The price to pay ~ Raul Ries

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

1 Corinthians 9:24

When Cortez landed at Vera Cruz in 1519 to begin his conquest of Mexico with a small force of 700 men, he purposely set fire to his fleet of eleven ships. His men, on the shore, watched their only means of retreat sink to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. With no means of retreat, there was only one direction to move, forward into the Mexican interior to meet whatever might come their way. In paying the price for being Christ’s disciple, you too must purposefully destroy all avenues of retreat. Resolve that whatever the price for being His follower, you will pay it.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price to give us salvation.
What price are we willing to pay to follow Him?

Do your actions display generosity and gratitude? (92-4) ~ Barry Werner

Do your actions display generosity and gratitude? (92-4)

October 22nd, 2009 in 2 Samuel, Attitude, Generosity, Leadership Principles, Old Testament | leave a response

Yesterday we looked at David as a servant leader based on his actions toward Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson and David’s friend Jonathan’s son. Before leaving this part of David’s life, there are two more elements of leadership that should be addressed: generosity and gratitude. Review 2 Samuel 9.

Long after his friend Jonathan’s death, David returned a favor to his friend through a kindness to his son Mephibosheth. David restored Saul’s land to Mephibosheth and ordered Saul’s former servants to cultivate the land and provide an income for Mephibosheth. David also provided Mephibosheth a place in his court and invited him to eat at his table with his own sons. David’s gratitude for Jonathan’s friendship cultivated generosity toward his friend’s son.

Gratitude and generosity are attitudes. Attitudes become actions that demonstrate a leader’s core truths. The absence of gratitude and generosity demonstrates a core value of self before others and personal gain before kindness.

To evaluate your core truths concerning selfishness as compared to other-centeredness look at your actions concerning gratitude and generosity. If your evaluation indicates you tend not to be grateful and generous, seek counsel of another leader you consider to be thankful and generous and ask for their help mentoring you in these areas. Ask them to hold you accountable in these areas.

Effective godly leaders seek to be leaders that are grateful to God and others and have a generous spirit.

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Tags: Core Values

« Are you a servant leader even to those who can’t help you? (92-3)

Working faith ~ WOW the Bible in 7 minutes a day

Real Faith Produces Action

James 1:1-27; 2:14-26; Psalm 118:6-9; Proverbs 20:27

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:
Greetings.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 1:1-27; 2:14-26

WORSHIP

The LORD is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in princes.
Psalm 118:6-9

WISDOM

The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD,
Searching all the inner depths of his heart.
Proverbs 20:27

He is calling You ~ Mike MacIntosh

Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." Mark 10:48-49 Today, Jesus is calling you. He wants to talk with you; He wants to have a relationship with you. You may be feeling lonely or dejected, or maybe something has happened recently in your life that has caused you pain. But take comfort in knowing that you are called by God, Himself. And in the midst of your circumstances, you can "be of good cheer." The Greek word literally means, "be full of courage." Yes, you can be courageous because you know that He loves you so much. You can "rise" in the face of whatever circumstances you face, because He is calling you. And when Jesus calls you, He also stands still and waits for you to come to Him. Notice that when the crowd surrounding Jesus rebuked the blind man for crying out to Him, Jesus literally stopped in His tracks. He stood still, told the crowd to call the blind man to Him, and waited for him to come. You see, it doesn't matter how badly you've blown it; Jesus Christ is standing still and waiting for you to simply come. In your busyness, He is still. In your confusion, He is the standard-bearer. In your anxiety, He is stable. No matter what you face, put your complete trust, faith, and confidence in Jesus Christ today.

Following His Word ~ David McGee

Acts 15:19-21

"Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
NKJV

Life Lesson

Let God and His Word be your spiritual compass

A compass is used to find the right direction to where you want to go. The compass has four main directions; north, south, east, and west. If you want to go north, then you go in the direction the needle is pointing. If you want to go south, then you go in the opposite direction. A compass does not force you to use it nor does it force you to go in the right direction. You get to choose whether to consult the compass or not. You also get to choose whether to follow its direction.

Romans 12:1-2 reads, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." NLT

God has given us a spiritual compass through His Word. Some will choose to use it and some will choose not to use it. Some will read it, but others will choose to ignore it. Friend, don't let popularity or feelings be your compass. These things change. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

God's Word does not move. God's Word will always point you in the right direction. It will always point to Jesus.

Dear Father,
Thank You for giving us Your Word, the Bible as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Thank You that we do not have to depend on our own feelings, the feelings of others, popularity, or the world for guidance. Please forgive me for the times that I have looked to those things to guide me. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Step Out and Find Out ~ Joyce Meyer

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
— 1 Corinthians 2:9

Perhaps God has been speaking to you about some changes in your life and you want them, but you are afraid. I want to encourage you not to be afraid to step out. Even if you make a mistake, it won't be the end of the world.

Go through the doors He is opening. You may even have to take a few steps in some direction and see if a door previously closed will open as you approach it. Maybe you have a little direction from God, but you don't see the full picture. God leads step by step. He may never show you step two until you take step one. I am not advocating doing foolish things, but I do encourage you to find the balance between living in fear and living in wisdom.

God is progressive, and I have found that my faith is also. I may have a little faith, and so God shows me a little something to do. Then as I am faithful over the little thing, He shows me the next step, and by then, my faith has grown to be able to handle it.

Don't spend all of your life looking back and wishing you had tried different things or done things differently. Wondering what could have been is a lonely feeling. I can promise you that you will not enjoy everything you try. But at least you will have the personal experience of knowing. You won't have to live your whole life hearing about what everyone else is doing and wondering what it would be like. You are not going to be able to do everything, but step out in God's timing into the things you feel He is leading you into.

Are you happy being wholly holy yet? ~ Jon Courson

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore, God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Hebrews 1:9

‘Because You’ve loved righteousness and hated iniquity,’ said the Father to the Son, ‘You are anointed with the oil of gladness above all others.’

Did you know that gladness is directly proportional to holiness? Happiness and holiness go hand in hand. That is why crowds flocked around Jesus. Wasn’t He the Man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3)? Certainly. But there was also a gladness and joy about Him unlike that of any other human being in history. Jesus was immensely attractive to the crowds because holiness and happiness are directly proportional.

Some folks don’t see this until they’re 40 or 50 or 60 years old. And some never see it at all. They think holiness is drudgery. They think if they’re righteous, they won’t be happy, that they’ll just have to endure the pain of Christianity. But nothing is further from the truth.

To the extent you choose to be holy is the extent to which you will be happy. Conversely, to the extent you compromise holiness is the extent to which you diminish happiness. It’s just that simple.

Passionate Pursuit ~ Jack Graham

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart….

-- Psalm 119:2

A couple of years ago, I read a little book called, The Rules of the Red Rubber Ball by Kevin Carroll. In his book, Mr. Carroll talked about being abandoned by his parents and feeling utterly alone and directionless in his life.

But things began to change when he came upon a red rubber ball on a playground. That red rubber ball brought such delight to his life that he spent every free moment chasing, kicking, throwing, and catching that ball. For Kevin Carroll, playing ball became a passion.

Eventually, Mr. Carroll played soccer in Germany and later he became the first African-American trainer in the NBA. And today he is a Nike executive responsible for motivating the employees of that corporation. And it’s all because of that red rubber ball!

There’s something you and I can learn from this story. And it’s this: Having a passion about something can change the direction of your life. And God is calling you to be passionate about him.

Will you pursue him? Will you make it your key purpose in life to go after God with your whole heart?

WILL YOU MAKE IT YOUR KEY PURPOSE IN LIFE TO GO AFTER GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART?

Thoroughness ~ Charles Swindoll

Proverbs 13:4, 9; 20:4

I just looked up the definition of "thorough" in my dictionary. Mr. Webster says it means "carried through to completion, careful about detail, complete in all respects." Somehow, I find that a convicting definition. Few indeed are those who finish what they start---and even fewer do a complete job of it when they do finish a task.

Now I'm not referring to a neurotic fanaticism of extreme, some impractical and unbalanced preoccupation with mundane details. I'm talking about the rare but beautiful experience of carrying out a responsibility to its completion. A course at school. A project at home. An occupation. Everyday duties.

There is a verse in Proverbs that is commonly quoted around the Swindoll house when we really finish a job the way it should be done: "Desire realized is sweet to the soul" (Prov. 13:19). When you have accomplished or thoroughly fulfilled a task, you experience a feeling of satisfaction that cannot be expressed in words.

Listen to another proverb: "The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat" (13:4). The sluggard longingly craves, but because he is "allergic to work," he gets nothing in return! Proverbs 20:4 makes this clear.

So, what are you waiting for? Stop being satisfied with a half-hearted, incomplete job! Stun those around you with a thorough, finished product! AND STOP PUTTING IT OFF! As an oboe teacher of mine used to say when I would stare in disbelief at the difficulty of a piece of music, "Attack it, boy!"

The difference between something good and something great is attention to detail. That is true of a delicious meal, a musical presentation, a play, a clean automobile, a well-kept home, a church, our attire, a business, a lovely garden, a sermon, a teacher, a well-disciplined family.

Let's make a long-term commitment to quality control. Let's move out of the thick ranks of the mediocre and join the thin ranks of excellence.

I'm ready if you are.

Does something need doing? Dig right in and refuse to give up until that task is done. Tighten your belt a notch and wade into that unpleasant job with renewed determination to write "finished" over it.

Abel's Acceptable Worship Sacrifice, by Faith~Bob Hoekstra

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4)

The Lord desires that people become true spiritual worshipers of Him. "The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him" (John 4:23). This can only become a reality through faith in the Lord. One helpful example of this is Abel's acceptable worship sacrifice, by faith.

Cain and Abel were two sons of Adam and Eve. The time came when they both offered sacrifices unto the Lord. "And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat" (Genesis 4:3-4a). The sacrifice of Cain was rejected by God, whereas Abel's sacrifice was accepted. "And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering" (Genesis 4:4b-5a). Our primary verse tells us why Abel's gift of worship was acceptable to the Lord. "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." Abel's sacrifice was given by faith. It came from a heart that believed in the Lord and trusted in His righteous ways. "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD…but He loves him who follows righteousness" (Proverbs 15:8-9). When the Lord accepted Abel's offering, He was declaring that Abel was righteous in His sight: "through which he obtained witness that he was righteous." Elsewhere, the word confirms that Cain was an unbeliever; whereas, Abel walked in righteousness. "Cain…was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3:12).

When we offer worship sacrifices to the Lord, He is looking at our hearts. Are we trusting in Him? Are we yielding to the righteous paths that His word has set forth? Whether we are offering praise, giving thanks, doing good deeds, or sharing our resources with others, we are to do it all by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased…you…are being built up a spiritual house…to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (Hebrews 13:15-16 and 1 Peter 2:5).

Dear heavenly Father, I want to be a true spiritual worshiper of You. I repent of any sacrifices that I have offered from self-interest or self-righteousness. I want to offer my worship to You through faith in Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen.

Obstacles to Forgiveness ~ Charles Stanley

Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness can be defined as giving up resentment toward someone and letting go of the right to hurt him back. On the other hand, unforgiveness demands that the guilty one pay for the wrong he did.

According to these definitions, unfor-giveness looks very much like justice, and forgiveness seems unfair. That’s why we have such a hard time with it. Forgiveness goes against our God-given sense of what is just. Yet God calls us to forgive those who don’t deserve it!

To avoid offering a pardon, we rehearse the wrong suffered until our desire for retaliation and pain seems totally justified. Convinced of our right to be angry, we demand repayment, thinking, Releasing a person from deserved punishment is unfair!

The Father faced the same dilemma. All humanity had sinned and was deserving of eternal separation from Him. He couldn’t simply forgive sin arbitrarily, because He would then cease being just. Our forgiveness is possible only because divine justice was satisfied by the Son’s payment for our sins. Now God is free to righteously forgive us.

When we accepted the Lord’s forgiveness, we gave up all rights to hold anything against anyone else. An unforgiving heart is miserable because it is far from God, who is the source of all peace and joy.

Does the thought or sight of someone arouse harsh feelings within you? Holding onto a grievance will keep you imprisoned in emotional turmoil, but letting go will set you free. Christ has provided the key of forgiveness. Take hold of it, unlock the dungeon door, and walk out into the light.

The Rest Is History ~ Bob Coy

Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. . . . Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.-Daniel 2:1, 2, 19 (NKJV)

The second chapter of Daniel has been called "the key of Bible prophecy" because it provides us with information that unlocks many other prophecies. It begins with Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, having a terrible nightmare. He demanded that the magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers in his kingdom reveal what the dream was and what it meant. No one could do it, except for a God-fearing Hebrew named Daniel.

Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that in his dream he saw a giant statue of a man that was made out of different types of metals. The head consisted of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the stomach and thighs of bronze, and the legs of iron. Then Daniel declared that the different metals represented different empires that would rule the world. The golden head represented the Babylonian Empire, the silver arms and chest signified another kingdom, and so on. This prophecy was declared around 600 B.C.

The rest is history. In 445 B.C. the Babylonian Empire was overthrown by the Medo-Persian Empire, which was a fulfillment of the silver chest and arms. Then, in 331 B.C., the Medo-Persian Empire was replaced by the Greek Empire, which was represented by the bronze stomach and thighs. In 146 B.C., the Greek Empire was conquered by the Roman Empire, which is seen in the legs of iron.

In an amazing display of His omniscience, God revealed several centuries of world history to Daniel in a matter of minutes. It's comforting to know that the Lord sees exactly what's around the corner and that He's more than able to tell us what we need to know, when we need to know it.

Discuss with your group how God can speak through miraculous moments and reveal the future. Read Daniel 2 together. What price does a prophet pay to speak the truth?

Dig into Daniel 2. How did Daniel glorify God in the face of political pressure? How did God use him to communicate His purposes? What do you learn from this passage?

Decide as a group to pray for those in political leadership over you. Be obedient to 1 Timothy 2:1–4. Take time to lift up these leaders by name and call upon the Lord to work in them and through them!

When You're Unwilling ~ Greg Laurie

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

— Matthew 5:44–45

My mother was married and divorced seven times. I had the privilege of sharing the gospel with several of my mother's husbands, including Oscar Laurie, the man who adopted me. He came to faith in Christ, and I was very thankful for that. However, there was another husband of hers whom I will call Eddie. He was an alcoholic and almost killed my mother one night when he was drunk.

After I became a Christian, I sensed that God wanted me to share the gospel with Eddie. But I didn't really want to. I thought, He is a bad man, and I don't want to talk to him again. I don't want to see him again. But I went anyway. And I would like to say that it was a glorious experience and that he got down on his knees and accepted Christ. But I can't say that. He listened to me. He was nice. He was pleasant about it and said, "Well, you know I am glad this has happened for you, Greg." I invited him to come and hear me preach, but he again said no.

There may be someone like that in your life who has hurt you, someone who has disappointed you. And you think because of that, you don't ever want to talk to them again, much less share the gospel with them. But as believers, we are to overcome our personal prejudice and hang-ups. And instead of saying, "Never, Lord," we need to say, "Yes, Lord!" Be willing. See what God will do. They may react like Eddie. Or they may react like Oscar.

Maybe there is even someone right now whom you regard as an enemy. What can you do? You can share the gospel—and leave the results in the hands of God.

Your mission-Choose to Accept it~Mark Balmer

Based on “Under HIS Influence – Mission Possible” by Pastor Mark Balmer;

10/17-18/09, Message #MB393; Daily Devotional #3 - “Your Mission – Choose to Accept It”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Pastor Mark spoke of an old television series, “Mission Impossible”. The Mission Impossible team leader, Jim Phelps, would get the “impossible” mission details via a taped recording. At the end of each taped assignment, the speaker would tell Jim that the agency would disavow any knowledge of the Mission Impossible team and their part in the mission. In other words, the team was given an impossible mission and no acknowledgement or help. How unlike the Christ follower’s mission from God: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Not only does He give us a very possible mission, He promises His Spirit to enable us to carry it out.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): There are things we need to know as we step out in obedience to God’s calling on our lives. He makes it possible. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) When we are under His influence, His Holy Spirit accomplishes what we can’t. It is His power that accomplishes, not ours. ‘…Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6) We may not always see the immediate fruit of our efforts. We may be planting a seed or watering a seed, but we must trust that God’s purpose will be fulfilled. (Isaiah 55:10-11) Remember, we touch lives, but it is God who changes them. Obedience is our responsibility, results are God’s.

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Jesus told his disciples, “…freely you have

received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8) Why would we not want to share the greatest gift we have received when Jesus gave all He had for us? Unlike the Mission Impossible team on TV, we have a Comforter who teaches us, guides us, and empowers us. Our success is guaranteed and our mission is made possible. We have everything we need. Our obedience is the key. Step out in faith and let God show you the possibilities. When we share the Gospel with others, we are not only giving them the best we have, we are giving Jesus the praise and thanksgiving for what He has given us.

Cultivating (Additional Reading): Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 4:2

Twitter Proverbs from Rick Warren

• Preaching is all about bridging THEN(interpretation)& NOW(application).The bridge is the Timeless Principle.Study Rom.15:4about 8 hours ago from web

• Pt3 When I preached thru Romans-took 2 1/2 yrs.Easy!Far harder to give whole counsel on a subject. Must memorize Scripture!about 9 hours ago from web

• Bob,Pt 2- I will typically study 100s of verses before selecting an average of 16 for the outline.I regularly preach 1 hr.about 9 hours ago from web

• Bob,it takes me19-20hrs study per message,even after 38yrs.Verse WITH Vs exposition takes far longer than Vs BY Vs.Do both.about 9 hours ago from web

• God must do his deepest work IN u B4 doing his greatest work thru u.That takes TIME! Study Joseph.No shortcuts to maturityabout 9 hours ago from web

• The Lord said to us,'You\ve stayed at this mountain long enough.It's time to break camp & move on" Deut1:6-7 Is this 4 u?about 9 hours ago from web

• Dont envy other's ministry,"If u can't lead the ones u love honey, LOVE the ones you lead!" (apologies to Stephen Stills)about 19 hours ago from web

• Thermometers copy the climate.Thermostats CHANGE it!What r u? RADICALIS: For Radicals only,Feb 9-12 Youll never be the sameabout 21 hours ago from web

• Dont follow prophets seeking profits.(I call it propheteering) "hucksters who preach just to make money" 2 Cor.2:17 NLT9:44 PM Oct 20th from web

• "Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage.Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."Phil.2:4(Message)7:00 AM Oct 20th from web

• Last wkend:1,400 Junior High kids at church. Kay taught on mercy & Senior High kids led worship-all 6 services. Powerful!8:47 PM Oct 19th from web

• The myth "I cant say I'm humble" misunderstands humility.Humility is admitting I'm helpless without God. It's dependence!11:21 AM Oct 19th from web

• Jesus died for people,not principles. Pharisees care about keeping rules. Jesus cares about healing hurts.Luke 13:14-159:55 AM Oct 19th from web

• Our DCguy @markbatterson lost his bldg.Pray! http://bit.ly/1xgDBB SaddleB used 79 differnt bldgs in our1st 13yrs.Ifeel it!8:24 AM Oct 19th from web

• Oct is Pastor Appreciation month. Cheer YOUR pastor for me. "They deserve double honor,esp.those who preach&teach” 1Tim5:178:05 AM Oct 19th from web

• You measure success by how much others benefit from your work,not by how much you benefit. Selfishness isnt success.8:38 PM Oct 18th from web

• Why i believe in & assist young pastors:"One generation will commend your works to another" Ps145:4 RADI'CALIS IS FEB 9-11!3:55 PM Oct 18th from web

• God specializes in bringing good out of bad He uses problems to inspect us,direct us,correct us,perfect us&even protect us.3:46 PM Oct 18th from web

• "ARTis the gift of God and must be used for his glory, That art is highest which aims at this." - Michaelangelo3:38 PM Oct 18th from web

• A tip from Jesus: You find ME in "the least of these." Matthew 25:40 http://bit.ly/rciDf7:08 PM Oct 17th from web

The One New Man In Christ! ~ Kay Arthur

Life In The Spirit-part 10

The One New Man In Christ!

Are you amazed when you hear about a Jew becoming a Christian? Does it seem incongruous to you? Do you realize there was a time in history when the Jews were amazed that the Gentiles had become Christians? This is the time we.re looking at because it.s the Holy Spirit that puts Jews and Gentiles into one body and makes them part of His glorious church. We.re going to look at that today as we look at life in the Spirit.

Isn.t it amazing that today you and I are so thrilled or so excited, when we hear about a Jew becoming a Christian? Well, in the days of Peter, the tables were turned because the church heard about the salvation of Cornelius and other Gentiles that had gathered in his home and they were amazed. They weren.t sure that this was really of God, a Gentile coming to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, Jesus, who was of the tribe of Judah, Jesus, who was of the family and house of David. They would believe in Jesus? Yes, that.s what happened. Eight years after Pentecost when Peter, who was in Joppa got a vision from God and went down to Cornelius and to his household and gave them the gospel, that was a revolutionary day. And word of that meeting reached the elders in Jerusalem mighty quick. Let.s look at it.

In Acts, chapter 10 we have the account of the salvation of Cornelius and his household, the account of the Holy Spirit coming on them just as He did on the Jews at the beginning, at the first day of Pentecost. Now we come to Acts, chapter 11 and it says, “Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea, heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God. And when Peter went up to Jerusalem those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, „You went to the uncircumcised and you ate with them..” What on earth are you doing Peter? Are you crazy? You know that we don.t go into those houses. You know that they.re unclean. You know that they don.t prepare their food right. You know that they mix milk and meat. For heavens sakes Peter, what were you doing?

“And Peter began speaking and he proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence saying, „I was in the city of Joppa praying. And in a trance I saw a vision, a certain object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky and it came right down to me and when I had fixed my gaze upon it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air and I also heard a voice saying to me, „Arise Peter, kill and eat.. But I said, „By no means Lord. Nothing unclean has ever entered my mouth.. But a voice from heaven answered a second time, what God has cleansed no longer call unholy. And this happened three times,. and everything was drawn back up into the sky and behold at that moment three men appeared before the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea and the Spirit told me to go with them.”

In other words, listen I was directed by the Holy Spirit. Do you want me to disobey the Holy Spirit? He says, “And I went with them without misgivings and these six brethren also went with me. And we entered the man.s house and he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying send to Joppa and have Simon who is also called Peter brought here, and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.”

How does faith come? It comes by hearing; faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. We have to understand who Jesus Christ is and then understanding that, embracing it, believing it, then we are saved.

And he says, “As I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did on us at the beginning. And I remembered the Word of the Lord, how He used to say John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. If therefore, God gave to them the same gift that He gave to us also, after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I should stand in God.s way?”

In other words, their salvation was not of me. It was of God. He gave them the same Holy Spirit that He gave us. He baptized them in the Holy Spirit just like He baptized us in the Holy Spirit. Now remember baptize means to be united with. It means to be identified with. So the Holy Spirit moved into their lives. And he says, “And when they heard this they quieted down and glorified God saying, „Well then God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life..” And they recognized that even the change of mind had been granted to those Gentiles by God. What was happening?

I told you in the last program that this is Gentile Day. This is exciting, but this is not just Gentile Day, this is church day. This is the beginning of the mystery of the church. And this is what I want you to see and I want you to go to Ephesians, chapter 2. This is so important.

Now, after Acts then you have Romans, then you have Corinthians, and then you have General Electric Power Company, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. So go to Ephesians. And we.re looking at Ephesians, chapter 2 because I want you to see the awesome, awesome significance of this time and what it means to life in the Spirit and what it means to the mystery of the church.

Now listen in Ephesians, chapter 2. We.ve looked at this chapter before. But he.s speaking to these Gentiles and he.s saying in verse 11 “Therefore, remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by the so-called circumcision, which is performed in the flesh by human hands, remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

This is the state of all mankind apart from the Jews until Jesus Christ appears on the scene and puts Jew and Gentile into one body and that is the body of Jesus Christ. He says, “But now, in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

In other words, God started with a tree, all right. And with that tree, that tree was Israel. All right, now it was all Jewish branches, but now God has grafted in another branch, a branch that is different than the Jews, a Gentile branch. And so this is what God has done here in the time of Acts, eight years after Pentecost.

It says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ; for He Himself is our peace who made both groups into one.” Both groups what? Jews and Gentiles into one, they.re connected into one. So He.s made them one. And now he goes on to say this: “And he broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.” He broke that barrier down. Now what was the dividing wall? The dividing wall was the law. It was the law that separated the Jews from the Gentiles. It was the law that kept the Gentiles away from the Jews. But now that middle wall of partition, that law has been brought down; it has been broken down by the cross of Jesus Christ. So if you can imagine the cross and one side of the crossbar reaching over to the Jews and the other side of the crossbar reaching over to the Gentiles and now they.re united through the blood of Jesus Christ. And it says, “By abolishing, He broke down this barrier of the dividing wall by abolishing in His flesh, in Jesus. flesh the enmity, which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances.” And it.s all the Ten Commandments and it.s all the ordinances that go with the Ten Commandments. You start reading Exodus 20 and you keep on reading through Exodus, chapter 24 and you.ll get it and you.ll begin to see those ordinances. And Leviticus elaborates on them more. But he says, “abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances that in Himself, in Jesus Christ, He might make the two, Jew and Gentile into one new man, thus establishing peace.”

I have an exiting story that I.m going to tell you when you come back. It.s a story of an Arab that I just ate a meal with, just recently, an Arab that stood up and spoke to a group and told them how he was part of the people in the land of Israel that planned the suicide bombers that made the bombs and went into Jewish territories in order to kill the Jews. And he.s sitting there at a breakfast sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism of Israel at which one of the members of the Knesset, the governing party like our Congress, our Senate, the governing party of Israel was at and speaking. And what happened when my dear Jewish friend heard that Arab just absolutely blew him away because an enemy had become a peacemaker. An enemy had become a friend through the cross of Jesus Christ. Oh, Beloved, the cross erases the enmity between Jew and Gentile. How does it do it? We.ll talk about it after this break.

Glad you.re back my friend. O, I wish that you could have been with me at that breakfast. This was at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention that I.m a member of and I.m on the Board of Directors and they sat me at a table where they had a man who was going to speak after the breakfast who was an Arab, I mean his family, for generations, had been at war with Israel. They hated the Jews. They wanted to kill the Jews. And they were the ones that were responsible for making the bombs and getting them on these suicide bombers. And this guy told me how he had come to know Jesus Christ. It was an incredible story. But what absolutely amazed this member of the Knesset as he sat and listened to him speak at another meeting, he turned around and he looked at me and he said I can.t understand it, how he could be changed, how he could love the Jews now. And I thought that.s Christianity, that.s what happens. Because when we come to know Jesus Christ, what God does is He takes Jew and Gentile and puts them in one body. This was what was happening on the day that Cornelius had Peter explain the gospel to him. And God opened the eyes of Cornelius and his household and they believed on Jesus Christ. This is what happened.

Now look at Ephesians, chapter 2 and let.s look at verse 15 and let me read on. “By abolishing in His flesh, in Jesus flesh the enmity, which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances.” This is what separated the Jews from the Gentiles. “That in Himself, in Christ, He, God might make the two into one new man, Jew and Gentile, thus establishing peace.” Well this is exactly what happened that day eight years after Pentecost. “And might reconcile them both in one body.” Now what I.ve done is I.ve drawn a little green stick figure as a body over these references to the body because I want us to see and I want to remember that this is what the body of Christ is all about. “That He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross;” that.s the only way. “That by having put to death the enmity and he came,” now he.s quoting the Old Testament, “He came and He preached peace to those who were far off and to those that were near.” Those that were near were the Jews. Those that were far off were the Gentiles. “So Jesus came and He preached peace to both of them. For through Him, through Jesus we both, Jew and Gentile have our access in one Spirit to the Father.”

You.ve got to mark the Spirit there. All right, so what unites Jew and Gentile into one body? It.s the Spirit of Christ. This is life in the Spirit. Now, go on down and in verse 22 of chapter 2 of Ephesians. “In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

So mark the Spirit there. All right, “For this reason I Paul,” Ephesians 3, verse 1, “the prisoner of Christ for the sake of you Gentiles.” When Paul got saved he was sent as a missionary; He says, “that by revelation,” verse 3, “there was made known to me the mystery as I wrote before in brief.” So he.s gonna tell us about the mystery. All right now, what is the mystery? Verse 4: “And by referring to this when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.” Verse 6: “To be specific that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” This is what happened eight years after Pentecost. Jews and Gentiles came into the body of Jesus Christ.

Now I want us to look at Romans, chapter 11, just so that you understand this whole Jewish picture. So go to Romans, chapter 11 because the book of Romans is written to Jews and Gentiles that are there in Rome, that are part of the church, to explain to them how God worked through the Jews and how He worked through the Gentiles. So Romans, chapter 11. He.s saying O, has God rejected His people? In Romans 11, let.s look at it. “I say then, God has not rejected His people has He?” He.s talking about the Jews. “May it never be! I too am an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin.”

In other words, now that the church has been formed, now that we have Jews and Gentiles in one body, is God through with all the rest of the nation of Israel? Is He going to throw them away? Should we just disregard them and pay no attention to them and not even try to share the gospel with them or not even try to love them and to compensate in some way for all that has been done to them, all the cruelty in the name of Jesus Christ, all the anti-Semitism that has come from an ignorant church that is just following the teaching of the head of the church? O no, O no! He wants us to understand that God is not through with the Jews. He says, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” Look at verse 11. He says, “I say then, the Jews did not stumble so as to fall, did they? Did they reject Jesus so that God is through with the Jews? He says may it never be.” He says, “by their transgression, their rejection of Jesus, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make the Jews jealous.”

And he says, “Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be?” And then he says I want to show you an illustration. I want to take a tree all right, and he says the stump of that tree is Israel. All right? The branches are the Jews, the believers. But all the Jews did not believe when Jesus came to earth. Some of „em rejected Him. So those branches were broken off. They were thrown aside. Now along comes a Gentile and this Gentile says, “hey, I want to believe.” And this is a wild olive tree. So what does he do? He takes this wild olive branch that is not Jewish, but that believes and he puts him in the body of Jesus Christ. And he says okay, now should you look at the Jews and say ha, ha, ha, you didn.t get it; I got it? And he says O no. He says, “You will say well branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” He says, “Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear.”

And then he goes on to say this in verse 25 of Romans 11: “I do not want you to be uniformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation. A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. Then all Israel will be saved as it is written, „The Deliverer will come from Zion, the second coming of Christ. He will remove ungodliness from Jacob; this is the covenant with them when I take away their sins.. From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God.s choice they are beloved for the sake of the Fathers, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

So know this: that when you call on Him and you ask Him for the gift of eternal life, He gives it to you and He gives it to you by His Spirit. We.ll look at that in the next program and I can.t wait to teach you these precious, precious truths that are irrevocable.

Much Given, Much Required~Bob Caldwell

Amos 1:1-5:27 3:2-4 You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing? Amos begins his prophetic warning by describing the just judgment that is due the nations of the world. But to the Northern Kingdom of Israel comes a rebuke that is reserved for God’s own people. Different levels of relationships bring with them different levels of intimacy as well as different levels of accountability.And, all of our relationships face some form of judgment. We do so in our relationships with our governments, our auto repairmen, and most of all, with those we are closest. We expect much from those to whom we give our hearts and souls. Marriage is a perfect example, in that it is judged on our faithfulness to hold it in its unique place among all other human relationships. And just as we have justifiable expectations in human relationships, so God does with us. All people, nations, and institutions of humanity are accountable to God and will be judged on that basis. Having the unique privilege of being created in God’s image has brought us all an unavoidable accountability to our relationship with Him. We alone, built within us, have a purpose of unique and intimate relationship with God. Among all the nations of the world, Israel held a unique relationship to God.Israel was created from Abraham, the first Jew, to be God’s revelation of Himself to the world. God gave them a sacred trust about who He is and what His will is for humanity. They were given God’s Word as well as divine manifestations of His presence and power like no other nation on Earth. It is because of Israel’s unique privilege that it was also uniquely accountable to God and, therefore, justly deserving of the punishments that were about to fall. This same principle is true in God’s current relationship with those who have been born again into God’s family and given a place as the Bride of Christ. There is no greater privilege in all Heaven and Earth. But like Israel, there is no greater accountability. As He asked Israel, so God asks us, “Can two talk together unless they are agreed?” If we violate our relationship with God by willfully rebelling against a life in harmony with Him, there is no way for the relationship to stand. There is nothing left but to suffer the just consequences of our rebellion against Him, just as Israel did. Therefore, God warns us as He warned Israel ages ago. If you hear the roar of a lion, then there must be prey in its sight. The lion has roared! God has sent His warning through His prophets. Therefore, let each one of those born into His family have ears to hear. We are soon to stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be held accountable for what we have done as His own people (Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 11-15). The prophetic lion of His word is clear. He is coming. Let us take heed.
Amos 1:1-5:27 1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 And he said: “The LORD roars from Zion, And utters His voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds mourn, And the top of Carmel withers.” Judgment on the Nations 3 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron. 4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, Which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad. 5 I will also break the gate bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven, And the one who holds the scepter from Beth Eden. The people of Syria shall go captive to Kir,” Says the LORD. 6 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they took captive the whole captivity To deliver them up to Edom. 7 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, Which shall devour its palaces. 8 I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn My hand against Ekron, And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” Says the Lord GOD. 9 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. 10 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, Which shall devour its palaces.” 11 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, And cast off all pity; His anger tore perpetually, And he kept his wrath forever. 12 But I will send a fire upon Teman, Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.” 13 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead, That they might enlarge their territory. 14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, And it shall devour its palaces, Amid shouting in the day of battle, And a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. 15 Their king shall go into captivity, He and his princes together,” Says the LORD. Amos 2 1 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. 2 But I will send a fire upon Moab, And it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth; Moab shall die with tumult, With shouting and trumpet sound. 3 And I will cut off the judge from its midst, And slay all its princes with him,” Says the LORD. Judgment on Judah 4 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have despised the law of the LORD, And have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed. 5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.” Judgment on Israel 6 Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they sell the righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of sandals. 7 They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, And pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, To defile My holy name. 8 They lie down by every altar on clothes taken in pledge, And drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. 9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, Whose height was like the height of the cedars, And he was as strong as the oaks; Yet I destroyed his fruit above And his roots beneath. 10 Also it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, And led you forty years through the wilderness, To possess the land of the Amorite. 11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets, And some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?” Says the LORD. 12 “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, And commanded the prophets saying, ‘Do not prophesy!’ 13 “Behold, I am weighed down by you, As a cart full of sheaves is weighed down. 14 Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, The strong shall not strengthen his power, Nor shall the mighty deliver himself; 15 He shall not stand who handles the bow, The swift of foot shall not escape, Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself. 16 The most courageous men of might Shall flee naked in that day,” Says the LORD. Amos 3Authority of the Prophet’s Message 1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: 2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” 3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? 4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing? 5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it? Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all? 6 If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it? 7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. 8 A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? Punishment of Israel’s Sins 9 “Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: ‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; See great tumults in her midst, And the oppressed within her. 10 For they do not know to do right,’ Says the LORD, ‘Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.’” 11 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “An adversary shall be all around the land; He shall sap your strength from you, And your palaces shall be plundered.” 12 Thus says the LORD: “As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out Who dwell in Samaria— In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch! 13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,” Says the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, 14 “That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; And the horns of the altar shall be cut off And fall to the ground. 15 I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house; The houses of ivory shall perish, And the great houses shall have an end,” Says the LORD. Amos 4 1 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, Who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink!” 2 The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness: “Behold, the days shall come upon you When He will take you away with fishhooks, And your posterity with fishhooks. 3 You will go out through broken walls, Each one straight ahead of her, And you will be cast into Harmon,” Says the LORD. 4 “Come to Bethel and transgress, At Gilgal multiply transgression; Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days. 5 Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, Proclaim and announce the freewill offerings; For this you love, You children of Israel!” Says the Lord GOD. Israel Did Not Accept Correction 6 “Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the LORD. 7 “I also withheld rain from you, When there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, And where it did not rain the part withered. 8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the LORD. 9 “I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, Your vineyards, Your fig trees, And your olive trees, The locust devoured them; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the LORD. 10 “I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; Your young men I killed with a sword, Along with your captive horses; I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the LORD. 11 “I overthrew some of you, As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the LORD. 12 “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” 13 For behold, He who forms mountains, And creates the wind, Who declares to man what his thought is, And makes the morning darkness, Who treads the high places of the earth— The LORD God of hosts is His name. Amos 5A Lament for Israel 1 Hear this word which I take up against you, a lamentation, O house of Israel: 2 The virgin of Israel has fallen; She will rise no more. She lies forsaken on her land; There is no one to raise her up. 3 For thus says the Lord GOD: “The city that goes out by a thousand Shall have a hundred left, And that which goes out by a hundred Shall have ten left to the house of Israel.” A Call to Repentance 4 For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live; 5 But do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal, Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing. 6 Seek the LORD and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it in Bethel— 7 You who turn justice to wormwood, And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!” 8 He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The LORD is His name. 9 He rains ruin upon the strong, So that fury comes upon the fortress. 10 They hate the one who rebukes in the gate, And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly. 11 Therefore, because you tread down the poor And take grain taxes from him, Though you have built houses of hewn stone, Yet you shall not dwell in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, But you shall not drink wine from them. 12 For I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate. 13 Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time. 14 Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the LORD God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken. 15 Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. The Day of the LORD 16 Therefore the LORD God of hosts, the Lord, says this: “There shall be wailing in all streets, And they shall say in all the highways, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They shall call the farmer to mourning, And skillful lamenters to wailing. 17 In all vineyards there shall be wailing, For I will pass through you,” Says the LORD. 18 Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It will be darkness, and not light. 19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him! 20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? 21 “I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. 22 Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. 23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. 24 But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream. 25 “Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26 You also carried Sikkuth your king And Chiun, your idols, The star of your gods, Which you made for yourselves. 27 Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus,” Says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts.
Amos 1:1-5:27 v. 1 sheepbreeders of Tekoa – Tekoa was a farming village seven miles south of Jerusalem and five miles south of Bethlehem. Two years before the earthquake – This is likely a reference to the same earthquake mentioned in Zechariah 14:5. Geological examinations have detected a mammoth seismic event in Israel that occurred during mid 8th-century BC. v. 2 The Lord roars from Zion – Like Joel, Amos continues the prophecy of God’s impending return and continues to warn the nations of Israel not only of God’s return but of His judgment. Amos describes God’s wrath as like the roar of a lion perhaps to signify his reign and authority. top of Carmel – The top of Mount Carmel is the highest point in Israel and towers over the Mediterranean from the northern coast of Israel. The mountain was known for its fertile slopes that were covered with olive trees, vineyards, and rich pastures. v. 3 Thus says the Lord – Amos the messenger declares who the message is from. This implies the seriousness of what is about to be said. Amos will address eight nations. For three transgressions of Damascus…for four, I will not turn away its punishment – The number reference of three and four suggests the continual and habitual sin. It is the same as saying, “Your sin upon sin will not go unpunished.”Amos will repeatedly use this phrase in addressing each nation.The first address is to Damascus of Syria. they have threshed Gilead – This is probably a reference to the Syrian king Hazael’s invasion of Gilead (2 Kings 8:12). v. 4 I will send fire into the house of Hazael…devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad – Amos delivers the message of what is to come for those who mistreat and oppress God’s chosen people. Amos specifically speaks of the Syrians of whom destruction of the “house of Hazael” awaits. v. 5 I will also break the gate bar of Damascus – The gate bar which was the main entrance to the city. It symbolized its core strength from where the fortifications of the city walls were built upon.Scholars interpret this as saying “I will break the strength of Damascus.” Once the strength of the city is breached the city therefore can be taken. Valley of Aven – This is not referring to the name of a city, but describing a region where Baal was worshipped. Aven (Heb.) means “wickedness” or “idolatry.” who holds the scepter from Beth Eden – This can be translated, “the ruler of the house of pleasure.” shall go captive to Kir – Amos prophesizes the end result for the people of Syria. They will be carried away as captives. Fifteen years after this prophecy was given, it was fulfilled in 2 Kings 16:9. v. 6 For three transgressions of Gaza – The second address is to the people of Gaza.This city belonged to the Philistines who united with the Edomites to capture and enslave the Jewish people. v. 8 cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod…Ashkelon…Ekron – God’s message addresses the chief cities of the Philistines. The cities were economically sound, rich in resources, respected, and feared by others. God specifically names all three to show that, although they may be powerful and successful, they are not out of reach of His wrath. the remnant of the Philistines shall perish – The rest of the cities that belong to the Philistines but were not specifically named would suffer the same wrath. v. 9 For three transgressions of Tyre – The third nation addressed is Tyre. Tyre will also be delivered as captives to the Edomites. did not remember the covenant of brotherhood – Tyre ignored the covenant that David and Solomon made with their predecessor Hiram (2 Kings 5:11). Fire…devour its palaces – All that encompasses Tyre will be destroyed by fire. v. 11 For three transgressions of Edom – The fourth address is made to the descendents of Esau who were cruel towards the descendents of Jacob. fire upon Teman…devour the palaces of Bozrah – Teman and Bozrah, two of the chief cities of Edom. It is believed that the fire that destroyed these cities came from Nebuchadnezzar’s army’s conquer of these cities. v. 13 For three transgressions of the people of Ammon – The fifth nation addressed is Ammon.The previous prophesies against Ammon in verses 13 and 14 were fulfilled through the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III in approximately 732 BC. ripped open the women with child – An example of the extent of the barbarous atrocities that occurred. The purpose was to remove all heirs to the Jewish people. Amos 2 v. 1 For three transgressions of Moab – the sixth nation he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime – Burning bones to lime would have been a deplorable act in ancient times. Not only would this defile the king’s grave, but the burning the bones to lime would have removed all honor and respect from the king’s body. v. 2 Moab shall die with tumult…shouting and trumpet sound – their death would not be a quiet easy death but rather one that will be fierce and loud. v. 4 For three transgressions of Judah – The seventh nation addressed is Judah.Judah is named among the six prior Gentile nations. they have despised the law of the Lord…not kept His commandments – The previous nations were judged because of their actions towards God’s people. The people of Judah were being judged because of their sin towards God. They were disobedient and turned from His Law and refused to follow His commandments.His commandments include ceremonial laws that were given to aid them in worship, communion, and to experience God’s forgiveness. lies lead them astray…fathers followed –They were easily swayed by false prophets and became idolaters. v. 6 For three transgressions of Israel – The final nation to be addressed is Israel. Perhaps they were last because they were God’s chosen people.Amos’ pronouncement against Israel is the lengthiest pronouncement in this book. The prophet points to specific sins such as Israel’s treatment of its own countrymen and especially of their dealings with the poor and needy. v. 8 clothes taken in pledge – The law prohibited taking another’s cloak overnight as security for debt (Ex. 22:26-27) or taking a widow’s cloak at all (Deut. 24:17). Cloaks were used as blankets and were the only means of staying warm during the night. v. 9 I destroyed his fruit above And his roots beneath – Amos compares completely opposite things to depict the total destruction of the Amorites. This literary device is known as a merism and was a common practice in prophetic speech. v. 10 I who brought you up from the land of Egypt – God reminds them who delivered them from captivity and led them to a new land. v. 12 you gave the Nazirites wine to drink – Nazirites were uniquely dedicated to God (See Numbers 6:1-21 for the law concerning Nazirites.). A Nazirite was forbidden from drinking wine. Those who gave the Nazirites wine to drink were guilty accomplices in the violation of their vows. v. 13 Behold – Beginning here through the end of the chapter, God explains to them that because their sins have become a burden to Him, no one will escape His judgment.Not the swift, not the mightiest, not even the most courageous individual will be able to escape God’s wrath. Amos 3 v. 1 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel – Amos delivers a rebuke from the Lord. v. 2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth – God reminds them of their intimate relationship. As a father knows his son, so too God knows His chosen people. Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities – Like a father disciplining his disobedient son, so too God will punish Israel for their sins. v. 3 Can two – Before God announces their judgment, He asks a series of cause and effect rhetorical questions, perhaps to highlight the relationship between two objects. v. 9 Assemble on the mountains of Samaria – The city of Samaria was surrounded by hills that were higher than the mound Samaria was built on (1 Kings 16:24). One of these surrounding hills would have provided an excellent vantage point from which to witness the ultimate destruction of Samaria. v. 11 And your palaces shall be plundered – Amos, writing around 760 BC, prophesied of the fall of Samaria and Israel by the Assyrian armies of Sargon II in 722 BC. v. 12 corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch! – This is a reference to the rich merchants and nobles of Samaria who could have afforded the luxury of a couch or a bed. Amos is warning that their wealth will be looted. v. 14 the horns of the altar shall be cut off – The horns of an altar symbolized atonement and a place of sanctuary. Cutting off the horns amounted to desecrating the altar and transforming it into nothing more than a damaged stone. This act was symbolic of Israel’s hopeless desire for asylum in the face of their coming destruction. v. 15 I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house – Because of their idolatry God will destroy anything luxurious. The houses of ivory shall perish – Excavations of ancient Samaria have unearthed large quantities of ivory that was used for decorating houses. Ivory was an expensive export during the time of Amos. Amos 4 v. 1 cows of Bashan – Amos compares the finely bred cattle of Bashan to Israel’s wealthy, self-indulgent women who exploited the poor. His comparison between the cattle and the wives is centered on their inability to see past own self-absorbed needs. They feast while others around them starve. v. 2 take you away with fishhooks – According to Assyrian art reliefs, prisoners of war were sometimes lead away with ropes fastened to hooks. These hooks pierced their noses or lower lips. v. 3 cast into Harmon – This is either a reference to a place where captives were exiled, such as Mount Minni in Assyria or it is a reference to a hadmon, which is a “dung heap.” v. 4 At Gilgal multiply transgression – Gilgal was designated as one of the two major cultic centers by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:29-30). Hosea condemned Gilgal as corrupt (Hosea 4:15, 9:15). v. 6 gave you cleanness of teeth…lack of bread…you have not returned to Me – God disciplined Israel by withholding food from them; one of the important necessities of life. Yet they refused to humble themselves and repent. v. 7 When there were still three months to the harvest – A lack of rain three months before harvest would have prevented the grain from fully developing. v. 9 I blasted you with blight…locust devoured them – No matter what God did to get their attention, they refused to return to Him. v. 10 sent among you a plague…young men I killed…stench of your camps – As they refused to return to God, He increased His judgment upon them; but still they refused to return. v. 11 Sodom and Gomorrah – had long become a proverbial example for divine judgment and sin you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning – Some were spared during the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah, yet God’s mercy did not cause them to return to Him. v. 12 Prepare to meet your God – This is not a reference to Israel returning to God, but God pronouncing judgment upon Israel. Amos 5 v. 1 a lamentation, O house of Israel – Amos addresses Israel with a mournful song because of their condition towards God. v. 2 The virgin of Israel has fallen – Israel began as a pure, undefiled nation, but because of their sin and disobedience they have fallen from their state of purity. She lies forsaken – This term refers to a dead body that has been left in the open fields. This would have been viewed as a disgrace and indignity by the people of Israel. v. 3 city that goes out by a thousand…a hundred left…goes out by a hundred…have ten left – Amos states their current condition. At one time Israel could easily provide a multitude of men ready for battle but now that excessive privilege no longer exists. v. 4 Seek Me and live – literally a call to return to God or else face judgment v. 5 do not seek Bethel…Gilgal…Beersheba – These places were known for their idol worship. Gilgal shall surely go into captivity…Bethel shall come to nothing – The end result for both cities is destruction. v. 6 Seek the Lord and live – another warning to return to God Lest he break out like fire…devour it…no one to quench it in Bethel – In Deuteronomy 4:24 God is referred to as a “consuming fire.”Amos warns unless they seek God, He will consume their idols with fire and no idol will be able to quench it. v. 7 justice to wormwood – “Wormwood” is a root of a plant that is poisonous or accursed. Justice has been poisoned or accursed. lay righteousness to rest – righteousness has been set aside, ignored v. 8 made Pleiades and Orion – Referring to God’s creation of the constellation in the heavens. This verse describes God’s sovereignty. Lord is His name – Amos makes an exclamation point of who he is describing. v. 10 Hate the one who rebukes in the gate – Amos speaks about the hatred against the prophets who openly called the Israelites out on their sin. The gate is where the judge administered justice and where legal proceedings were conducted. Abhor the one who speaks uprightly – The hatred is great towards anyone who speaks truth. v. 11 you tread down the poor…take grain taxes from him – Amos speaks of their ill treatment towards the unfortunate.They trample on them as if they are nobody and rob them of their crops in the name of taxes. you have built houses of hewn stone – In their dishonest gain they build houses to live comfortably.Only the wealthiest people could afford houses made of hewn stone. Most houses had a stone foundation and walls made with sun-dried mud bricks. yet you shall not dwell in them…pleasant vineyards…not drink wine from them – Although they build luxurious homes and plant vineyards for wine, they shall neither live in or drink of their ill-gotten pleasure. v. 12 I know your manifold transgressions – God makes them aware that He knows of their great and numerous sins. Afflicting the just and taking bribes…diverting the poor from justice – God calls them out on their mistreatment and oppression of the just, corruptly taking money from the wealthy to turn a blind eye and refusing justice to the poor. v. 13 the prudent keep silent – The poor and the oppressed lose hope because there is no one to defend them. v. 15 Hate evil, love good – A command to abhor what is evil and cling to what is good. Establish justice – Return justice to its place. gracious to the remnant – If they obey, God will have mercy upon Israel and withhold judgment. v. 16 wailing in all the streets…farmer to mourning – God’s judgment will cause an uncontrollable mourning from the farmer to the professional lamenters that will echo in the streets and highways. v. 17 I will pass through you – God’s vengeance will pass through their cities, marketplaces, and places of worship. v. 18 It will be like darkness – The day of the Lord, specifically to this disobedient people, is not a day to look forward to. v. 21 I hate, I despise your feast days – There were three major pilgrimage festivals in Israel (Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest, and Feast of Ingathering). These feasts were intended to be a means for praising and honoring God; now they no longer brought Him pleasure. v. 22 offer me burnt offerings…I will not accept them – Because their lives were corrupt, God will not accept their sacrifice. v. 25 Did you offer Me sacrifices – A rhetorical question, their hearts were given over to other gods and idols. As the wind blew one direction so too their hearts would be led in that direction. v. 26 Sikkuth your king – Sikkuth is a reference to the tabernacle of Moloch. Chiun is a reference to a pagan deity. v. 27 captivity beyond Damascus – This prophecy refers to Israel’s exile to Assyria. Mesopotamia was in the same direction as Damascus and was the source of the coming destruction.
"You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?"–Amos 3:2-4 These are convicting words, Lord. Have we agreed to walk with You or are we walking slightly away from You, acting as though we are embarrassed to be seen with You? Do we treat You the way a teenager often treats his or her parents when they walk in public together? Are we agreed, Lord? We know You have chosen us without hesitation. We pray to choose You in the same way.