Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel … Who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot? – Micah 3:3

Today's Scripture Reading (April 30, 2026): Micah 3

One of the most radical teachings in the Christian faith originates in Jesus's Parable of the Good Samaritan. We know it, but its message seldom reaches the core of who we are. Does Jesus really expect us to love those who, in every other way, stand against us? The surprising answer is yes, a point that Jesus makes clear in his "Sermon on the Mount," which I believe is at the pinnacle of the Bible's teaching.

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:43-48).

The Parable of the Good Samaritan puts this teaching in story form. It tells of a Samaritan, who was a natural enemy of the Jews, coming to the aid of an injured Jewish man, even when the leaders of the injured man's own society had passed him by. It would be like a present-day Iranian Jihadist pausing to help a hurt American citizen, or maybe a downed American pilot. It is love so tangible that it is almost unthinkable.

Jesus's comment that we love those who love us or support our own people is an example of how our world works. Political leaders often defend their nations, sometimes at the expense of foreigners. It is what we expect from our national leaders, provincial or state officials, and even civic leaders. We have elected you to fight for us and our regional needs.

But the situation Micah speaks about in Israel takes this "normality" a step further. These are leaders who are pursuing personal goals at the expense of their own people. They are getting rich while the people are dying. It is a situation that Micah can't imagine. It is as if the political leadership of the nation has turned to the cannibalism of their own people. They remove the skin and break the bones in the same way a cook would prepare an animal for the pot, so that a meal could be prepared. It isn't just a lack of love for an enemy or a foreigner; it is a lack of concern for those the leader should love automatically.

This lack of concern for those they should love is something Micah couldn't imagine. Who would do that?  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 4

They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, they rob them of their inheritance. – Micah 2:2

Today's Scripture Reading (April 29, 2026): Micah 2

I have some good friends who lived through the aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide. They were Congolese Tutsi who found themselves on the wrong side of a tribal conflict. Some of the stories they tell reflect the terror of the moment. The Hutu-led government perpetrated the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi people. And while we can date the Rwandan genocide to April 7 to July 19, 1994, the struggle between the Hutu and the Tutsi continues even today in East Africa.

One story I heard before I had any connection with the Hutu and Tutsi of that area was a story specifically from the genocide. The storyteller was a moderate Hutu, and during the genocide, he had been part of the movement that attempted to move the Tutsi out of the area. Every night, he would smuggle Tutsi from his house to the next site on an underground railroad reminiscent of the railroad that smuggled enslaved people from the Southern United States to the Northern free states or Canada. This man had a feud with his neighbor, who suspected that he was doing something wrong. As a result of his suspicions, and maybe just coveting what his neighbor had, this man would throw rocks at his children when they left for school in the morning or on their way home in the afternoon. It was not a time in his children's lives when playing outside was an advisable activity.

One afternoon, he looked outside to see one of his kids lying in the street, bleeding from the head. A rock, thrown by this neighbor, had connected in just the right spot with the force necessary to send the child into unconsciousness. It was the moment the man decided he had to quit his position in the Underground Railroad and take his family to safety. The next night, he smuggled his family out of the country using the same railroad that he had used to help so many Tutsi in the past.

How many people died in Rwanda is hard to ascertain. But it pales in comparison to the pain that has been spread throughout the area, and that refugees still suffer through today, more than three decades later. The storyteller of the Rwandan story returned home after the genocide to find another family had moved into his home. It was the brother of the next-door neighbor who had thrown rocks at his children. Maybe that had been the motive of his neighbor's action all along. The storyteller finished his story by discussing the steps he took to get his house back, as well as the effort he made to forgive his neighbor and rebuild their relationship. For me, the most embarrassing part of the story is that while he tried to repair a relationship when he had every right to hold a grudge, we often build up lifelong feuds over Facebook posts.

Micah's comment is a warning to those who plot evil against the people with whom they come into contact. They covet what others have and seek ways to steal it. It is the neighbor's attitude in the story, and sometimes it is ours too, but it can't be. In Christ, I am commanded to want the best for everyone in my life, even when they don't want the best for me.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 3

All this is because of Jacob’s transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob’s transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah’s high place? Is it not Jerusalem? – Micah 1:5

Today's Scripture Reading (April 28, 2026): Micah 1

Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the king of the Seleucid Empire from 175 B.C.E. until 164 B.C.E. He was the son of King Antiochus III the Great. From the very beginning, Antiochus Epiphanes was fighting an uphill battle. Antiochus III was a confident King. While he began his reign with military losses, he later achieved significant victories and ultimately expanded his territory. Rather than having future historians give him the epithet “The Great,” Antiochus assumed the title “Basileus Megas” (Great King) for himself. In many ways, Antiochus III might have been the Donald Trump of his day.

It was this image to which Antiochus Epiphanes measured himself. Antiochus Epiphanes was not the direct successor of Antiochus III the Great. His oldest brother, Antiochus, ruled with his father but died before his father. Another brother and son of Antiochus the Great, Seleucus IV Philopator, reigned but was assassinated in 175 B.C.E. Seleucus IV Philopator was succeeded by his son, another unnumbered Antiochus. Little Antiochus was only five at the time. Uncle Antiochus IV Epiphanes took control of the empire at this time, and within another five years, Antiochus the unnumbered was dead, and Antiochus IV Epiphanes was on the throne of the Seleucid Kingdom. But as a result of the way he became King, Antiochus Epiphanes was considered to be a pretender throughout the rest of his reign.

Antiochus sought the approval of the people by cultivating an image of an extravagant and generous ruler who gave unexpected gifts to people he didn’t know, supported military parades, and donated money to the Athenian Temple of Zeus.

However, what Antiochus IV Epiphanes is most remembered for is reversing the Seleucid policy of tolerating the religion of the Jews and, instead, beginning to persecute them. He outlawed all of the rituals of the Jewish faith, he put out the immortal lamp that was meant to burn forever in the Temple, and forced the priests to eat pig flesh, which was considered unclean by the Mosaic Law. He also sacrificed a great swine and sprinkled its blood on the altar in the outward court. All of this meant that the Temple had been defiled, and Jewish worship couldn’t take place there until the Temple had been cleansed. It was also the backdrop to the Maccabean Rebellion, which resulted in Israel briefly gaining its independence.

Micah is speaking about Israel's transgressions. What is important is that the sin of Israel is not because of some outside force. The sin Micah speaks of is not because Antiochus IV Epiphanes came into Jerusalem and defiled the Temple and the city. Jacob’s transgression can be laid at the feet of those living in Samaria, another name for the northern Kingdom of Israel and its capital city. Judah’s sin was highlighted by the sin of the people living in Jerusalem and those who worshipped at the Temple, which was Judah’s high place or proper mountain of worship. Israel and Judah didn’t need an Antiochus to defile them; they were doing that all by themselves.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 2

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my Grandson, James. Have a great day! (And thus the month of Birthdays in my family begins)

When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. – Isaiah 7:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 27, 2026): Isaiah 7

Ahaz seems to have been the exception in a very good line of Kings. Ahaz was the thirteenth in the line of David, and his father (Jotham), grandfather (Uzziah), and great-grandfather (Amaziah) were all noted as the best of the Davidic line. Ahaz's son, Hezekiah, was the most noted of the five generations for his godly faith; some historians argue that Hezekiah was the best of all the Kings of Judah. But somehow Ahaz missed all of this. He married early in life and, if the Bible's chronology is correct, his son Hezekiah was born when he was just 11.

Within a few years of Ahaz becoming King, Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Aram marched against Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah under Ahaz's leadership. It is into this situation that we are presented with one of the best-known prophecies of Christ. And the prophecy is found in a conversation Ahaz had with Isaiah amid the King's fear of the damage these two kings might wreak in Judah. The prophecy? "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). But Isaiah isn't talking about Mary and Joseph. He is talking about King Ahaz and his young queen; the word we have translated as "virgin" could also be translated as "young woman of marriageable age."

Isaiah was about 20 when these kings threatened Judah. The more experienced Kings of Israel and Aram had joined forces largely to face the threat coming from Assyria. And they intended that either Ahaz would join their coalition, or they would destroy Judah and make her their ally by force.

God's message to Ahaz is: "I know that you are scared. I know that you are tempted to join with the Kings of Ephraim and Aram. But I know what you don't know. Within sixty-five years, Aram and Ephraim will be gone. I know how unbelievable that sounds, but within sixty-five years, Ephraim will be totally defeated. And if you put your future with them, you might share their fate. Trust in me, not them. I will not allow them to overwhelm you. They will not overpower you now, or at any time in the future."

Here is the truth. Ahaz did not actually have to wait 65 years for the prophecy to be fulfilled. The real number was twelve. In twelve years, Israel would be defeated. The alliance that threatened Judah and Ahaz here in twelve years would fall to the Assyrians. But Ahaz didn't know this, and, in this conversation with Isaiah, he had to decide where to place his trust.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Micah 1

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." – Isaiah 6:6-7

Today's Scripture Reading (April 26, 2026): Isaiah 6

We are people who have sinned, whether we admit it or not. And when we come to the point where we recognize our sin, we will face a decision about what to do about it. The choice that stares us in the face is to argue that it's not our fault and we can't do anything about it, or to confess it. Which reaction is up to us.

The imagery in this passage is very strong. Can you imagine having a hot coal placed on your lips? Dave Browning wrote a song titled "Take Me In," and the chorus includes these lines.

            Take me into the Holy of Holies

            Take me in by the blood of the Lamb

            Take me into the Holy of Holies

            Take the coal, cleanse my lips, here I am 

When we come before this thrice-Holy God, whose glory fills our world and who reveals our sins for what they are, the most painless way to handle that sin is to say that it is not my fault. If fault has to be assigned, it is to someone or something else, not me. Sometimes, we even blame God, I mean, He made us this way, and he has the power to change us and our circumstances if he wants to. But he doesn't (Somehow the events of the Garden of Eden fall away at this point in our argument). 

Our only other option is to take personal responsibility for our sin, confess it, and allow God to come and cleanse it. To take coal and cleanse our lips. From experience, I know that if confession isn't painful, then we haven't really taken responsibility for our sin.

I had a conversation with a friend several years ago. Some issues arose and changed the course of his life. And now we were sitting across a table in a coffee shop, talking about it. I remember asking him which part of the experience he owned, which is just another way of asking, "How have you sinned?" He responded that he had sinned by allowing people to take advantage of him, by allowing other people's behavior to influence him. It was his fault for not cutting off these relationships earlier. 

And all of that might be true, but he still hadn't confessed sin. He had just restructured old arguments in a more personal way. Basically, he argued that he took personal responsibility for someone else's actions against him. It's still not my fault. It is still someone else who did it to me.

If confession isn't painful, then I don't think you have really confessed. It is so much easier not to take responsibility. But we still need the coal to touch our lips, regardless of how painful that might be.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 7

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. – Isaiah 5:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 25, 2026): Isaiah 5

In the second episode of season four of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Captain Jean Luc Picard goes home to visit with his brother, Robert, and his family. The episode, appropriately titled "Family," tells the story of a broken Picard returning home to a strained relationship with his brother. And a vineyard plays front and center in the conflict. Robert is a vineyard owner, and the vineyard takes up a lot of Robert Picard's time. Robert carefully tends his grapes, ensuring they are healthy and free of disease; after all, that is what a vineyard owner does. Robert doesn't understand why Jean-Luc decided to give up the vineyard to journey through the stars.

Owning and caring for a vineyard is a time-consuming project. The vines have to be pruned, disease needs to be spotted quickly, and sick vines need to be cut off before the disease spreads to healthy vines. Maybe that is why vines make an excellent illustration of the relationship between God and his people. Jesus used vines as an illustration on the last night he spent with his disciples before his crucifixion.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:1-8)

Here in Isaiah, the message is clear. God is the vineyard owner, and we are the vineyard. And God will take all of the time that is needed to care for and protect his vineyard. Reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) makes this observation:

No possession is dearer to a man than a vineyard, and there is none that demands more constant and persevering toil. Not only, therefore, does the Lord declare that we are his beloved inheritance, but at the same time points out his care and anxiety about us (John Calvin; Commentaries on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 1-32).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6

It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. – Isaiah 4:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 24, 2026): Isaiah 4

The American rock band "The Killers" released their hit song "Human" in 2008, though they admit it was written while they were recording their second album, "Sawdust." "Sawdust" was released in 2007, but it was recorded over a long period, starting in 2002, which gives us a rough estimate of when the song was written. The band admits they could have released the song on "Sawdust," but purposely held it back for their third studio album, "Day and Age." "Human" was the first single released from the album.

"Human" has received a bit of controversy over one key lyric in the chorus. In 2014, the song was voted as having the "weirdest lyric of all time." The problem is grammatical: the first and last lines of the chorus, which are identical, don't quite make sense.

            Are we human or are we dancer?

            My sign is vital, my hands are cold

            I'm on my knees, looking for the answer

            Are we human or are we dancer (B. Flowers, D. Keuning, M. Stoermer, R. Vannucci Jr.)?

Shouldn't the line be either "dancers" or maybe "denser," but not "dancer"? The band has been frustrated by the controversy. Brandon Flowers says the song was a response to a negative comment by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who argued that the United States was "raising a generation of dancers, afraid to take one step out of line."

I think Isaiah would have understood the lyric. He and many of the Prophets of Israel almost always found themselves on the outside when it came to the people's religious beliefs. His message is that if you are willing to follow God, you often won't please the nation's religious elite. Professing God's ideals will often set you against culture, even religious culture.

Moses was not always accepted by the people of Israel that he led, even though he followed God. Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh, rejecting God's path in favor of a cultural route. Elijah was called a troublemaker by the king because he followed God. Jesus was crucified, and most of his students were persecuted and killed, all because they were following a God who demanded something different from them. He didn't want them to dance to the beat of the cultural drums. But Isaiah knew that even in these times, God would give shelter from the storms and the rain to those who followed him and dared to step out of line.

Luckily, he still provides that shelter, and those who preach a radical love and acceptance of God often need it. As do those who teach about the church's responsibility to "the least of these" in our struggle against the mainline culture, which seems to desire to demonize the poor and persecute the outsider, neither of which is approved by the Jesus of the Christian Church.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5

The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. – Isaiah 3:9

Today's Scripture Reading (April 23, 2026): Isaiah 3

For the past few years, I have been convicted by the "Sin of Sodom." I also have been bothered by the church's flirtation with Sodom's sin. Here is the problem: I think we have misidentified the sin. We have made the sin of Sodom about homosexuality, and we have taken a stand against that sin. Part of the reason why we have misidentified the sin is that we do not have many LGBTQ people in our midst, and the ones who are attending are deeply closeted. As a result, there has been no pushback. So, for most of the Christian Church, we can identify homosexuality as Sodom's sin and, with the same breath, say that we don't have a problem. The problem is out there somewhere. Then we can point at the others who identify as either homosexual, bisexual, or pansexual, as the ones caught in this sin. Worldwide, about 10% of people self-identify this way.

We treat Sodom as if it were a city full of gay men. After all, the story seems to make that accusation.

Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them" (Genesis 19:3-4 – italics mine).

The author of Genesis doesn't say "some," he says "all the men." It should be the first clue that something unusual is at work here. Add to this that the story is not just about Sodom, but Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain, do we really believe that all of these men had adopted a gay lifestyle? For me, that doesn't make sense.

So, if the sin of Sodom is not homosexuality, what is it? I think the answer to that question is hospitality. Sodom refused to welcome the strangers and make them feel welcome and safe. They didn't want visitors to the city. They refused to offer assistance to the stranger. They persecuted people whom Jesus called "the least of these." And they had decided that the best way to keep visitors away was to humiliate those who came to their cities and then let them go to tell the story of Sodom. They paraded their sin, were even proud of it, and they wanted people to know.

I think we still do. We parade our ideas about the people who are not welcome in our midst. And the LGBTQ community is only a portion of the people that we don't want in our fellowships. Visitors quickly understand that they are not welcome. I have had to discipline church leaders who went to people and declared, "We don't want your kind here." It is something that every church needs to guard against.

I belong to a congregation that enjoys handing out candy to children on Halloween. I get it, Halloween is not really our holiday, but kids are out and wandering the neighborhood. So, we hand out candy. Three to four hundred children, together with their parents, stop by for candy, a free hot dog, and hot chocolate during the evening. They can warm themselves by a fire and dance to the Halloween-appropriate music, assisted by a laser light show. Last year, we were picketed by people who believed we were welcoming people into the church who shouldn't be invited into the Christian community. I couldn't disagree more. I am proud to be part of a group of people who just want to use any excuse to roll out the welcome mat.

The sin of Sodom was alive and well in Jerusalem and Judah. And it is alive with us as well. The truth is that we need to find excuses to welcome people, because the sin of Sodom is insidious. Unless we are on guard against it, it will find its way into even the best-intentioned congregation of Christ's believers.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 4

See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground. – Isaiah 28:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 22, 2026): Isaiah 28

Tornado season has arrived. I live in the colder northern part of the world, which means that for a significant part of the year, tornadoes just aren't a worry. Blizzards, snow, and cold temperatures are the things we worry about during the winter months, and those are conditions under which tornadoes don't develop. In my part of the world, the first tornado of the "tornado season" usually occurs between late March and May. Usually, these tornadoes aren't very strong and cause very little damage. Dangerous tornadoes occur when the mercury rises and the days get hot. One of the worst tornadoes to hit this area happened on July 31, 1987. The tornado was rated F4 and stayed on the ground for just over an hour. Twenty-seven people died in the tornado, and it caused 332.27 million dollars in damage (the adjusted value in today's dollars is 796 million). I had a close friend who lived through the tornado. He was in an area destroyed by it, and he still remembers what sounded like a freight train rumbling through his neighborhood. Thirty years later, my friend still goes into a panic whenever he hears a tornado warning during the summer months. I don't blame him. I can't imagine what it was like to be that close to such a dangerous tornado.

Nature can have a powerful effect on our lives. Tornadoes and hurricanes are just the tip of the dangers nature poses to those of us living on Earth. Isaiah has seen some of the worst that nature can throw at an area. He speaks of hailstorms, something else that I see a lot of during the summer months, and destructive winds. Isaiah knows the power of driving rain and flooding that accompany various kinds of storms, which still afflict the Earth. Many of the worst storms are caused by an interaction between the hot and cold air currents. But the cause doesn't ease the damage these storms inflict on the people of the Earth.

Isaiah is speaking to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which he calls Ephraim. And he seems to be surprised by the pride of what he calls "Ephraim's drunkards." Ephraim has benefited from many things that are an accident of nature, yet they seem to miss that God put them there. Some dangers are threatening Ephraim, but God is strong enough to handle the threats that are coming, if only the nation would trust him. And if they need proof, all they need to do is look at the power of nature. If God can destroy with a hailstorm or with the wind, if these natural processes are at his command, what more does Ephraim need to know? He has the power to protect, if only the people would trust.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 29

You, LORD, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs. – Isaiah 2:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 22, 2026): Isaiah 2

Leave no one behind. It is the oft-repeated motto of various military groups. We will not leave anyone behind, whether they are healthy, injured, or even dead; we will bring every soldier home. It is an encouraging thought, especially if you are fighting in foreign lands. I have watched with interest the dignified transfer of soldiers coming home from various conflicts over the years. These moments serve as a reminder that every person is important and worthy of being brought home.

However, sometimes military personnel are forced to leave someone behind. In 1940, Allied troops were forced to evacuate from Dunkirk (Dunkerque), France. Between May 26 and June 4, about 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops were removed from the French Port to the United Kingdom. That is almost 340,000 soldiers, and it was an amazing operation. Military vessels were assisted by civilian boats in getting individuals off the French Coast and the European mainland. The Dunkirk evacuation was an exciting moment in military history and the story of World War II.

What we sometimes forget is that we didn't get everyone. As massive as the evacuation effort was, and even though 340,000 soldiers were removed from France, at least 40,000 British troops and another 40,000 French troops were left behind. Many of these soldiers who were abandoned at Dunkirk were summarily executed. Those who were lucky enough to be captured were abused and mistreated with actions that were a violation of the Geneva Convention guidelines that governed how sick and wounded prisoners should be treated. They were denied food and medical treatment and forced to drink ditch water and eat rotten food. Sean Longden writes this:

These dreadful days were never forgotten by those who endured them. They had fought the battles to ensure the successful evacuation of over 300,000 fellow soldiers. Their sacrifice had brought the salvation of the British nation. Yet they had been forgotten, while those who escaped and made their way back home were hailed as heroes (Sean Longden; Dunkirk: The Men They Left Behind).

Isaiah speaks about the coming judgment over Judah and Jerusalem and the approaching "Day of the Lord." And he makes this jarring statement: "You, Lord, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob" (Isaiah 2:6a). Luckily, he also explains that the people have become entangled in the superstitious beliefs of eastern nations; they practiced divination like the Philistines and willingly embraced pagan customs. It is like God had sent the people of Jerusalem all the ships they needed, but they chose to stay behind rather than be rescued by their God. The people chose to be abandoned; it was not an action that God initiated. The people could have been saved, but they chose not to be.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 3

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." – Isaiah 1:18

Today's Scripture Reading (April 21, 2026): Isaiah 1

We need God; we can't be good enough on our own. God's promise to his people has always been that He will make us clean. If we rely on just what we can do, we will keep coming up short. What we need is God; Isaiah understood that dependence. He preached it to those around him. When the Assyrians attacked, he told the king to rely on God, and God would take care of the enemy.

We need God. The only way that we can be all that we are designed to be is with God's presence in our lives. Anything else is not enough. We need God's action to make us clean.

Holy Humor Sunday was a couple of weeks ago (April 12, 2026). It is usually the first Sunday after Easter, and it is always a day to tell good jokes. I know I am late, but let me leave you with a couple of humorous stories.

Attending a wedding for the very first time, a little girl watched the service, fascinated by everything happening around her. At one point in the service, she whispered to her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?"

Her mother smiled and replied, 'Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.'

The child thought about this for a moment, then turned her attention back to the events at the front of the church. But soon, a puzzled look came over her face, and she turned once more to her mother with a follow-up question. "So why is the groom wearing black?"

Or maybe this one;

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Sunday School. As she ran, she prayed, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!'

She continued to run and pray, but in her haste, she tripped on a curb and fell, skinning her knee, tearing her dress, and getting her clothes streaked with mud. But the little girl got up, brushed herself off, and started running again toward the church and her looming class.

As she ran, she began to pray again, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late…But please don't shove me either!'

One more?

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six-year-old students. She was trying to explain to the eager ears around her the intention of the fifth commandment; 'Honor thy father and thy mother.' After discussing the various ways we can honor our parents, this teacher asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'

Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, 'Thou shalt not kill.'

Holy Humor Sunday arose out of the idea that Easter is God's joke on the devil. Just when Satan thought he had won, God raised Jesus from the dead. But the continuing practical joke on the devil is us. Regardless of the lies we have been fed, God resurrects his church by raising us from all that should have killed us. And every time that Satan feels that he has a leg up on the people of God, God raises us once again, making us into a Righteous People, through whom God's Justice reigns in all the places that he sends us. In the presence of Satan, he continues to make us white as snow.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2

He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. – 2 Kings 16:4

Today's Scripture Reading (April 20, 2026): 2 Kings 16

Many years ago, I had contact with a young woman in the church. She had just left a church that she had previously called home, and, as I was talking with her, I seriously wondered if aliens had abducted her. My problem was with the reason she gave for leaving her church. She had attended this church for several years, and her church had a fairly relaxed dress code. People came to church wearing a wide range of clothes. You could see suits and nice dresses, but you could also see jeans and T-Shirts; the church openly accepted whatever dress the person felt comfortable in. It didn't matter what you wore. My friend was one who would show up at church wearing jeans and a T-shirt, which was totally acceptable. Incidentally, her old church had the same dress code as the church that I led. I couldn't care less what you are wearing, I am just glad that you are in church.

As she was telling me she had left her church, she also indicated where she had decided to go, adding that her new church had a strict dress code. Her new church required men to wear suits and ties and women to wear dresses. And when I asked her why she had changed churches, she told me she liked that her new church required a dress code, while her old church hadn't. I mentioned that she could have worn a dress to her old church, but she wanted a place that would demand it of her, not one that would let her come as she was. The whole thing seemed strange, almost alien, to me. It is usually the ones wearing the suits and dresses who want people to dress like them, not the t-shirt crew wishing someone would tell them how to dress.

Ahaz became king. His fathers had walked in the ways of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But Ahaz looked out at the world and realized that there were other gods who might demand more of him. So, Ahaz started to sacrifice, not just to the God of his Father's, but to every other god he could conceive of. It wasn't that he made too few sacrifices; it was that he made too many. In his mind, he wanted to make sure that he covered all of the bases. And in covering all of the bases, he actually missed them completely.

God makes this statement throughout the Bible. I desire your obedience more than I desire your sacrifice. I desire your respect more than I desire to dress you in a particular way. And the reality is this: being obedient is much more demanding than making many sacrifices because it occupies all of who we are. It is much easier to follow many rules than to build a relationship with God. My friend wanted the rules more than she wanted the relationship. It is easier to dress in a certain way than it is to give God all of who we are. But God desires the latter more than the former. Giving God all that we are is the life path that honors him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 1

See also 2 Chronicles 28:4

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. – 2 Chronicles 28:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 19, 2026): 2 Chronicles 28

The "Manifesto of Race" or "Charter of Race" was published on July 14, 1938, by Benito Mussolini's Fascist Party. The "Manifesto" was anti-Semitic in nature, stripping Jews of their Italian citizenship and, with it, any position in the government or the professional positions which many Jews had previously held. Depending on how you look at the events leading up to the release of "Manifesto," it could be considered both a surprise and a very predictable event. As for the surprise, Mussolini had never shown any interest in racial politics. But the "Manifesto" was predictable because it helped cement relationships between Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany. Hitler had privately confessed to looking up to the Fascist Leader, but throughout most of his career, Mussolini had absolutely no interest in the German dictator. However, by the late 1930s, things were changing. Hitler's star was definitely on the rise, and Mussolini decided to try to hitch a ride. And so, the "Manifesto" was intended to show solidarity with Germany's cause. Historians have examined the document as evidence of the extent of Hitler's influence over Mussolini. But it was more likely evidence of Mussolini's thirst for power, a thirst so strong that he was willing to change even his own strongly held beliefs.

King Ahaz of Judah had no positive attributes. If Jotham was the perfect king, his son Ahaz was his negative image. While Jotham had pursued the things of God, Ahaz had become a student of the religions of the countries surrounding Judah. Ahaz not only became an expert on these foreign beliefs and gods, but also a follower of them. Ahaz became an imitator of the surrounding nations. He was a man without restraint; he believed every myth with which he came into contact.

Even in rough times, Ahaz refused to follow God. Until the last beat of his heart, Ahaz believed that the gods of other nations would come to his rescue. His heart was never attracted to the God his father had faithfully served. While other kings had returned to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in times of tragedy, even in trouble, Ahaz's heart increased in rebellion against God.

But maybe the saddest part of the story is that Ahaz found himself following the gods of a nation that no longer even existed. Ahaz followed the gods of Israel. But Israel had already been destroyed, and her gods had done nothing to save her. Still, Ahaz seemed willing to follow Judah's sister nation into obscurity.

Late in his life, Mussolini reportedly confessed that he wished his "Manifesto of Race" had never been written. For Ahaz, that was a level of awareness he had never mastered. While Hitler's star had been on the rise when the "Manifesto" was published, Mussolini also recognized Hitler's deep decline. By that time, it was too late to change his own path, but it was not too late to admit regret. But, to the very end, Ahab was convinced that the god who had failed Israel had the power to save him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 16

Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat and ten thousand cors of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years. – 2 Chronicles 27:5

Today's Scripture Reading (April 18, 2026): 2 Chronicles 27

One of the questions of the day is "What exactly is going to happen with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?" It is an interesting question. Can NATO survive if the United States decides to pull out? I have my own beliefs, but I admit I don't know the answer.

NATO was born out of a need to stand up to the Soviet Union in the aftermath of World War II. The United States' immediate hope after the war was to withdraw its soldiers from Europe. The thought was that, within six months of Germany's defeat, American presence might no longer be needed. It was men like General Holland Smith, who had the great nickname "Howlin' Mad," who realized that the threat the Soviet Union posed to Europe meant the United States had to have a presence. That presence has kept peace in Europe for the past 80 years, a phenomenal achievement. And a lot of credit goes to the American continued presence. But now, the United States has begun to wonder whether it needs to leave, which in turn raises questions about the future of NATO. Does the world still need NATO?

My answer is an emphatic yes. Even a NATO without the United States is still needed. And it is needed on both sides of the Atlantic. It may be surprising to learn that the United States, which shares a northern border with Russia despite the American government's belief that an ocean separates the two, does not want an alliance. At the same time, Russia seems intent on regaining the prestige and territory it possessed during the Soviet era. Maybe we have begun to believe the lie that our flat maps tell us, that says that Russia is a great distance away, but it isn't. And the United States, with its cry that it needs to possess Greenland, would seem to understand the world as it really is, not as it is shown to us on a flat map hanging on a wall. At the very least, Canada will need to be part of a northern alliance. And the northern country will need to strengthen its defenses along its northern borders. An alliance is still needed, not just for the defense of Europe but for all northern-hemisphere countries.

Ammon was a nation that existed due east of the southern portion of the Kingdom of Israel, essentially where the Kingdom of Jordan is today. To the south of Ammon, and due east of Judah, was the nation of Moab. During the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah (870-849), Ammon and Moab, along with some other minor tribes, formed an alliance against him (Jehoshaphat) and his expansionist tendencies. But the Ammon-Moab alliance couldn't last. The nations began to backstab and wage war against each other until, a hundred years later, King Jotham of Judah marched into Ammon, defeated them, and demanded a heavy tribute. As long as the nations stuck together, they were okay, but once they allowed conflict to separate them, they were easily defeated by anyone who wanted to march against them.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 28

Return, Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! – Hosea 14:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 17, 2026): Hosea 13 & 14

Alice Cooper admits there is a period in his career that is basically a black hole; he simply doesn't remember it. In a 2009 interview, Cooper made this comment.

Well, there's three albums that were basically my blackout albums – Zipper Catches Skin, DaDa and Special Forces. I wrote them, recorded them and toured them and I don't remember much of any of that (Alice Cooper, The Quietus, 2009).

A year earlier, he actually added a fourth album to that list: Flush the Fashion. All of the four recordings were made between 1980 and 1983.

You've heard of lost weekends—well, those were my lost years. I ambled through those albums and tours in a foggy haze. By the summer of 1983, I was drinking hard, rail thin, malnourished, and knocking on death's door. Again (Alice Cooper, Golf Monster, 2008).

Cooper at least recognized his problem, worked hard to get clean, and is still rocking his audiences forty years later. But if he hadn't recognized his problem, he might have never made it out of the 80s.

There is a song in the Alice Cooper catalog that has been called a bit of a historical curiosity. The song tells the story of a singer who is listening to his own music and doesn't remember ever writing it. It is a song that perfectly describes the lost years of Alice Cooper. The song is "I Never Wrote Those Songs." The opening words of the song say this:

My tape recorder, it must be lyin'
'Cause this I just can't believe
I hear a voice that's cryin'
That's not me
The wheel goes round, I hear a sound
It's comin' out all wrong
And I swear to you
I never wrote that song

The historical problem? The song was included on Cooper's "Lace and Whiskey" album and was written in 1977, before Cooper's black hole. It is almost as if Cooper knew where his life was leading him before the black hole that convinced him he needed to take a different path.

I have to admit that "I Never Wrote Those Songs" has long been one of my favorite Cooper compositions. And it is a good reminder that our actions have consequences. And it is not just politicians who sometimes want to distance themselves from the past; we often want to do the same thing.

God has made the argument that Israel has suffered because of their sin and the things they have done in the past. Now, he offers the solution. Return to me. James would sum up this concept for all of us.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:7-10).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 27

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. – Hosea 11:3

Today's Scripture Reading (April 16, 2026): Hosea 11 & 12

In a Department of Defense news briefing on February 12, 2002, U.S. Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld attempted to explain the lack of evidence linking Iraq to weapons of mass destruction. In explaining the situation, Rumsfeld distinguished between what he called three categories of knowledge. First, there are the known knowns, which encompass everything we know we know. I know where my house is and can find my way home. I know I love my wife, children, and grandchildren. I know that God wants us to love each other. Many things would fit into this category of things that I know I know.

Rumsfeld's second category was known unknowns. These are the things that I know I don't know. I am not a brain surgeon; I don't know how to do that, and because I don't know, I would never try. My granddaughter was diagnosed with hip dysplasia when she was two, and I am thankful for the medical staff who operated on her because I know that procedure was beyond what I know. Both of these first categories are easy for us because we either know or we know that we don't know.

Rumsfeld's third category is the most troublesome: unknown unknowns. These are things we don't know that we don't know, or things we don't even know we should know. Sometimes I know I can be a bit of a government apologist, but these are the areas where I believe our government often makes its most serious mistakes; they simply don't know what they don't know. Maybe they should have, but I know from my own life that my actions have definite consequences, and some are very unexpected because I don't know some things. Confused? I know the feeling.

God speaks through Hosea and is speaking to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, or Ephraim. And maybe we would be excused if we thought that God had given up on them. They had rebelled against the house of David, rejected the Temple in Jerusalem and the worship that took place there, and exchanged it for the worship of the Golden Calfs set up in Bethel and Dan. Their kings had decided to follow different religious practices, and often resorted to murder to accomplish regime change; they seemed to love doing evil.

But God says that he hadn't given up on them. They didn't know that they didn't know, but in the days of Jeroboam I, he taught Ephraim to walk; in bad times, he took them in his arms; and when they were sick, he healed them. But Ephraim didn't know that God was still with them. It never occurred to them that God would stand by their side, even though they had chosen to walk a different path.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 13 & 14       

Samaria's king will be destroyed, swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters. - Hosea 10:7

Today's Scripture Reading (April 15, 2026): Hosea 10

Hosea's ministry in Israel was a long one. It would seem unlikely that the writing that bears his name was written at one particular time. His time on the stage of Israel probably began late in the reign of Jeroboam II. The Bible describes Jeroboam II as an evil King; however, he reigned for over four decades and chose to protect the Prophet Amos. While the poor and weak were both marginalized and taken advantage of during his long reign, that could be said of other Kings of that time. Probably the best we can say about this king is that Jeroboam II provided a stable environment for the people of Israel during his reign, something his successors were unable to do.

Jeroboam's son, Zechariah, assumed the throne of Israel upon his father's death, but his reign lasted only six months. King Zechariah was murdered by the captain of his guard, a man named Shallum, who then took the throne for himself. For Hosea, this act likely ended the reigns of the legitimate kings of Israel.

Shallum reigned for one month before the captain of his guard, Menahem, killed Shallum and once again took the throne for himself. Menahem provided a little more stability to Israel and reigned for 10 years over his Kingdom. Menahem died of natural causes, and his son, Pekahiah, replaced him on the throne. But what had become an ordinary occurrence in Israel since the death of Jeroboam II, Pekahiah reigned for two years before he was assassinated by another military officer named Pekah, who then became king as had the murderers who preceded him.

Pekah reigned for eight years, but they were eventful. One of the major events during the reign of Pekah was the rising threat posed by Assyria to the nations in the area. Pekah and Israel (Samaria) decided to ally with Aram-Damascus against Assyria, and they invited Judah to join the alliance. However, Judah was not interested in allying with Israel. King Pekah refused to take Judah's no as an appropriate answer. So, with the backing of Aram-Damascus, Israel went to war with Judah. Assyria had been watching developments to the south of its territory and decided to enter the war on Judah's side. Judah, with Assyria's assistance, won the war, but at a high price: Judah became a tributary of the Assyrian Empire.

It is probably during this time that Hosea writes this prophecy. He probably didn't live long enough to see Israel fall to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.E. and disappear into the pages of history. Still, he was present during this war and witnessed King Pekah's assassination by a close friend and advisor, Hoshea. In 722 B.C.E., Hoshea became the King who was destroyed and "swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters" (Hosea 10:7). Hoshea disappeared from the pages of history, and the reality is that after 722, we don't know what happened to the last King of Israel (Samaria).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 11 & 12