their own theology, but ancient Israel in the era of the judges illustrates, that this led to chaos. It is no different in our own times. The book of Judges relays some head-scratching stories that played out in the lives of God’s own people during this time when “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” In the story of a man named Micah, we see how this philosophy led to a spiritual breakdown in the home that then reverberated to every other sector of their society.
