February 06, 2012
Amos 3:7 - "Before the LORD God does anything he tells his plans to his servants the prophets.
Amos 3:10 - "The people don't know how to do what is right. Their strong buildings are filled with treasures they took by force from others."
And God says—what you have done to others is what I will do to you. Our Pastor's sermon was about this very thing yesterday. What you give out ↔ you get back. Give grace ↔ get grace. Give forgiveness ↔ get forgiveness. Our actions create the pipeline through which God gives His blessings. (Picture a pipeline with our actions flowing one way → and God's blessings ← returning the other way.) That biblical principle applies to the blessings we receive as well as the punishment God gives for our disobedience. God gives opportunity for change—days of grace—but there comes a times when the window of opportunity closes and accountability happens.
Amos 4:2 - "The LORD God has promised this: 'Just as surely as I am a holy God, the time will come!' "
I took away you food...
but you did not come back to me
I held back the rain...
still you did not come back to me
I made your crops fail...
but still you did not come back to me
I sent disasters against you...
but still you did not come back to me
I destroyed you...
but still you did not come back to me
(Oh LORD God, may this never be said of me. Help me to always be ready and willing to listen to you!)
God says: You have not returned to me, but get ready, I will show you who I am. Amos 4:12 - "Get ready to meet your God...."
God knows. God is fair. God is just. His "justness" demands discipline—his Holy discipline. He will not ignore the sins of His people. Amos 6:12 - "You have changed fairness into poison; you have changed what is right into a bitter taste." He also will not ignore the faithfulness of His people.
Hebrews 12:10 - "God disciplines us to help us, so we can become holy as he is. We do not enjoy being disciplined. It is painful, but later, after we have learned from it, we have peace, because we start living in the right way."
In Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) Bible she wrote that discipline is "educating." We are learning what God wants us to learn.
Addendum: 9/24/15 ~ "Get ready... I will show you who I am." When I read what God tells "unfaithful" people to get rid of, it just really grabs my heart. Do they not know? Don't they understand that their actions are putting themselves in the path of God's holy wrath? Do they care? They just don't seem to get it. It's like the frog in the kettle analogy. Put a frog in a kettle of boiling water, and it will jump out. But put the frog in a kettle of tepid water while slowly turning up the heat, and the frog will not jump out. It will stay in the water until it is too late.
The "unfaithful" are either blinded to what the Trust is, or they know the Truth but refuse to surrender to it. The only way to live a life pleasing to God (which gives you peace, joy and contentment) is total surrender and submission to His will.
If I really dwelt on this, it would cause me much sadness and be a very heavy burden to carry. I have had to learn what it means to let go... and let God. This is His battle. I can trust Him. He loves those who are "unfaithful" even more than I do, so I can trust Him to do whatever it takes to give them every opportunity for repentance.
God does not ask us to carry these burdens.
Next Entry: Amos 7:1 – 9:15
Amos 3:7 - "Before the LORD God does anything he tells his plans to his servants the prophets.
Amos 3:10 - "The people don't know how to do what is right. Their strong buildings are filled with treasures they took by force from others."
And God says—what you have done to others is what I will do to you. Our Pastor's sermon was about this very thing yesterday. What you give out ↔ you get back. Give grace ↔ get grace. Give forgiveness ↔ get forgiveness. Our actions create the pipeline through which God gives His blessings. (Picture a pipeline with our actions flowing one way → and God's blessings ← returning the other way.) That biblical principle applies to the blessings we receive as well as the punishment God gives for our disobedience. God gives opportunity for change—days of grace—but there comes a times when the window of opportunity closes and accountability happens.
Amos 4:2 - "The LORD God has promised this: 'Just as surely as I am a holy God, the time will come!' "
I took away you food...
but you did not come back to me
I held back the rain...
still you did not come back to me
I made your crops fail...
but still you did not come back to me
I sent disasters against you...
but still you did not come back to me
I destroyed you...
but still you did not come back to me
(Oh LORD God, may this never be said of me. Help me to always be ready and willing to listen to you!)
God says: You have not returned to me, but get ready, I will show you who I am. Amos 4:12 - "Get ready to meet your God...."
"He is the ONE... This is what the LORD says: 'Come to me and live... Come to the LORD and live'... God is the ONE... The LORD is his name." Amos 4:13 – 5:8Return to the LORD. Get rid of your old unfaithful ways:
- You turn justice upside down
- You throw on the ground what is right
- You hate those who speak in court against evil
- You can't stand (are against) those who speak truth
- You walk on poor people
- You force them to give you what little they have
- You have built yourself things while taking advantage of others
- You hurt people who do right
- You take money to do wrong
- You keep the poor from getting justice in court
God knows. God is fair. God is just. His "justness" demands discipline—his Holy discipline. He will not ignore the sins of His people. Amos 6:12 - "You have changed fairness into poison; you have changed what is right into a bitter taste." He also will not ignore the faithfulness of His people.
Hebrews 12:10 - "God disciplines us to help us, so we can become holy as he is. We do not enjoy being disciplined. It is painful, but later, after we have learned from it, we have peace, because we start living in the right way."
In Jane's (Her Name Was Jane) Bible she wrote that discipline is "educating." We are learning what God wants us to learn.
Addendum: 9/24/15 ~ "Get ready... I will show you who I am." When I read what God tells "unfaithful" people to get rid of, it just really grabs my heart. Do they not know? Don't they understand that their actions are putting themselves in the path of God's holy wrath? Do they care? They just don't seem to get it. It's like the frog in the kettle analogy. Put a frog in a kettle of boiling water, and it will jump out. But put the frog in a kettle of tepid water while slowly turning up the heat, and the frog will not jump out. It will stay in the water until it is too late.
The "unfaithful" are either blinded to what the Trust is, or they know the Truth but refuse to surrender to it. The only way to live a life pleasing to God (which gives you peace, joy and contentment) is total surrender and submission to His will.
If I really dwelt on this, it would cause me much sadness and be a very heavy burden to carry. I have had to learn what it means to let go... and let God. This is His battle. I can trust Him. He loves those who are "unfaithful" even more than I do, so I can trust Him to do whatever it takes to give them every opportunity for repentance.
God does not ask us to carry these burdens.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11Take your burdens, take your cares, and surrender them to God. Learn what it means to let go... and let God.
Next Entry: Amos 7:1 – 9:15
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