King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: When Chastened By God
Date: Thursday September 22, 2011
Chapters: Amos 1-5, Proverbs 22, Psalm 101
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-22
Highlight of Chapters: God's judgments foretold upon surrounding Israel nations, judgments foretold of Judah and Jerusalem, Israel reminded of God’s chastening in the past, and God’s lamentation over Israel and captivity foretold.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:10-15.

One of the things in the world that bothers me the most is that people regard hell as if it were something good, society has turned the wicked life into something glorious and worth living for, if they end up in hell at least they enjoyed their lives at the moment. What a joke! Of course, I truly think that they really do not realize that hell does exist. I remember growing up that I did not even want to hear that word, I still do not want to hear that word, but the truth is, hell does exist and even worse then hell is the lake of fire. Can you imagine burning for eternity in the lake of fire? Who can and who does want to end up there? No one! However, the sad truth is that millions of people will end up in the lake of fire simply because they did not know or refused to do one thing. Receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Jesus said, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” - Revelation 1:18.

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 Israel. The time line for these events took place approximately between 870BC and 783 BC. 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. “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 4:13.

Israel was a chosen nation, an elect people from God Himself. God had delivered them out of Egypt and miraculously helped them conquer the promised land, but Israel continuously rejected Him. Through Amos, God warn the Jews that judgment was coming, but this was a time when Israel was still prosperous. 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.

“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:..Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom:..Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:..Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:” - Amos 1:2,3,6,9,11.

The God of Israel is the God of all the earth, and any nation that refuses to worship Him, and persecutes those who do worship His people will be made to know that they too will be accountable to Him upon judgment day. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” - II Peter 2:4.

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). The Jews are being warned well in advance of the coming judgment of God in order for them to heed the warning and do something about it before it is too late.

“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...Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. 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 4:9,10,12,13.

Quite often, God allows destruction, turmoil, even things like the recession and famine, to influence people to turn to Him. Believe it or not, until a person repents their troubles will get worse and worse, especially if they are someone who has received Christ, yet refuses to repent. Constant rebelling forces God to do what He does not willingly do, but what is necessary to bring them to their senses. “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” - I peter 4:16-19.

While judgment is not avoidable God does make a way for a person to escape it or find peace through it.

Through Amos, God urges His people to return to Him. “For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:..Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel...Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.” - Amos 5:4,6,13-15.

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 one thing and one thing only. You need my Son if you want to be saved from my judgment. Jesus said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” - Revelation 3:19-21.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, thank You for loving us so much to warn repeatedly of Your impending judgment and for showing us the right path of life. Keep us faithful and growing in the process as we await the return of Your Son. In Jesus' name. Amen .

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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