zeph 1 2

Zephaniah 1

The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

²“I will utterly sweep away everything
    from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
³“I will sweep away man and beast;
    I will sweep away the birds of the heavens
    and the fish of the sea,
and the rubble with the wicked.
    I will cut off mankind
    from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
⁴“I will stretch out my hand against Judah
    and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal
    and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
⁵those who bow down on the roofs
    to the host of the heavens,
those who bow down and swear to the Lord
    and yet swear by Milcom,
⁶those who have turned back from following the Lord,
    who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.”

⁷Be silent before the Lord God!
    For the day of the Lord is near;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
    and consecrated his guests.
⁸And on the day of the Lord‘s sacrifice—
“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
    and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
⁹On that day I will punish
    everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master’s house
    with violence and fraud.

¹⁰“On that day,” declares the Lord,
    “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
    a loud crash from the hills.
¹¹Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
    For all the traders are no more;
    all who weigh out silver are cut off.
¹²At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
    and I will punish the men
who are complacent,
    those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
    nor will he do ill.’
¹³Their goods shall be plundered,
    and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
    they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
    they shall not drink wine from them.”

¹⁴The great day of the Lord is near,
    near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
    the mighty man cries aloud there.
¹⁵A day of wrath is that day,
    a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
    a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
¹⁶    a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
    and against the lofty battlements.

¹⁷I will bring distress on mankind,
    so that they shall walk like the blind,
    because they have sinned against the Lord;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
    and their flesh like dung.
¹⁸Neither their silver nor their gold
    shall be able to deliver them
    on the day of the wrath of the Lord.
In the fire of his jealousy,
    all the earth shall be consumed;
for a full and sudden end
    he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Questions to Consider:

1. Who wrote the book of Zephaniah? Which genre of biblical literature is this book? Who was the intended audience of the book? What is the theme or purposed of this book?

2. What is the theme of Zephaniah 1? Which aspect of God’s character does this chapter showcase? Sometimes people think of God as wrathful in the Old Testment and loving in the New Testament. Is this true? How can God be good, loving, and wrathful all at the same time? How does God’s wrath demonstrate His goodness?

3. During which king’s reign did Zephaniah prophesy? (1) What impact might his prophecy have had on the king, and, through the king’s actions, on the people?

4. What is the sin the priests are committing in verses 4-6? Verse 5 says the priests “bow down and swear to the Lord.” Who else does it say they bow and swear to? Why would this anger God? Which Scriptures are the priests violating?

5. How do verses 14-18 describe the “great day of the Lord” (the day of judgment)? List the descriptors following the phrase “a day of…” in verses 15-16. Why will God bring judgment on the earth? (17) Why do Christians not need to fear God’s judgment and wrath against sin?

Christian women, Podcast Appearances

Echo Zoe Radio Podcast Interview

May 10, 2016October 11, 2017 Michelle Lesley

Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with my friend Andy Olson as his guest on the Echo Zoe Radio podcast.

Click here to listen in

as we talk about women’s ministry, Bible study, discernment, and plenty of other great topics. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and follow Echo Zoe on Facebook and Twitter!

Politics

Seven Thoughts on Voting for the Lesser of Two Evils

May 6, 2016October 9, 2024 Michelle Lesley

It’s been said ad nauseam that, in polite company, it’s not wise to discuss religion or politics. They’re hot button issues that people often have strong, differing opinions about, which can lead to arguments, which can ruin a perfectly nice party, picnic, or wedding reception.

This is one of the reasons I’m loath to write about or discuss politics. To me, biblical Christianity and sound doctrine are worth going to the mattresses for. When it comes to politics, though, I’m usually fine with keeping my opinions about the governor, president, or candidate du jour to myself.

But in light of recent events, there are a lot of differing points of view even among Christians who are, theologically, very like-minded. Christians who want God to guide every aspect of their lives, including voting. And I think it’s a political conversation worth having.

Earlier this week, Ted Cruz suspended his candidacy for the office of the presidency, leaving Donald Trump as the heir apparent to the Republican nomination. Strong feelings, opinions, and hand wringing among Christians ensued.

Why? Well, laying aside the entire election for just a moment and evaluating Trump only on his personal character and personal opinions on issues such as abortion and homosexuality, biblically literate Christians would be hard pressed to describe him as a virtuous, godly man whom they have zero qualms about enthusiastically supporting. (Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever voted for someone who fit that description. I’ve had at least a couple of qualms about everyone I’ve ever voted for. Haven’t you?) Quite the opposite, in fact. Most of the Christian people I hang with find Trump odious. Arrogant. Dishonest. A blowhard. Unkind. Immoral. And, now that it seems he will be the nominee, the lesser of two evils (the greater being Clinton or Sanders). But even the lesser of two evils is still evil, and nobody’s crazy about feeling she has no choice but to vote for someone she considers evil.

So what’s a Christian voter to do with Trump as the only “conservative” candidate who has a chance of winning the election? I’ve heard three predominate stances:

1. “I’m voting for Trump as the lesser of two evils. Assuming he adheres to at least some of what he has promised, fewer babies will be murdered under his administration, and the homosexual agenda will be stemmed at least a little more than it would be if Clinton or Sanders wins.”

2. “I just can’t, in good conscience, vote for someone whose character and policies are so ‘bottom of the barrel’. I don’t trust Trump to keep his promises, and I don’t see much, if any difference, between voting for him and voting for Clinton or Sanders. I’m sitting out this election.”

3. “I think it’s important to vote, but I can’t bring myself to vote for Trump. I’m voting third party/write in. I don’t like that it will probably give the White House to Clinton or Sanders, but at least I’ll be voting and the GOP will hear my voice and change its ways.”

I know good, godly Christian people who fall into all three of these categories. I have fluctuated back and forth among all three myself, and, to be honest, I’m still not sure where I’ll land come November. As I’ve begun to think about this issue, here are seven thoughts I’ve had about voting for the lesser of two evils:

1. If there’s a passage in the Bible that addresses voting in a democratic republic in an election for secular governmental officials, I haven’t run across it, and I don’t think anyone else has either. This makes sense if you think about it, because, in the Old Testament, God’s people lived under a theocracy (God was their king), and even during the period of the Old Testament kings, the people didn’t get to vote for the candidate of their choice. The New Testament was generally written to people under Roman rule who didn’t get to pick their leaders either. So, there’s really nothing specific in Scripture we can point to about voting as we know it today.

2. I’m starting to hear a new (to me, anyway) false teaching floating around: “God commands us to vote.” I don’t know which, if any, passage of Scripture is being mangled (and it would have to be mangled because the Bible doesn’t say this at all) to create this nonsensical notion, but the Bible doesn’t any more say God commands us to vote than it says God commands us to drive electric cars or observe Lent. If you’re following a preacher or teacher who’s pushing this junk theology, run away and don’t look back. God does not command that we vote. If you pray and study the Scriptures about it, and your conscience still prevents you from voting in November, you are not sinning.

3. Because, in America, we do have the privilege of voting, Christians should take that responsibility soberly and vote in a way that best lines up with biblical principles. That means we do not vote for candidates who actively promote or encourage sin, for example, someone who promises to expand abortion, legislatively encourages and celebrates the sin of homosexuality, or endorses the persecution and prosecution of Christians and biblical values. If you’re on the fence about voting for Trump, you’ll have to do the research to see where he stands on the important issues, compare his stances to Scripture, and decide for yourself whether or not you can vote for him.

4. This is not something to break fellowship over or be judgmental towards brothers and sisters in Christ about. If you’re such a vehement proponent of view 1 (or 2 or 3) that you’re breaking ties with Christians who hold views 2 and 3, politics has become an idol for you and you need to repent. There are many Christians out there praying for wisdom, seeking to do what’s godly, and following their consciences according to biblical principles. They are not necessarily in the wrong because they come to a different conclusion from yours. If one botanist focuses on a daisy’s petals and another focuses on its leaves, that doesn’t make one right and one wrong. They’re just focusing on different aspects of the same flower.

5. I’ve seen this quote by Spurgeon posted all over social media:

“Of two evils, choose neither.”

I love Spurgeon as much as the next guy, and it’s a fine quote, but let’s be careful that we’re not subconsciously elevating this quote to the level of Scripture. It’s not. Spurgeon may have been the Prince of Preachers, but he wasn’t the King of Kings (and he’d be the first to tell you that).

6. Anything could happen between now and November. Trump could keel over and die of a heart attack. Clinton could go to jail. A conservative dark horse could emerge, get people excited, and run away with the election. A revival could sweep America and thousands of newly saved Christians could demand a godly candidate. Trump could get saved. Clinton could get saved. Sanders could get saved. (Let’s just daydream on that a little. Wouldn’t it be great to have the dilemma of trying to decide between two candidates who were both on fire for the Lord? Don’t think it can’t happen. After all, God saved Paul.) Matthew 6:34 says:

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Pray, yes. Study, yes. But let’s not invest time in worrying about an election that’s still months away.

7. God is sovereign, and He is the one responsible for the outcome of every election. Romans 13:1b says:

…there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Ultimately, however you decide to vote, you can’t mess up the results of the election. God has already decided which person He’s going to put in the Oval Office, and He’s not depending on your vote or anyone else’s to accomplish it. We seek to do what’s right and biblical in the voting booth because we love Christ and want to honor Him, and we trust God with the final results.

Give it some thought. Do some reasearch. Study your Bible. Ask God for wisdom. Then, make the wisest and most godly choice you can. And stop worrying. God’s in control of all of this, and He will have His way and continue to care for His people. Trust Him.

As I mentioned, politics is a hot button issue, so I’m going to be a little more restrictive on the comments on this article. Before commenting, please make sure you’ve read the entire article as well as the “comment parameters” section of the “Welcome” tab at the top of this page. Also, please recognize that the focus of this article is limited to the idea of voting for Trump as the lesser of two evils. There’s a time and place to debate policy, whether or not you think Clinton and Sanders are evil, problems in the Republican party, whether Clinton should go to jail, etc. This ain’t it. Please stick to the topic at hand. Thanks :0)

Marriage

A No-Bull Marriage: Four Lessons from Mr. & Mrs. Samson

May 5, 2016August 18, 2025 Michelle Lesley

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
you would not have found out my riddle.”
judges 14:18

I love this verse. It’s in the story of Samson, which I’m studying in depth right now, and it makes me giggle every time I come to it. Ripped from its context, it doesn’t make much sense (most Bible verses don’t), so go read Judges 14 really quickly. It’s only twenty verses. It shouldn’t take you more than ten minutes to read. I’ll just wait right here.

Done? Ok. Now you know the context, and you know Samson wasn’t talking about farming. He was talking about his wife. Now, ladies, before you get your bloomers in a ruffle, Samson wasn’t calling his wife a heifer, he was using a metaphor. He could just as easily have said, “If you hadn’t eaten sweet and sour shrimp with my chopsticks…” Well, if he were Chinese and if sweet and sour shrimp had been invented.

But anyway... it still wasn’t the most flattering metaphor a man could choose when referencing his wife, which got me thinking about Samson’s wife and their marriage. They messed some things up, big time. Things that they could have avoided messing up by being obedient to God’s commands about marriage. Maybe we could learn a few “noble,” or “no-bull,” if you prefer, things for our own marriages from Mr. and Mrs. Samson in Judges 14:

Maybe we could learn a few “noble,” or “no-bull,” if you prefer, things for our own marriages from Mr. and Mrs. Samson in Judges 14…
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1.
Don’t be an unequally yoked heifer (v. 1-3)

Although the Philistines were not one of the nations God specifically forbade Israel to intermarry with, God’s principle of not marrying foreigners would have been a good one for Samson to follow. Why? Because only Israel worshiped the one true God. All of the other nations were pagan. They will “turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods,” God told them. “But Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.’” (3) In my eyes. Not in God’s eyes. In Samson’s eyes. Samson wasn’t interested in what God wanted for his marriage. Samson was only interested in what Samson wanted.

As Believers, our hearts should long to obey Christ and to want what He wants for our lives. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, God tells us we are not to seek to bind ourselves together in any close relationship with unbelievers. That includes (but is not limited to) marriage. As God told the Israelites, an unbeliever will lead you away from the Lord. Husbands and wives should push each other towards Christ. A lost husband can’t lead you to greater godliness. If you are not yet married, do not marry someone who isn’t saved, whose life does not display the spiritual fruit of someone who has been genuinely born again.

Don’t be an unequally yoked heifer.
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2.
Leave and cleave: plow with the bull you’re yoked to (v. 16-20)

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast [cleave] to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24

This doesn’t mean that we cut all ties with our parents when we get married. It means that we are now committed, first and foremost, to our spouses. We stand with them before, and sometimes against, everyone else.

Samson and his wife both had problems with this, as many newlyweds do. Samson’s wife, instead of standing with her husband by being honest with him about what his companions were up to and trusting him to protect her, ended up siding with “her people” (17) out of fear, by nagging Samson into telling her the answer to the riddle. Samson showed that he was loyal to his parents over his wife when he said in verse 16, “Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother [the answer to the riddle], and shall I tell you?” And when the whole fiasco was over, instead of going back and working things out with his wife, he abandoned her and went back home to live with his parents. (19-20)

Ladies, our husbands come first when it comes to loyalty, unity, bonding, and family decisions. Not our moms, our sisters, our best girlfriends, or even our children. And our husbands are to exhibit that same loyalty to us. Don’t hook yourself up to another plow.

Leave and cleave. Plow with the bull you’re yoked to.
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3.
Don’t moonipulate; commoonicate (v. 16-17)

Pack your bags, we’re going on a guilt trip. And Samson’s wife had a saddlebag full of every vixenish wile she could squeeze in: emotional manipulation, shame, blame, nagging, and relentless pressure. Samson’s wife provides us with the perfect example of how not to communicate with our husbands.

Samson’s wife provides us with the perfect example of how *not* to communicate with our husbands.
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We can all be tempted to use underhanded methods of getting what we want, but the God who tells us not to lie, to speak the truth, and not to act in selfish ambition but to put others first, is not a God who is pleased by such behavior. God is honored when we treat our husbands with kindness, respect, and honesty, and trust God enough to leave the outcome to Him.

Don’t moonipulate, commoonicate.
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4.
Do the no-bull thing: forgive. (14:19-15:1)

While Samson may have had understandable reasons for being angry at both his companions and his wife, and while God may have used a bad situation to take out some of the enemies of His people, God calls husbands and wives to forgive one another.

Again, Samson shows us what not to do. Consumed by his anger, he abandoned his wife and seems to have held a grudge against her for a good while. When he finally went back with a peace offering, it wasn’t a pretty scene.

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27

When we’re angry, self control can go out the window, making it easier to give in to Satan’s temptations to sin. Instead, it is God’s will for us to “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”.

Forgive. It’s the noble thing to do.

Do the no-bull thing: forgive.
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This article was originally published at Satisfaction Through Christ on May 7,

Wednesday's Word

Wednesday’s Word ~ 3 John

May 4, 2016May 3, 2016 Michelle Lesley

3 john 11

3 John

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

²Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ³For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. ⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

⁵Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, ⁶who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a mannerworthy of God. ⁷For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.⁸Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

⁹I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. ¹⁰So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

¹¹Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. ¹²Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

¹³I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. ¹⁴I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

¹⁵Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.

Questions to Consider:

1. Who wrote 3 John? To whom was 3 John written? (1) What was the purpose of this epistle?

2. How many times is the word “truth” used in this passage? What truth is John talking about? Who are John’s “children” (4) who are walking in the truth? What do the terms “my children” (4) and “beloved” (2,5,11) indicate about John’s relationship with Gaius and the church?

3. What is the connection between the truth of the gospel John emphasizes and…
…Gaius? (1-4)
…the visiting brothers? (8) (5-8)
…Diotrephes? (10) (9-11)
…Demetrius? (12)

4. Word of Faith (prosperity gospel) leaders often like to quote verse 2 from the King James Version as evidence that God wants all Christians to be “prosperous” (wealthy and successful). Examine the KJV alongside these other reliable translations. Is that what this verse is saying? Even if John did mean wealth and success, to whom was this passage written? (1) In context, is this a promise to all Christians in general, or a simple salutation to a particular person?

5. What can we learn about Christian hospitality and caring for those who make their living proclaiming the gospel from verses 5-10? Compare verse 8 with 1 Corinthians 9:14. How do verse 8 and 2 John 10-11 relate to one another? Can you think of a situation in which you might be able to extend hospitality to someone in Christian ministry?