How often do we hear children respond to their parents, “I hate you,” while they are being disciplined?

Perhaps they learned this phrase from hearing their parents telling each other that when angry.

As parents, we need to be careful what we say in front of our children. They need to hear us say words like, “I love you,” “I forgive you,” “I will help you.” This needs to be shown by our actions toward one another. This is what Jesus demonstrated when he walked this earth. We should choose our words wisely and think before we speak.

There is so much crime with our young people today. In some homes, children never hear the word love, but they hear the word hate often.

Then, we wander what is wrong with our young people—part of the answer is our old people. We have to show positive behavior before our children.

The book of Micah tells us many things in the short seven chapters. Micah was a native of Moresheth, near Gath and almost 20 miles west of Jerusalem. The purpose was to warn God’s people that judgment is coming and to offer pardon to all those who repent. It was written to the people of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and of Judah (the Southern Kingdom). It was written about 742-687 B.C.

Although it was written in the days of old, it still has a place in our life today. The prophet was telling us that Jehovah God’s hatred is real, burning, consuming and destroying.

Jehovah God hates sin, and he stands as the righteous Judge ready to deliver just punishment to all who defy his word. But, Jehovah God’s love is also real, so real that he sent his only begotten Son, Jesus, who was the Messiah, to save mankind from sin.

Jesus was born of a virgin, a conception by the Holy Spirit. To be a Christian, you have to believe in the virgin birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18).

Christian means Christ-like and to become more like Christ. The birth was supernatural and will never happen again. Jesus told his disciples, “I am the way the truth and the life,” (John 14:6). He is the only way to get to God. You do not get to Heaven by being baptized, going to church, nor by doing good. These actions are good and should be generated from the love of God, and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Believing and accepting Him will cause us to do the things that he did. Jesus is our mediator. He was tempted in every way, but never sinned.

The Bible says that we were born in sin from the fall of Adam. Through Jesus, we can have eternal life because of the price He paid for us at Calvary. He died, but he was resurrected with all power in His hands.

The Bible also tells us that sin does not have to have dominion over us. We can confess, repent and believe in Jesus and he will set us free from anything.

If we are struggling with a problem in our lives, we can take it to Jesus because it was defeated at the cross.

“He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3).

When we have accepted Him, we have to believe and keep on believing in our heart that we are saved. It is not based on our feeling. When sin is confessed, we are forgiven and cleansed.

1 John 1:9 tells us if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Micah was expounding on all of this. He is telling us that Jesus is God and he serves as Prophet, Priest and King. This minor prophet, Micah, presents the true picture of Gods love and hate. God is love.