Paul proclaims in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (NKJV). The good news about Jesus was nothing to be ashamed of for Paul because of his understanding that the gospel is God’s power to save man. It is this same powerful gospel that Paul calls his own in both Romans 2:16 and 2 Timothy 2:8. We often think of the gospel as being Christ’s or God’s, but how often do we think of the gospel as being our own?             The gospel being our own does not change the truth contained in the gospel. The gospel truth “that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead” remains the same (2 Tim. 2:8; cf. Rom. 1:1-4). The gospel is the good news about Jesus and the power of God, but the gospel will become our own when we, like Paul, are willing to live it, own it, and suffer for it. Paul was willing to suffer for the gospel because of the hope that it brings (2 Tim. 2:9-10). Paul knew that through his suffering for the gospel of Jesus it would be his own gospel. Just as Jesus was risen from the dead so too would Paul be risen from the dead. Just as Jesus received His reward from the Father, so too would Paul receive His …

Sadly, we do not always learn from our past mistakes (or at least not well enough to make lasting changes). This is a problem that is presented in the book of Malachi. The burden Malachi had to bear was witnessing God’s people turning back to their foolish ways after being released from captivity. The prophet intended to correct abuses that had arisen among the returned Jews. He also warned the Jews of a coming day of judgment (Mal. 4:1-3 NKJV) and promised the coming of a messenger who would prepare the way for the Messiah (Mal. 3:1). Through the prophet, God addressed several sins but one in particular stands out in the opening verses. God reveals that He has loved His people, yet they respond, “In what way have You loved us” (Mal. 1:2)? Only through pride and arrogance can one conclude that God does not love His people. The book of Malachi, like other Scriptures, can lead us to a better understanding of who God is. In 1 John 4:8 and 4:16, the text reads, “God is love.” God loves His people – even those who do not deserve His love (Mal. 1:2). God did not begin loving His people during New Testament times, He has always loved His people. Today, we have the means to know God’s love even better than the people to whom Malachi wrote (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8, 9). Yet, this does not give an excuse for their disbelief. God is our Father (Mal. 1:6). …

In Zechariah 1:1, we learn that “the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet” (NKJV). It is the same Zechariah whom Ezra notes as being a prophet “to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem” (Ezra 5:1) and as helping the people prosper as the temple was rebuilt (Ezra 6:14). Moreover, we learn from Nehemiah that Zechariah served not only as God’s prophet, but he was also a priest and head of house (Neh. 12:12, 16). In all that he did, Zechariah served God faithfully. Prophesying to God’s people after their captivity, it is fitting that Zechariah’s name means “Yahweh [i.e., Jehovah] has remembered.”[1] Jehovah God remembered His people through their captivity, and He remained with them following their return home. Although God remembered them, the people had failed to remember Him. It was time for God’s people to turn back to Him (Zech. 1:3-4). It was time for God’s people to carry out His will in their lives. Admittedly, Zechariah can be a challenging book due to the nature of his writing. Much of Zechariah’s prophesying is apocalyptic with colorful scenes and images. While this can create a layer of difficulty in understanding God’s message, it does not make the task impossible. Zechariah’s message can be split into two main sections: his prophesying while the temple was being rebuilt (Zech. 1-8) and his prophesying following the completion of the temple (Zech. 9-14). Among the lessons taught by Zechariah, …

Haggai is one of the shorter books of the minor prophets, but it is not lacking in valuable lessons and practical application. This short book delivers a powerful punch and brings a stern reminder to be about the work of the Lord. The Lord wanted the people to rekindle their zeal and priorities on finishing the temple. By the mouth of Haggai, the Lord’s message was delivered, “Consider your ways” (Hag. 1:5 NKJV). The prophecy of Haggai comes 15 years after Judah has been released from captivity (520 B.C.). Upon their arrival at Jerusalem, the people were zealous and desirous of rebuilding the temple, but it did not take long for them to become distracted and slothful. The people had determined that it was not a good time to finish the temple (Hag. 1:2). Yet the Lord questioned their priorities. “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins” (Hag. 1:4). This God-given message challenged the people to consider their attitude of negligence and laziness. Difficult duties should be faced courageously and without delay. Haggai sheds light on many of the problems they faced daily, and the problems were directly linked to their misplaced focus. Their lives and their work had been unsatisfactory. Therefore, their harvest had been poor; they did not have enough to eat or drink, their clothing did not keep them warm, and their wages went for nothing. The situation was related to putting money into a …

Zephaniah served God as one of His prophets sent to the people of Judah (Zeph. 1:1, 4, NKJV). While Zephaniah’s message is delivered in only 3 chapters, his short message packs a powerful punch. Zephaniah prophesies to God’s people in Judah, bringing them a message of God’s impending judgment for their sinful ways.             At the time of Zephaniah’s prophesying, the people of Judah had made sin a habit. Idolatry was rampant (Zeph. 1:4-6). Many were complacent, believing that God was not active in the lives of His people (Zeph. 1:12). Even in Jerusalem, the people were “rebellious and polluted” (Zeph. 3:1). Moreover, the people had no faith in God and those in authority were abusing their positions (Zeph. 3:2-3). God’s people had chosen to be an unrighteous people. As a result, they were ripe for judgment. The sins of the people of Judah would result in God’s judgment (Zeph. 1:17). God tells His people by the mouth of Zephaniah, “For the day of the LORD is at hand, for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests” (Zeph. 1:7). In other words, God’s judgment was sure and was coming soon – “The great day of the LORD is near; it is near and hastens quickly” (Zeph. 1:14). God’s judgment was sure for the people of Judah just as it was sure for all nations (Zeph. 2:4ff). Despite man’s unrighteousness, the LORD’s righteousness would be clearly seen as “He brings His justice to light” (Zeph. 3:5).             …