Like Amos, Micah is concerned with injustice and oppression. Micah’s message focuses on how humans relate to God and how humans live together in community. God’s ultimate desire is seen in his demand that his people act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with him. – Harold Shank

Israel is found guilty in God’s eyes of two heinous crimes: oppression and idolatry. Amos warns the Israelites that those who are rich and are guilty of oppressing the poor will be the first to suffer God’s wrath and judgment. Amos is the expression of God’s concern for his people and the oppression they suffer. He challenges God’s people to choose good, and live. – Harold Shank

As Israel becomes more and more prosperous, their acknowledgement of God becomes less and less frequent until Israel attributed their success to other gods. Forsaking the love relationship they had with God, Israel merely pays lip service to God while chasing after idols. So, God instructed Hosea to create a living drama to demonstrate how much their relationship with him had deteriorated. – Harold Shank

God, through Joel, uses a natural disaster as a prime opportunity to remind the people of the nature of sin and forgiveness. While harsh, God’s punishment is ultimately aimed at restoring his people, moving them to repentance, and drawing them back to himself.

John’s final instructions are as relevant today as they were when he wrote them: pray for each other, help each other avoid sin, and don’t allow anything to take God’s place in your hearts. Though time has clouded our understanding of what John wrote about “sin unto death,” his final instructions we do understand give us confidence to know we live in fellowship with the Father.

Jesus was revealed as God when he was baptized. He was revealed as Savior when he was crucified. His identity was confirmed by the Holy Spirit. Each of these bear witness that we, too, can become children of God. When we are baptized we put on the name of Christ and the blood of Christ saves us. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in each believer confirms that we are God’s children.

This world is not easy. For the Christian, each day can feel like a battle in which we face off against a world that drags us into disobedience and despair. It takes faith to endure. It takes faith to win. Believing in Jesus means obeying the Father and loving our siblings. That kind of faith overcomes the world.

God showed us how to love: he sent Jesus. Our love reaches its fullest expression when we love one another the way Christ loved us. Loving one another is not negotiable. It is not optional. It is a command. If you claim to love God you must love your fellow Christians.

Jesus told his followers, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Since the church’s founding there have been false prophets who claimed to speak for Jesus. The way to know if a prophet is true or false is by their fruit.

Genesis 4 tells the story of two brothers. Abel was righteous and accepted by God; Cain was unrighteous and rejected by God. Cain killed Abel in a fit of jealousy. If brother will murder brother we expect the world to hate those who pursue righteousness. Unlike Cain, took his brother’s life, we ought to give our lives for our spiritual siblings. In short, don’t be like Cain; be like Jesus.