Center of Influence

A series on the book of Micah
Week 1 – The judgment of God
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Micah 1:1-16 

[In the book “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the struggle between good and evil in human nature. Likewise, Micah contrasts God's hatred of sin but love for sinners. In this series, we will look at both sides of God’s character and what that means for us today.]

  

Big cities tend to be the center of influence. Commerce, culture, technology, government, education, entertainment and fashion often originate in big cities and then spread across the country.

 

Samaria was the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. Unfortunately, it had become the center of pagan worship, blending Canaanite religious practices with Israelite traditions. Samaria’s idolatry was graphically described as prostitution. It was a metaphor that illustrated Samaria’s unfaithfulness.

 

Following a vision from the Lord, Micah condemned this rebellious behavior and declared the judgment of God on Samaria.

 

⁶ “So I, the Lord, will make the city of Samaria a heap of ruins.
Her streets will be plowed up for planting vineyards.
I will roll the stones of her walls into the valley below,
    exposing her foundations.
^7a All her carved images will be smashed.
    All her sacred treasures will be burned.      NLT

 

Ominously, the Lord promised to come, and it wasn’t a social call!

 

³ Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling place;
    he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth.
⁴ The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart,
like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.   NIV

 

But the depths of depravity in Samaria weren’t restricted by the city limits. Like the cities of America, Samaria was the center of influence. As a result, Samaria’s rebellious behavior spread throughout the northern kingdom into the southern kingdom and its capital of Jerusalem.

 

⁵ And why is this happening?
    Because of the rebellion of Israel—
    yes, the sins of the whole nation.
Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion?
    Samaria, its capital city!
Where is the center of idolatry in Judah?
    In Jerusalem, its capital!         NLT

 

What can we learn from this? Sin is not static; it’s dynamic. It’s like an addiction that grows progressively worse. It moves from city to city, person to person and even within an individual. Like a cancer, it lives to bring death.

 

Micah’s message is a warning for us today. Peter also gave us some good advice regarding how to live and navigate in a sinful world.

 

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.    NIV    1 Peter 5

 

Like Samaria, we as individuals are a center of influence. We influence those people around us at home, work, school, the grocery store, church – everywhere we go. So, will we be a center of influence like Samaria, or like the light of the world that Jesus spoke of?

 

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.         NIV    Matthew 5

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Good News

A series on God’s calling: Rahab
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Joshua 2:1-24 

[Traditionally we think of someone who has received “God’s call on their life” as being a missionary or pastor or some other paid ministry position. But God has called all of us into ministry. And there’s not just one way that He does it. In this series, we will look at how God called people in the Bible to ministry, and what that means to us.]

 

There are certain events that I can still remember when I heard the news even though it happened years ago. One of those was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I was in my fifth hour history class in junior high when the principal announced over the PA system that Kennedy had been killed.

 

Bad news travels fast! And the media loves to spread it. Everyone knows that a sensational headline sells. Even in Old Testament times, bad news traveled fast. Rahab the prostitute was a firsthand witness of it.

 

Even though news traveled by word of mouth, Jericho was in a prime location to hear widespread news accounts. It was on an east-west trade route that connected two north-south trade routes making an H-shape in the region.

 

Because she was a prostitute, Rahab likely had many travelers visit her house, telling her the latest bad news. In fact, all the people of Jericho had heard about the Israelites and their God. As a result, their “hearts melted in fear”.

 

But Rahab was presented with an unexpected opportunity when two spies that Joshua had sent came to her house. You could call it a perfect storm of circumstances. Because of what she had heard about the Lord, Rahab firmly believed “that the Lord has given you the land”. Here is what she said to the spies.

 

¹⁰ We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. ¹¹ When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.     NIV

 

That’s quite a statement of faith. Rahab recognized that the God of Israel was greater than any god that she had ever encountered. Because of this, she believed that this unexpected opportunity could give her a chance to live. Therefore, she made a deal with the spies.

 

God isn’t limited in how he calls us to ministry to serve others. It doesn’t have to be through a burning bush or dreams or a mentor. It could be through a perfect storm of circumstances providing an unexpected opportunity. And when it happens, we need to be prepared to respond like Rahab.

 

Because of her faith and actions, she is mentioned in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11. James also praised her for her faith, which was visible by her deeds. But maybe the greatest praise of all is that she is mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus.

 

⁵ Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse the father of King David.  NIV

 

Bad news does travel fast. But God used it to bring Rahab the prostitute to faith. A faith that eventually led to the birth of Christ. That’s what I would call Good News!

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Gung – ho for God

A series on God’s calling: Joshua
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Joshua 1:1-18 

[Traditionally we think of someone who has received “God’s call on their life” as being a missionary or pastor or some other paid ministry position. But God has called all of us into ministry. And there’s not just one way that He does it. In this series, we will look at how God called people in the bible to ministry, and what that means to us.]

  

As a little boy, I loved to explore the area around our house. To the east, was a gently sloping hill, covered with brushes and trees. It went down to the Pine River which was about 100 yards from our house. I especially enjoyed exploring along the riverbank where I would catch turtles.

 

To the north, was a deep field of weeds and sumac. But if you walked far enough, you’d find a deserted salt mine with small mounds of dirt, which must have been tailings from the mine. One time while exploring there, I found an arrowhead.

 

As a young man, Joshua had an enthusiastic faith in the God of Israel. And why not? He had personally witnessed the miracles of God including parting the waters of the Red Sea. Joshua was gung – ho for God!

 

Therefore, it’s not surprising that when Israel was about to possess the Promised Land, that Joshua was chosen by Moses as one of the twelve men to explore the land. Like me, Joshua was an explorer.

 

After forty days, the explorers returned. Ten of them fearfully described the inhabitants as being powerful and the cities fortified. But Joshua, with the enthusiasm of his youthful faith, countered their negative report. He confidently proclaimed that the Lord “will give the land to us” and “we will devour the people”.

 

But the damage was done, and the people of Israel rebelled. Because of this, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years never to enter the Promised Land. By the time the next generation had grown up, Joshua had experienced some significant changes.

 

First, he was forty years older. In addition, he’d been wandering in the wilderness with people who had rebelled against the Lord. Finally, the Lord had chosen Joshua, in place of Moses who was very old, to lead the people into Canaan.

 

It’s hard to say how all of these life circumstances might have affected Joshua’s faith. Be that as it may, as Israel prepared to cross the Jordan River, the Lord spoke to Joshua giving him these final instructions.

 

⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.          NIV

 

⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.   NIV (This was repeated three times.)

 

⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.     NIV

 

These instructions still apply to us today. The Lord promises to always be with us. He encourages us to be strong and courageous in the face of obstacles. He reminds us that we need to meditate on his Word and to obey him.

 

If we follow these instructions, then like Joshua, we will be gung – ho for God!

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

Pablum or Dreams

A series on God’s calling: Joseph, son of Jacob
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 37:1-11; 42:6-9; 45:1-8 

[Traditionally we think of someone who has received “God’s call on their life” as being a missionary or pastor or some other paid ministry position. But God has called all of us into ministry. And there’s not just one way that He does it. In this series, we will look at how God called people in the Bible to ministry, and what that means to us.]

  

Being the youngest of four, I was very spoiled. Nowhere was that more apparent than at the dinner table. If I didn’t like what we were eating, I’d ask Mom to fix some Pablum for me. And she would oblige me, even until I was eight years old!

 

As an adult, this became a problem because my siblings teased me mercilessly every time we got together. After years of them poking fun, I decided to go on the offense by accusing them of being jealous, even if they weren’t. Joseph, the son of Jacob, had a much more serious problem with jealous siblings.

 

Like myself, Joseph received special treatment from a parent. In his case, it was his father, Jacob. One time Jacob had an expensive robe made for Joseph as a special gift – the “coat of many colors”. His brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more.

 

Joseph also had a unique gift from God. That is, God spoke to him through dreams. Sometimes they were his own dreams. But other times they were the dreams of another person, and he would interpret them.

 

As an immature seventeen-year-old who was full of himself, he didn’t seem to recognize that God was speaking to him through his dreams. Instead, he used them as a way to boast, or even provoke his brothers – which it did.

 

One day Joseph’s brothers were out watching the flocks when they saw him approaching them in the distance. At first, they plotted to kill him, but later decided it would be more advantageous to sell him to a caravan of traders going to Egypt.

 

Despite their evil intentions, God was with Joseph in Egypt. It didn’t matter if he was a slave of Potiphar who had bought him; or a prisoner due to false accusations; or in the presence of Pharoah when Joseph interpreted his dreams. God blessed Joseph in all he did.

 

The result was that Pharoah placed Joseph in charge of managing the whole land during a season of prosperity, followed by a severe drought. It was during the drought that his brothers came to him for food. Not recognizing Joseph, they bowed down to him. And he remembered his dream from twenty years before.

 

With all the adversity that he had faced, Joseph could easily have become a very bitter man, and seen this as the perfect opportunity for revenge. Instead, when he finally disclosed his identity to his brothers, he forgave them. And as he wept, he explained how God had been in control during the whole time.

 

^4b “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you”.   NIV    Genesis 45

 

Joseph realized that God had always been with him and had been working in his life to draw him closer. In fact, God had been calling Joseph to be his servant since his youth through dreams. Joseph had finally understood and fulfilled his call.

 

God isn’t limited in how he calls us into his service. His only limitation is our own shortcomings. How is God calling you into his service? With Pablum or dreams? Or some other means?

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com