Joe Slater

Kill the Messenger!

[299 words] A wise king seeks advisors who will tell the truth. whereas a foolish ruler wants yes men who will tell him what he wants to hear. Entirely too often the fools carry the day, as exemplified by King Jehoram of Israel. Because of Israel’s persistent idolatry under Jehoram and his predecessors, the Lord…

Jonah and the Love of God

[303 words] Before you criticize Jonah too severely, put yourself in his place. God commanded him to preach to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire. Assyria was a fierce and dreaded enemy of Israel. I could make you nauseous with details of the Assyrians’ cruelty to their enemies. The worse the pain they could…

I’m Bored!

[243 words] “You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it” (Malachi 1:13a). So said the Lord to the priests of Israel concerning their worship. They didn’t specifically say they were bored, but it’s rather obvious! Boredom occurs when one is uninterested, and Israel’s priests had virtually no interest in faithful worship.…

Jesus’ Family Tree

[315 words] Someone said, “Don’t shake the family tree too hard because some fruits and nuts may fall out!” I’ve found that to be true in my own family history research, and it holds true in the genealogy of Jesus too. I wonder how many people, as they begin reading the New Testament, just skip…

What Can One Person Do?

[291 words] Nearly eight billion people now inhabit this planet! What difference can one person (you) make? Oh, sure, the President of the United States is only one person, but he can make a huge difference. A multi-millionaire can make a noticeable difference. But ordinary folks like you or me – do we really matter?…

Behold, I Thought; Now I Know

[287 words] Despite being a leper, Naaman the Syrian army commander retained his pride. Didn’t his status merit a dramatic healing ceremony from Elijah? “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal…

Honor Your Mother!

[471 words] “Honor your father and your mother” is the fifth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12). Though we do not live under the Old Testament law today, God brought nine of those commandments into the New Testament, including this one (Ephesians 6:1-3). Giving Mom a card and a box of chocolates on the second…

Path Determines Destination

[421 words] God created us as free moral agents. We choose the path we take in life, for good or for ill. While most of us relish our freedom, the down side is that we must take responsibility for the choices we make. I like the way Joe Fitch put it: “When you choose the…

God and You

“On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land” (Acts 27.27). Your attitude and behavior in any and all circumstances ought to be governed by your relationship to God. Paul had been in a ferocious storm on the sea for nearly…