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Today is Wednesday September 22, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Amos, chapters 1-5. 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-22

Today's Message: Whatever It Takes
Everything that God places before us in life is used to teach, inspire, encourage, and correct us, sometimes He has to use some unusual circumstances or harsh judgment to get us to listen, but He will do what ever it takes to get us to understand that we need Him. Do you know what the problem with every person who rejects God is? The Bible says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;...But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their's also was.” -II Timothy 3:1-4,9. People who reject God think they do not need God, they have it in their minds that they can do whatever they want, no matter the cost, to get what they think they need. In the end they are the ones who are going to suffer.

The book of Amos is the Thirtieth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains nine chapters. The author of the book is Amos and it was written to the people Israel. The purpose of the book was to call Israel back to God. What we are to learn from the book is that God calls all nations to prepare for the day they will meet the One and Only God of all creation. Israel was a chosen nation, an elect people. God had delivered them out of Egypt and miraculously helped them conquer the promised land, but Israel continuously rejected His commands. God sent Amos to warn the Israelites that judgment was while Israel was still prosperous. “The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen 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. And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither. Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.” -Amos 1:1-4. First, Amos warns the surrounding nations, one by one, nation upon nation is mention and the judgment that they were facing for mocking and persecuting God's people. God is so gracious that He will not force anyone to live for Him, but He will not stand for anyone who even touches one hair on the head of His people. “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish.” -Luke 21:17,18.

Now, God sends Amos to the Northern Kingdom to deliver his prophecy of impending judgment in city of Bethel, the site of one of Israel's two false worship centers and one of several residences of King Jeroboam II (See II Kings 14:16-29). “Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities....Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.” - Amos 3:1,2,13-15. The Israelites were warned will in advance of the coming judgment of God and because of their sins and ignorance destruction was inevitable. Being ignorant and not knowing God are two different things, those whom do not know who God is can not help themselves, for they know not what they are doing. However, those who know who God is and deliberately ignore Him know what they are doing and are completely ignoring Him or trying to fit Him in their world when they feel like it, that is when God gets angry and causes judgment upon His people.

God does not want to place judgment upon any of His people, He really and truly does not want to see any of His people suffer, but those who continuously live in sin and ignore His warnings will face judgment. “The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD....For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. ” - Amos 4:2,3,8-10,13. As the Israelites persisted in rebellion and idolatry, God was coming against them as an adversary. The more they resisted, the more destruction He allowed. We are all prone to desire material things and prosperity, but nothing takes the place of God, whether we choose to acknowledge that God is always in control or not we will all realize one day that nothing takes the place of God.

God will do whatever it takes to get His people to return to Him, one day we will all face judgment, so, it is important that we use our time here on earth wisely. He does not want to hurt us, He wants us to be the best we can be. The only way we can do that is to get in God's Word, allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, start serving God the way He intended for us to serve Him, and keep warning those who do not know Jesus that they need Him. The Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” -II Timothy 3:16,17. God's Word teaches us, inspires us, corrects us, and most of all allows us to have a good relationship with Him. The more we read it, the more we learn, the more we understand that we need God. Life is hard, but we do not have to face it alone, let God guide you and He will give you peace, comfort, and all that you will ever need. “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” - Psalm 37:4

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

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