Today, Pastor Ken will remind you that God is the Designer and Craftsman of everything in the universe, and He created human beings a step above all the rest. By breathing His own life into that man, He created the man and woman “in His own image”. That means that human beings are more like God than any other created thing. We have an eternal spirit, just as God has. The wise person bows before the Creator and willingly submits himself or herself to the only One who truly knows how we are made.

As Pastor Ken continues his teaching series through the book of Hosea, he’ll encourage you to put on the whole armor of God because the enemy is actively trying to destroy the Church. Thankfully, we are promised that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church! The enemy uses all the same tactics and tricks. He uses your flesh against you and sends temptations your way that could cause you to take your focus off of Jesus. Remember, greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Hosea’s wife, Gomer, practiced unfaithfulness as a lifestyle. When she conceived and bore children, God told Hosea to give them prophetic names symbolizing the Lord’s judgment on Israel. For example, Jezreel foretold a great massacre that would happen in that valley, and Lo-Ammi means “not my people,” signaling God’s rejection of Israel. Hosea warned of painful consequences, invasion, and slavery. Today, Pastor Ken will explain that Hosea’s message was clear—sin brings judgment!

Conflict in Israel has been a reality whenever Israel has existed as a nation. Whether it was the Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, or Romans, the nation of Israel has always been persecuted by its neighbors. Why is this? According to the Bible, it is because God has a special plan for the nation of Israel, and Satan wants to defeat that plan. Today, Pastor Ken will explain that satanically influenced hatred of Israel is the reason Israel’s neighbors have always wanted to see Israel destroyed.

God called Hosea to marry a harlot. His wife, Gomer, was a prostitute and was repeatedly unfaithful to their marriage covenant. This resulted in multiple children by unknown fathers. Yet, Hosea remained faithful to her. This relationship offered a real-time analogy for the relationship God had with Israel. As Pastor Ken will explain in today’s message, the children of God chose to be unfaithful to Him, choosing idols and lifestyles that served their own desires, but God remained faithful.

“God helps those who help themselves…” Do you hear that and assume you’re hearing Scripture quoted? This concept is often attributed to the Bible, but it’s not theologically sound. As Pastor Ken will point out in today’s message, this is a man-made concept, and it relies on the strength of man to do something that’s impossible. We’re incapable of helping ourselves on a spiritual level. We can work hard and experience some earthly success, but spiritual success is only found through Christ.

As we dive into the book of Hosea, we may find a lot that we can relate to in our modern culture. Sexual promiscuity, materialism, and idolatry in many forms are pervasive in our culture, just like they were for Hosea. These things have been normalized, and most of us feel like the odd ones out when we resist these things. As Pastor Ken continues our study of this minor prophet, we can find some not-so-minor guidance and reassurance for how we need to live our lives as believers in a hostile culture.

Have you encountered anyone today who claims to be a prophet? Oftentimes, they make claims about the future, attributing their wisdom and knowledge to a Divine source unique to them. But what makes a prophet a prophet? As Pastor Ken will clarify in today’s message, this is only a part of the role of a Biblical prophet. Ultimately, their main job is to point people back to God. When the focus is on one person’s ability to tell the future, their focus is not on God, and they aren’t truly a prophet.