A Small Package

A series on the book of Micah
Week 4 – The coming Messiah
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Micah 5:2-15 

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

  

As a little boy, one of my most memorable Christmas gifts was from my older brother. He was in college and didn’t have much money, so he had to be creative. As a result, he got 100 shiny new pennies and placed each penny in an envelope. Then he strung twenty sets of five envelopes each and hung them from the living room ceiling near the Christmas tree.

 

When I woke up in the darkness of early morning and went downstairs with great anticipation of the gifts that were waiting for me, I had no idea what my brother had created. As I rounded the corner, I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was a magical Christmas scene with all the envelopes hanging from the ceiling.

 

Like previous chapters in Micah, this one also tells the story of how God hates sin but loves the sinner. In a society where the powerful oppressed the powerless and promoted idol worship, Micah boldly proclaimed the Lord’s judgment for the end times, but with implications for the current culture.

 

¹⁵ I will take vengeance in anger and wrath
    on the nations that have not obeyed me.”    NIV

 

Micah also brought a message of hope from the Lord who promised to provide peace and deliverance for a remnant of Israel. In the following verses Assyria represents the enemies/evil, not only that Israel faced during Micah’s time, but also that we face.

 

^5a And he will be our peace
    when the Assyrians invade our land
    and march through our fortresses.

^6b He will deliver us from the Assyrians
    when they invade our land
    and march across our borders.            NIV

 

Finally, Micah prophesied about a ruler that one day would come to shepherd his people “with the Lord’s strength and majesty”.

 

² “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”       NIV

 

Like my Christmas gift, sometimes the best gift comes in a small package – or in my case, envelopes. But in the case of Micah’s prophecy, the small package would arrive in the form of a baby boy, born out of wedlock in a stable in the small rural town of Bethlehem.

 

It was over 600 years before Micah’s prophecy of a shepherd/ruler was fulfilled. It’s been over 2000 years since then. God was faithful then and he is faithful now. “He is the same yesterday, today and forever”.

 

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.        ESV    Lamentations 3

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

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www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

In the Fullness of Time

A series on the book of Micah
Week 3 – The Lord’s Plan
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Micah 4:1-5:6 

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

“God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life”. As a 21-year-old college student whose life had been turned upside down, those words were music to my ears. The person who I had most wanted to love me… had rejected me. As a result, my life seemed to have no rhyme nor reason to it – let alone a plan.

 

However, the realization that God loved me and did have a plan for me, was a pivotal moment. Even though I couldn’t see it at the time, this meant that somehow God had already intervened in my life. The result was to give me new purpose and direction that changed my life forever.

 

We often can’t see how God is at work until after the fact. Yet, the Lord has a plan that is unfolding every day. Although he didn’t know the specifics, Micah prophesied about three different time periods of the Lord’s plan for his kingdom.

 First, he spoke about the last days, and how people from all over the world will come to the Lord’s temple to worship him.

 ² People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.”            NLT

Second, even before coming into power, Micah prophesied that the Babylonians would capture Jerusalem and take the Israelites into exile. But he also foretold that later a remnant of Israel would return.

 

^10b You will soon be sent in exile to distant Babylon. But the Lord will rescue you there; he will redeem you from the grip of your enemies.     NLT

 

Finally, Micah prophesied about a leader, the Messiah, who would one day “shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord”.

 

² “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”           NIV

 

As a 75-year-old man in the autumn of my life, God is still at work. He still loves me and has a plan for me. It’s up to me to discern it. What about you?

 

God loves you and has a plan for your life. That plan may not be evident now, but “in the fullness of time”, it will come to fruition.

 

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.                     NIV    Jeremiah 29

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

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www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Power and Control

A series on the book of Micah
Week 2 – God's hatred of sin
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Micah 2-3 

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

  

Power and control! We all want control over our lives. One small way that you can see my desire for power and control is through how I keep my desk and office. They need to be well organized, not looking like a tornado had just blown through it. It helps me feel in control and I have the power to do it.

 

However, the problem with power is that it can corrupt. You’ve probably come across at least one person where that’s been true. Think of a mall security guard who is overzealous to enforce the rules; or a supervisor who micromanages; or a paper-pushing bureaucrat who enforces the rules capriciously.

 

Micah spoke out against those who were not only rich and powerful, but also used it to take advantage of the poor and downtrodden.

 

² When you want a piece of land,
    you find a way to seize it.
When you want someone’s house,
    you take it by fraud and violence.
You cheat a man of his property,
    stealing his family’s inheritance.       NLT   Micah 2

 

Also, in order to show how the leaders of Israel had no respect or compassion, Micah charged them, figuratively speaking, of cannibalism.

 

^2b You skin my people alive
    and tear the flesh from their bones.
³ Yes, you eat my people’s flesh,
    strip off their skin,
    and break their bones.
You chop them up
    like meat for the cooking pot.  NLT   Micah 3

 

Is it any wonder that the Lord judged Israel and Judah. God declared that He was "devising disaster" against them; a disaster that they couldn’t escape. Micah prophesied God’s judgment which came true when they were invaded by foreign powers. The result? Israel and Judah were exiled from the Promised Land.

 

The Lord hates sin, but he loves the sinner. He always provides a way for redemption. Even with these abuses of power, he gave Israel the promise of a future deliverance and restoration.

 

¹² “Someday, O Israel, I will gather you;
    I will gather the remnant who are left.
I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen,
    like a flock in its pasture.
Yes, your land will again
    be filled with noisy crowds!      NLT   Micah 2

Today, he still provides a way for redemption. Despite our sinfulness he gave you and me the promise of deliverance and restoration through Jesus Christ. Paul put it like this.

 

²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!     NIV    Romans 7

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

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