Bill Bryant
The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.” For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.
Hosea 3
[…] Christmas time is coming. There are always those certain signs and that we all recognize and that tell us Christmas is on the way. Black Friday, the busiest and sometimes most frightful shopping day of the year, is one of those signs. There are Holiday/Christmas advertisements everywhere you go. And the music changes on the radio to familiar Christmas tunes. Another thing that seems to spike during this time is advertisements for financial payment plans, so that we can be sure “afford” all of the countless gifts that we just “have” to buy for everyone. Then, everywhere around the world wide web takes on it’s seasonal Christmas appearance too. Afterall, it’s all part of the “Christmas/Holiday Spirit” right? However, I propose that the most important signal should be that it’s the beginning of Advent. […]