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Today is Thursday September 23, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Amos and Obadiah. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-23

Today's Message: Spiritual CPR
Years ago I got certified in CPR and first aid training, that certification meant that I was qualified to administer CPR or first aid to anyone who may be in need of it. CPR is an acronym for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, it is a life saving procedure used to revive someone who has stopped breathing or whose heart has stopped working. Once I got that certification I had to carry a card around with me at all times showing that I was qualified to save a life. If I saw someone hurt and no one else was around it was my duty to assist them until more advance medical assistance arrived. You know, if I ever passed someone up that needed medical attention and they died I could have been held responsible for their death because I had the ability to save them and did not fulfill my duty.

True Christians, those whom have accepted the Gospel of Christ and called on Him to save them, are qualified to administer spiritual CPR to those who are dying spiritually. That means that we are to carry around our certification at all times and administer spiritual CPR to anyone who may be in need of it, it is our duty. Jesus commands all that are saved to, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” - Matthew 28:19,20. Jesus will return one day and when He does we are all going to have to answer to Him as to why we had the opportunity to save a life and did not do it. In fact, we will not even have to wait until Judgment Day, if someone dies and we have not given them the opportunity to get saved the guilt of it alone will haunt us until we die.

Many people claim to call themselves Christians, yet are far from being close to one, oh, they got saved, but that is about it. They have no regard for what Jesus has done for them or God's Word, continue living in sin, and try to conform to the world instead of Christ. Through Amos, God addresses those whom are His people, yet disregard Him. “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border? Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;...The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.” - Amos 6:1-3,8. God is talking to those who have been enjoying the finest pleasures of life, yet have not given one word of thanks or worship to Him. They have the mentality to think that they can hide their sins, create music that elevates themselves to think that they are as important as David was to God, and get away with serving Him because they are His people. It is no wonder why people of the world do not think it is necessary to know Christ? They do not see a change from the world.

God is amazing, you know, He does not force anyone to come to Him, He really does not judge those who refuse to accept His Son, in fact, Jesus said, “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” - John 12:47. God only saves those whom want to be saved, but if you get saved and do not follow through with your part of the agreement do not expect God's blessings. And if you think God is blessing you with material things, think again. You will be judged too, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” - John 12:48.

In vision, Amos saw God standing upon the idolatrous altar at Bethel and people fleeing to escape the destruction that was taking place, “I saw the LORD standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered…Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.” - Amos 9:1,8,9. Wherever sinners flee from God's judgment, it will overtake them, there is no escape. Just as corn is shaken in a sieve and some are left behind, He will save some from among them. Those whom God brings to heaven by His grace, shall never be cast down, but those whom think they can reach heaven by vain confidence in themselves, will be cast down and filled with shame. God will set His eyes upon them for evil, not for good.

The Book of Obadiah is the thirty-first book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains one chapter. The author of the book is Obadiah and it was written to the people of Edom, descendents of Esau, Jacob's brother. The purpose of the book was to warn them of God's punishment for being a sinful nation and against His people. What we are to learn from the book is that God brings down all whom have been sinfully exalted. “Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.” - Obadiah 13-15. The message of Obadiah also gives a sense of assurance, encouragement, and hope to the people of God. Even when faced with overwhelming odds, the justice of God and the assurance of His faithfulness gives us courage that the principles of right and wrong never fail.

As Christians it is our duty to show the world that living life with Christ is rewarding and life saving, we must do our part in giving spiritual CPR to all who need it. You know, at times, even when giving CPR, a life is lost, but it is important to realize that you did the best you could to save a life, the same is true with spiritual CPR, not everyone will get saved, but you did what you could and that means a lot to God. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” - I John 5:10-15. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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