Mountain Ridge Bible Chapel

Mountain Ridge Bible Chapel We are a non-denominational group of Bible believing Christians meeting in Berkeley Heights, NJ since 1962.

763 Mountain Ave. Berkeley Heights, NJ

06/17/2026

Turning Back Devotion 061626 “In the Day of His Calamity”

How should we respond when our enemy is in trouble? Edom certainly did not please God with their response to His people. Obadiah records the Lord’s command, “Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress.” Obadiah 1:13-14.

The Psalmist cried out to God to take vengeance on Edom for their cruelty when Israel was carried away into captivity. “Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!” Psalm 137:7. And Ezekiel prophesied, “Thus says the Lord God: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them, therefore thus says the Lord God, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast.” Ezekiel 25:12. Edom even turned over those who had escaped to the Babylonians. On the day of the calamity of Jerusalem, they had no pity.

Proverbs contains the Lord’s counsel on how to respond to your enemy when he is in difficulty. “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” Proverbs 25:21-22. This is counterintuitive to the nature of the flesh, but it demonstrates that vengeance belongs to the Lord not to man.

The Father is merciful and patient. He wants us to have the same attitude toward those who offend us. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:43-44.

Dear brother and sister, when we consider the cross and remember that it should have been us that died and not the Lord Jesus Christ, how can we hate or abuse anyone? Paul reminds us that we were enemies of God once, but now we have been saved by the life of the Son of God. “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:10. We should love our enemy on the day of his calamity!

For the glory of the Lord,

Doug Tremper

06/16/2026

Turning Back Devotion 061626 “I Will Restore the Fortunes of My People Israel.”

“I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them, says the Lord your God.” Amos 9:14-15. God is faithful. His promises to Israel will yet be fulfilled.

Job knew the compassion of the Lord, that He is very merciful. His trust in the Lord was not forgotten. “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10 When Job’s trial was over the Lord brought him forth as gold. The same will be true when the Lord restores the fortunes of His people Israel.

Jeremiah confirmed this. “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope ... .and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you…” Jeremiah 29:10-14.

God spoke through Ezekiel the prophet also, “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name…Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 39:25, 28-29.

When He restored their fortunes, they would be the head and not the tail. All the earth would look up to His people. “At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord.” Zephaniah 3:20.

Paul shared with the Gentiles that in blessing Israel the rest of mankind would be blessed with salvation as well. The future for the entire world will be bright on that day. “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’” Acts 15:16-18.

Dear reader, how important it is to seek the Lord and the welfare of His earthly people Israel. Those who bless them will be blessed. Conversely, those who curse Israel will be cursed. For He will restore the fortunes of His people.

Praise the Lord!

Doug Tremper

06/15/2026

Turning Back Devotion 061526 “A Famine…of Hearing the Words of the Lord.”

Can we imagine how desperate the plight of Christians would be if God did not allow them access to the Holy Scriptures? A Christian camp that I knew of had all the teen campers rise at midnight. Masked actors began to confiscate their Bibles. The purpose was to show the kids what life would be like without their Bibles. (The persecuted church knows this experience all too well).

Amos prophesied of a time like this that would come for Israel. It would be a day when no word would come from the prophets. The heavens would become silent. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.” Amos 8:11-12.

Years earlier when the kingdom was young, citizens were still doing what was right in their own eyes. The spiritual life in the priesthood was just about gone. The high priest was failing, and his sons were reprobates. In those days God in mercy gave a child who would bring His word to the people. Samuel was born and dedicated to the service of the Lord from birth by his mother, Hannah. “Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” 1 Samuel 3:1. The word was so rare in the days of Eli that the Lord sent a little child who didn’t even know the Lord yet to receive it.

Through the prophet Isaiah God appealed to His people to choose bread that satisfies the soul. “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” Isaiah 55:2-3. He offered Israel His word. They chose to worship other gods!

The Lord Jesus Christ contended with the adversary, and when Satan tempted Him to make bread from stones, He repudiated the devil. The real bread of God was His word. “And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But He answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:1-4. Though Jesus had no physical loaves of bread, He did have the word of God. Much better this, than the other way around!

Dear saint, do we let the word of God dwell in us richly? We should! Lest the day come when the Lord allows a famine of hearing His word. Do we really think it could never happen? … So did Israel!


Doug Tremper

06/14/2026

Turning Back Devotion 061426 “O Lord God Forgive I Pray…”

Do we have the heart of an intercessor? There are some sterling examples among God’s servants in the Bible that passionately prayed for forgiveness of the Lord’s people.

Amos was given a vision of destruction of Israel’s crops by locusts. It troubled him greatly and he pleaded with the Lord to relent. “Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings. And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said: “O Lord God, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, for he is small!” So the Lord relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” said the Lord.” Amos 7 1-3.

God heard his prayer but sent him another vision of a fire consuming the land. He begged the Lord again to show mercy. “Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, the Lord God called for conflict by fire, and it consumed the great deep and devoured the territory. Then I said: “O Lord God, cease, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, for he is small!” So the Lord relented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.” Amos 7:4-6. Two times Amos was able to make successful intercession for the nation.

Moses also interceded for the people when they were wandering in the wilderness of Sinai. He too interceded twice and was heard. The people had created a golden calf to worship. God was angry enough to destroy them and build a new nation from Moses. “Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” Exodus 32:31-32. God would not blot out Moses for the sins of the people, but it was a credit to Moses that he loved the people enough to give himself for them. And God relented from destroying them!

In captivity, Daniel understood from scripture that the time for Israel to return to the land was drawing close. He went before the Lord to plead for the remnant and beg the mercy of God. “O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” Daniel 9:18-20. God heard his prayer and brought about the return of the nation to Jerusalem.

The greatest example of intercession ever prayed was by Jesus on the cross. “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:33-34. Our Lord asked for forgiveness for our sins and then gave up His life in exchange for it.

Dear follower of Christ, what about us? For whom can we pray, saying, “O Lord God forgive I pray…”?

To God Be the Glory!

Doug Tremper

06/13/2026

Turning Back Devotion 061326 “Woe To Those Who Are At Ease…”

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria…” Amos 6:1. Amos highlighted the attitudes of ease and security characteristic of the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah including Jerusalem. There is a difference between getting adequate rest, whether by sleep, nap, some diversion or vacation to restore energies to serve the Lord, and the indolent lifestyle laden with luxury and ease and self-focus, to the exclusion of God and His will.

Prophets and teachers have often called out the wicked examples of those who are at ease. After word was brought to Jesus about His cousin John’s ex*****on by Herod, He pointed out the vast difference between John and the type of persons who lived in luxury. “When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings' courts.’” Luke 7:24-25.

Jesus also told His followers a story about a man that thought he could finally live a life of ease. “And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ Luke 12:16-20. What the man didn’t know was he was going to die that very night. God called him a fool.

Paul likewise warned that there will be no escape for those who get their security apart from God. “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4.

Dear brother and sister in Christ, how then should we live? Do we want to be at ease? Independent and secure building our own life without God? Is it possible that a Christian would want to live this way? Actually, it is! Paul charged Timothy to, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17. Let’s choose labor in the Lord’s field over living in ease for ourselves.

For the glory of God,

Doug Tremper

06/12/2026

Turning Back Devotion 061226 “Seek…that you may live”

As we read through the Bible, time and time again the Lord advises people to seek Him and find life. The most important occupation of anyone’s time is to seek and find Him. Knowing Him is the key to eternal life. In our chapter today, Amos exhorts the reader, “Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.” Amos 5:14. This does not mean just to do good, but to seek the One who is truly good. Amos clarifies this point in verse 4. “For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: ‘Seek Me and live;’”.

David in Psalm 22 records the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. When he wrote this psalm death by crucifixion had not yet been invented. David spoke these things by prophecy. After His suffering the Lord Jesus would taste the victory of resurrection. Scripture prophesied, “The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!” Psalm 22:26 Note that in this verse seeking Christ results in praise to God and eternal life.

Jesus taught His followers to seek after spiritual things, not just the physical needs of their bodies. “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33. If you seek God’s kingdom and righteousness as a priority, you get all the rest thrown into the bargain!

The apostle Paul also reasoned about the Lord’s desire to be found by men. He explained to the men of Athens concerning the “unknown God” that they worshiped. “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him...” Acts 17:26-27. God’s purpose in making mankind was that they would seek Him and find Him.

Dear brother and sister in Christ. We have sought on earth Him and found Him. Though we would never have sought Him unless He first called us through His word and His Spirit. Should we not continue to seek Him where Christ is, seated in heaven? “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3. Dear one, the abundant life is hidden with Christ in God. Let us seek Him there, so that we may truly live!

For His Glory, and our blessing!

Doug Tremper

06/11/2026

Turning Back Devotion 061126 “Yet You Did Not Return To Me.”

Has it ever been obvious to you that God is trying to get your attention? Think of the great natural disasters the world has recently endured. Do we think that these occurred without the purpose of God? He surely works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform and yet He has a very direct plan for our lives. He wants us to return to Him.

Amos proclaimed the word of the Lord to Israel emphasizing this precise message. God wants us to return to Him. He sent to Israel a famine. “‘I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord.” Amos 4:6.

He sent Israel partial drought. “‘I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest...yet you did not return to me,’ declares the LORD.” Amos 4:7-8.

He took away the source of their food supply. “‘I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord.” Amos 4:9.
He sent disease and armies and the smell of death. And yet they did not return to Him. “‘I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord.” Amos 4:10.

Dear reader, isn’t it reminiscent of the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart and all the army of Egypt? What happened to all of those who did not hear God’s command to turn from their sin? They perished in their sin. The Lord tells us, as Amos warned Israel, “...prepare to meet your God!” Amos 4:10. One day everyone will give an account for what they have done in life. The Christian will be saved through the blood of Christ, but even the Christian may suffer loss because of building their life on the wrong foundation. The non-christian will not have the righteousness of Christ to stand on in that day. Their loss will be eternal.

Oh, return to the Lord today!

Doug Tremper

06/10/2026

Turning Back Devotion 061026 “I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Remember when your parents told you, “I am only disciplining you because I love you?” That’s basically what the Lord is saying to His children. Because we belong to Him, He will chasten us to show us He does care. Amos wrote God’s word to Israel, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Amos 3:2.

Job realized that the intention of the Lord was to use chastening to accomplish our sanctification. He said to his friends, “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.” Job 5:17-18.

Solomon realized the benefit of having the same attitude as Job did toward the chastening of the Lord. “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12.

As we come to the New Testament, we find this same verse in Proverbs quoted in chapter 12 of the letter to the Hebrews. The Christian is a child of God. We have entered into the family of God through the Lord’s promise to bless all nations through the seed of Abraham. This being the case, we should not be surprised that God deals with us as sons. He disciplines us so that we might be fruitful and please Him.

The writer reasons, “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:7-11.

Dear believer, our heavenly Father disciplines us so that we should not be judged with the world. Let’s be sensitive to His correction and receive the admonitions that He sends us. We should actually thank Him because the chastening shows that we ARE his children. Praise the Lord!

He cares!

Doug Tremper

06/09/2026

Turning Back Devotion 060926 “I Will Send a Fire…”

Why does the Lord speak so much about “fire” coming upon nations in judgment? Eight times in the first two chapters of Amos, He says “I will send a fire…and it will devour. In today’s text Amos wrote, “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime. But I will send a fire upon Moab, And it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth;” Amos 2:1-2. Moab exalted themselves to the position of Judge in burning even the bones of the king of Edom. What arrogance to take the place of God in judgment!

Both Israel and Judah turned their backs on the Lord. They arrogantly made their own religion, and built cities that they trusted would protect them from all their enemies. “For Israel has forgotten his Maker, And has built temples; Judah also has multiplied fortified cities; But I will send fire upon his cities, And it shall devour his palaces.” Hosea 8:14. Their palaces would be devoured by God’s fire.

John the Baptist spoke to the crowds about the coming king. He prophesied that there would be two ends for the people. Either they would be gathered to the Lord, or they would be burned in unquenchable fire. “...He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:10-12. God will send a fire for the chaff.

“And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord. So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” Ezekiel 39:6-7. This event hasn’t happened yet, but Magog will think that they are safe from any punishment by the Lord. They will even profane His name in arrogance. God says a fire will come!

About another future event, John the apostle wrote concerning the fall of “Babylon the Great”. “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,... In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.” Revelation 18:1-2, 7-8.

Dear reader, it is the arrogance of the human heart that so angers God. Could it be that we have stolen His glory? He has sent fires in the past; do we doubt that He could send a fire against us? The Bible warns, “Our God is a consuming fire!” Hebrews 12:29.


Doug Tremper

06/08/2026

Turning Back Devotion 060826 “For Three Transgressions…And For Four…”

Isn’t God patient? When someone does a terrible wrong to us, we don’t hesitate to react in anger. God allowed nations to sin against Him numerous times. However, He kept track of every offense. Amos records eight times in his prophecy three and four times that the nations sinned against the LORD.

“Thus the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.” Amos 1:3-4. It was not enough that Israel would be exiled, Ben-hadad wanted the land to be ripped up and rendered useless. Notice that Damascus was Northeast of Israel.

“Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom. So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds.” Amos 1:6-7. The Philistines carried the children of Israel from Gaza and delivered them to Edom. They exiled the people from the land that God had given to the children of Abraham. Notice Gaza was located to the Southwest of the land.

“Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.” Amos 1:9-10. The men of Tyre, Sidonians exiled the people from the land though Solomon and Hiram had made a prior covenant of peace. They also delivered the people to their enemies in Edom. Notice Tyre was located Northwest of Israel.

The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. They were related to Israel. Yet in their jealousy they hated the Jews and without pity slew them. “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.” Notice Edom was located Southeast of Israel.

Dear reader, bottom line - from Northeast to Southwest, and from Northwest to Southeast, the enemies of God wanted to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Like a big “X” the enemies wanted to cross out Israel from existence. Not much has changed in thousands of years. But God will have His day. “For three transgressions and for four,” He will burn all of the strongholds of His enemies with fire. Today, let us agree with God that He is righteous and we are the sinners in need of saving!

May it be so for His glory and our blessing!

Doug Tremper

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