Through the Bible in 66 Days - Micah

Micah: A Message of Judgment and a Gospel of Hope

The prophecy of Micah is a remarkable blend of honest exposure of human sin and glorious promises of divine salvation. It begins with a God who comes down to judge, yet ends with a God who delights in mercy. Micah shows us the world as it really is—and the Saviour as we desperately need Him to be.

1. The Supremacy of Evil (Micah 7:1–4)

Micah surveys the condition of his nation and finds it barren.

• “The good man is perished out of the earth” (7:2)

• “There is none upright among men” (7:2)

Their evil is not accidental—it is planned, vicious, and wholehearted (“they do evil with both hands earnestly”). Bribery, corruption, and injustice dominate their public life. The rich grow richer; the poor lose even more, and God sees it all.

This is not just Micah’s world—it is ours. Paul echoes Micah’s verdict:

• “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10)

• “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)

Micah’s diagnosis prepares us for the gospel: humanity cannot save itself.

2. Only God Can Be Trusted (Micah 7:5–7)

Micah warns that trust cannot be placed in:

• casual friends

• close friends

• confidants

• relatives

• even one’s spouse

Human relationships, however precious, are fragile. But Micah lifts his eyes:

• “I will look unto the Lord” (7:7)

• “I will wait for the God of my salvation” (7:7)

• “My God will hear me” (7:7)

This is the language of faith. The gospel calls us to the same confidence:

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Ezra

 

The Book of Ezra is a story of return, restoration, and renewal. This story begins with broken people in a foreign land and ends with a restored people gathered again around the Word of God. But more than that, it is a story that whispers the gospel. It shows us that God does not abandon His people, even when they have wandered far. He moves history, stirs hearts, and rebuilds lives. Ezra is not simply ancient history; it is a portrait of the God who still saves.

The book opens with a remarkable declaration from Cyrus, king of Persia. After seventy years of exile, God moves the heart of a pagan ruler to send His people home. Ezra wants us to see that this is not a political coincidence but divine compassion. The Lord “stirred up the spirit of Cyrus” (Ezra 1:1). The gospel begins here: salvation is always God’s initiative. As Paul writes, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God acts first. God moves first. God rescues first.

The returning exiles are a small, fragile remnant. They are not impressive. They are not powerful. They are simply people who have been shown mercy. And that is the gospel again. God does not save the strong; He saves the needy. He does not gather the self‑sufficient; He gathers the broken. The returning Jews remind us of the words of the Lord Jesus: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

When the people return to Jerusalem, the first thing they rebuild is not the city walls, nor their homes, nor their economy. They rebuild the altar (Ezra 3:2). Before anything else, they restore worship. They know that their greatest need is not safety or prosperity but reconciliation with God. The gospel tells the same story. Our deepest need is not a better life but a new life. Not self‑improvement but forgiveness. Not a fresh start but a new heart. And that comes only through the sacrifice of Christ, the true altar. Hebrews reminds us that “we have an altar” (Hebrews 13:10)—a place where the perfect sacrifice of Jesus brings us near to God.

After the altar comes the temple foundation. When it is laid, the younger generation shouts for joy, but the older generation weeps (Ezra 3:12). They remember the former glory. They see how far they have fallen. Yet God accepts their mixed emotions. He is patient with their weakness. The gospel shines through again: God meets us where we are, not where we wish we were. Christ does not wait for us to be strong; He comes to us in our frailty. “A bruised reed shall he not break” (Matthew 12:20).

But as soon as the work begins, opposition arises. Enemies discourage, accuse, and intimidate the builders. For years, the work stops. Ezra wants us to understand that God’s work is always contested. The gospel is not a smooth path; it is a narrow one. Yet God is faithful. In His time, He raises up prophets—Haggai and Zechariah—to speak His Word and strengthen His people. And the work begins again. This is the gospel pattern: God sustains what He starts. “He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

The Story of Christmas - No 5

Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph's Discovery

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

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Why we struggle to follow instructions!

 

In the last post we thought about our need as humans to ‘follow the manufacturers instructions’ i.e. to understand that we were created by God and cannot operate successfully in life until we accept this (for more details see the note below **). 

Putting this in Bible language the original creation was perfect but as a result of an act of self will (the Bible uses the words sin, iniquity, transgression etc) we are broken, damaged by sin and spiritually dead. The verse from the Bible that I would use to substantiate this is Romans 5. 12 - ‘Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned’. 

The word of God, the Bible, also states that sin and the potential to do great evil lies latent in everyone of us (not so latent at times). We all think evil thoughts that thankfully are not always translated into evil behaviour but if we are honest we sin regularly in word, thought and actions. The Lord Jesus explained in Mark chapter 7 verses 14-23 that we have an internal problem of sin that comes to the surface and defiles us. Please don’t measure the accuracy of these statements by your own subjective assessment of what is good or bad. We have to consider what God, original law giver has to say about subject as His standards are well above ours. When measured by God and His word we are forced to admit that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (God’s glorious standard),’ Romans 3. 23. 

What are the 3 most commonly told stories in the world?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

When the film 'Titanic' was first premiered, millions of filmgoers watched in awe as “Titanic” disappeared beneath the waves. The film had a huge global audience; many people attended six or seven times, according to newspaper reports. A cartoon strip had a mom saying to her family: “I am going, uh, shopping. I will be back in about four hours, maybe.” The family exchanges knowing glances: “Titanic—again.”

Historians and statisticians report that the three most commonly told stories in the world are:- 

1. The life and death of Jesus Christ 

2. The American Civil War and 

3. The sinking of the Titanic. 

Especially with the first and third stories, one element has captured the world: the possibility that a person who goes down with the ship into the icy Atlantic and drowns—can someday live again. People wanted to believe that the ill-fated lovers, Jack and Rose, could actually be united again on the grand staircase of Titanic. That heroic dads who put their wives and children into lifeboats and then perished might someday experience the Bible’s promise of a Resurrection Morning.

Is what the Bible says about resurrection true? Did a dead person named Jesus come out of the tomb on that first Easter ‪Sunday morning‬? Or did His disciples steal the body, hide it, dry their tears, and then concoct this tall tale to beat all tall tales?  It is not just the fate of “Jack and Rose” which rests on Bible truth. All of us are intimately affected by what we read in the Bible of the possibility of us ever living again, it rests entirely and completely on the doctrine of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.‬

The Bible tells us that:- “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised and if Christ has not been raised, your preaching is useless and so is your faith. . . . For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for THIS LIFE we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

If we reject the doctrine of Christ’s resurrection or begin to doubt that He really did come out of that tomb, then we immediately have to also embrace—or at least wince and acknowledge—the reality that when we sink into our own "Atlantic Ocean" and close our eyes in death, that it is all over for us  . . . forever!

Do we want chocolate eggs and bunnies or the plain Word of God? Do we want Jesus the wandering poet or Christ the Risen Lord? Do we want our end to be when a ship goes down or the lights go out . . . or do we look forward to a wonderful and everlasting life in God’s eternal kingdom made possible by Jesus Christ breaking through the walls of that garden tomb?

"I AM the Resurrection and the Life", Jesus promises. Do we believe Him today? "He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die."

There in the ground, his body lay

Light of the world, by darkness, slain

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave, he rose again

And as he stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me

For I am his and he is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

Written by Peter Francis for Messages with Meaning (‪06/04/21‬)‬/Your542Day

Finding Hope at Christmas

 

All pictures courtesy of Unsplash

At this time year we talk a lot about hope, but for many of us, hope lacks a sense of certainty. It is more like a wish—something that we want to happen but have no way of knowing that it ultimately will. So we keep our fingers crossed and 'hope' that everything will go the way we want it to.

The reality is that often life does not turn out the way we hoped it would. Hope is a fragile commodity. When life is disappointing, our optimism is replaced by feelings of discouragement and hopelessness. Before long we run the risk of becoming cynics who believe that there is nothing in which we can confidently hope.

This was the landscape of life when Jesus entered the world. The prevailing mood of Israel was anything but hope. The once proud nation was now a puppet state of the pagan Roman Empire. The common person lived under the defeating burden of the exaggerated requirements of the religious establishment. Centuries before, they had been promised a deliverer who would restore Israel to its former glory, but it had never happened.

Into this sense of cynical hopelessness, true Hope was born. As the Christmas season gathers momentum, the promise of hope against the odds is a strong theme which many people share. Christians believe that the promise of hope against the odds is what Christmas is all about. The truth is that it cannot be realised or achieved without first dealing with the darkness and enmity present not only in the world but also in our individual lives. A starting point is acknowledging its immensity?

I love the honesty of the psalmist who said, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” We have all been there, but let us not stop there. Keep reading! 'Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God'.

Rejoice that Jesus came to give us something better than the disappointments of life on planet earth, and when by faith we embrace Him and all that He promised, we can have a hope that is no longer a fingers-crossed wish that we harbour in our hearts, but rather a confident, courageous optimism that is rooted in the certainty of His Word.

The tragedy of the first Christmas was that very few realised the Hope that had been introduced.

Hope for the forgiveness of sins.

Hope for a bright future—forever.

Hope for God’s presence and power in daily living.

Hope that would enable us to forget the past and set our sights on stuff that does not disappoint.

A Hope that, because of Jesus, is a certainty and not just another wish to be dashed on the rocks of reality.

Pin your hopes on Jesus this Christmas—you will not be disappointed!

Messages with Meaning (17/12/20) Written by Peter Francis for Your542Day

Napoleon, Socrates or Jesus? Who would you vote for?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “If Socrates would enter the room, we should rise and do him honour, but if Jesus Christ came into the room, we should fall down on our knees and worship Him.”  Dr Luke, the writer of the third gospel account in the New Testament, would have agreed wholeheartedly with the French General.  

If ever a man wrote a book filled with good news for everybody, Dr Luke is that man. His key message is, "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save those who are lost".  He presents Jesus Christ as the compassionate Son of Man, who came to live among sinners, love them, help them, and die for them.  In Luke’s Gospel, we meet individuals as well as crowds, women and children as well as men, poor people as well as rich people, and sinners along with saints. It is a book with a message for everybody?  

Would you rather fly Economy Class or Business Class?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

Some years ago I was speaking at a conference in Delhi, India and thankfully there were other speakers who were utterly riveting to listen to and absorb what they were saying. One such was a Canadian and he related a time when he was going to travel by plane when the check-in staff wondered whether he wanted to be upgraded. One of his joys in travelling is speaking with fellow passengers and he wondered whether that would be possible if he were upgraded. However, he was persuaded and duly went into Business Class rather than Economy Class and so could look forward to a much more comfortable journey.

As he went to sit down in the plane he introduced himself to a business women nearby with the words,  “I have been upgraded and it is only for one reason.” She politely enquired what that reason was and he said, “To talk to you about the Lord.”  I am sure she had never encountered such a direct approach before and it made her somewhat irritable and even angry. Her anger was directed firstly at the fact that he had been upgraded whereas she had paid the full amount for the privilege of travelling Business Class and secondly that he now wanted to engage her in a conversation about the Lord!

Two instructions you had better obey?

Photos courtesy of Storyblocks

Fulfilling the two great commandments (Matthew 22.36-40)

(this is truth for Christians) 

Love for God? 

We express this by our devotion to Him and His interests. We can do that as individuals and in local churches as is our norm. But now is not normal, so our individual devotion matters even more. When not able to meet together, our commitment to God must not waver!

 

Love for our neighbour? 

The best expression these days may be in selflessly protecting others from infection, isolating ourselves and saving our country’s resources from being stretched to breaking point.
 
Affirm your faith in Christ and your love for others by praying and continuing to serve your brothers and sisters in every way that you can. Firmly grasp His 'full assurance of hope,' Hebrews 6.11, as the storm rages around you. Hope is the spiritual anchor of every believer, and God will brighten our hope and comfort us the more as our burdens grow heavier. Remember that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind, 2 Timothy 1. 7.
 
In this time of distress, reach out to your heavenly Father in prayer. It is especially important that we make intercession for countries, governments, church leaders, communities, healthcare and other key workers, our families and neighbours, and our Christian brothers and sisters near us and in every land.
 
May we keep faithful and helpful, loving the Lord and loving each other.
 
“This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  (1 John 4.10)

Used by kind permission of Bert Cargill, Scotland

How to find peace in a troubled world? Special meetings in Liverpool.

Come to Crete Hall, Donaldson Street, Liverpool, L5 1UY any night for the next two weeks to find out. Sundays at 5 pm, Monday to Thursday at 7.30 pm

This is the most amazing message known to humanity.

John 14King James Version (KJV)

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain