Friday, April 4, 2014

COMMUNICATING GOD’S TRUTH

Suggested Reading: Amos 1-2

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

Carts were used not only for transporting goods, but sometimes for fun...these children in Nazareth Village enjoy the ride, especially when their father pulls them. Today we begin reading in the book of Amos. Unlike other prophets who lived in the cities, Amos was a farmer who not only worked the fields and cared for the herds of sheep, goats, and cattle, but he was also very knowledgeable in the Scriptures.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verses: Amos 1:3a

“Thus says the Lord…” (repeated 8 times in Amos chapters 1 & 2)

There are eight prophecies to eight different nations. We can draw the conclusion that God cares about every nation on earth. Each message from God in today’s reading begins with the statement, “For three transgressions of [people group] and for four.” In our courts today, the judge tends to be lenient on the first offence, but after three or four, the repeat offender can expect the hammer of justice to come down hard. Just imagine how a judge feels when he or she must sentence a person to a prison term or even execution! God, who knows in minute detail all the evidence, is never unjust in His sentence of judgment. The law of God is clearly stated in the statutes written by Moses and others; the penalty for sin is death! To satisfy the demands of the law, God sent His Son to pay that penalty on behalf of His human family by execution on a Roman cross. This is how justice is done in God’s eyes, and God is able to forgive us our sins when we ask forgiveness, repenting of our sins. How thankful we should be that God deals with us as individuals with such love, mercy and grace. But what about the sins of the nations? Let’s think about that as we continue in Amos’ prophecies.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, according to Your promises, You have forgiven my sins as I confess them. You have even removed them from Your record books. For this I am totally thankful. I pray for grace to live a holy life for the next minute, the next hour, the next day, and for consistency in doing so. I believe that with Your help, I am growing in grace, becoming more like Jesus, in whose holy Name I pray. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Last Sunday, March 30th, I pointed out that the prophet Hosea wrote of God’s “roar” like a lion, getting the attention of His people for His message to them. Amos used the lion’s “roar” (Amos 1:2a) to symbolize prophecy before Hosea did. No doubt Hosea had read Amos’ words and picked up on the lion’s “roar.” The books of the Bible, including Amos and Hosea, are not always in chronological order, as is the case with these two books. Amos was of a generation before the time of Hosea. I’m learning every day as a 77-year-old, how to use this amazing thing called “the internet.” I’ve just gone into Google and searched 100words.ca and scrolled down to last Sunday’s blog, where I found that fantastic picture of a lion roaring out his message. I’ve also clicked on the date, Sunday, March 30th, just beside today’s blog and there was the lion again. This whole internet business comes under the heading of “What Will They Think of Next?” If Amos and Hosea had the internet, I think they would’ve done a daily blog too. What about it?

Yours to encourage us all to infuse God’s Word into our thoughts and our lives daily,

David

P.S. On Monday this week I was invited to make a statement on 100 Huntley Street. I’m asking Ron to make it available for viewing if anyone is interested (click here). Amos and Hosea had available to them only the people around them or a sheepskin scroll on which to write, but because of the support of God and His people, we have phenomenal means of communicating God’s message to the whole world. The ancient prophets could use their means of communicating their message at very little cost, and only to a relatively small audience in their generation, but just think of our opportunities to communicate today. This is a very heavy responsibility…a heavy load to pull (as in Reynold’s photo above). I’m asking my readers to take hold and pull with us by reaffirming membership or joining for the first time. Click HERE for how to join me in helping to pull the cart for children’s ministry and all the Crossroads productions (and request the book, The Greatest Words ever Spoken).

Yours truly,

David

 

32 thoughts on “Friday, April 4, 2014

  1. That was an amazing picture (of a lion’s roar). Scary when we think it is God’s roar to get the attention of the people (including us). When we emphasize something on this amazing vehicle – the internet – WE USE UPPERCASE TYPE! I’m glad to have received this blog early today. I leave now for this amazing surgery to correct my vision – cataract surgery. Have a great day and weekend all.

  2. When the hammer was put down for me in my judgement
    Guilty of sin
    Thank God for the blood of Jesus taking , my place for without Hi being willing to take my place there would be no hope
    But praise Jesus obedient even to the death on the cross that now my sins are paid in full by Gods only Son the Lord Jesus Christ Son of yhe living God
    He paid a debt He did not owe
    I owed a debt I could not pay
    I needed someone to wash my sins away
    Christ Jesus paid the debt for me

    • Here are the words to the rest of that wonderful chorus:

      And now I sing a brand new song
      Amazing Grace
      Christ Jesus, paid the debt
      That I could never pay.

      Yes, Hallelujah, Jesus paid the debt for you and me!!!

  3. Lord, grant us the tenacity to hold fast to hope and prayer during life’s most difficult challenges. To let go and let God. To, as David Mainse urges us, “never give up!” May we not become overwhelmed, but instead priorize that which comes first, knowing You will never give us more than we can manage in Your strength and power. Thank you Father, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

  4. In the starting blocks with you, David Mainse!! Thank you for posting the link of you on 100 Huntley Street!! It made me SMILE!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

    The internet is an incredible resource. I searched The Book of the Prophet Amos: http://biblescripture.net/Amos.html. It laid everything out accordingly with the nations in chapters 1-2: Aram, Phillistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel.

    When I started writing this, I was looking at the most gorgeous sunrise out my window!! Thank You, God!!! So grateful for spring! Blessings dear fellow saints!

  5. Love the pic this morning. Reynold must have done something special to his camera to get it to focus on the man’s hand and the children behind on the cart. Good on ya Reynold. I’m an amateur photographer and need constant reminders on how to do things like that with my camera.
    Thanks for the study today Rev. Mainse and have a wonderful, blessed day; blog buddies too.

  6. I ask for a specific prayer request, dear saints. I call on angels to help me and for God’s intervention for healing and relief of the unbearable physical pain I have been carrying. My doctor has ordered a new MRI. Please pray for the best possible MRI to be implemented to expose the pinched nerve in my lumbar region and degeneration in my cervical region to reveal the answers that are needed to bring me relief and healing. I lay my burdens before You, Lord God, Jehovah Jireh. I cry out to You, dear Lord! I thank you for uplifting me with your prayers, fellow saints.

    • Heavenly Father nothing is hidden from your eyes. You know the exact cause of your child Beverlee’s pain— in your mercy reveal the source of that pain to her doctors through the use of these new tests– give them understanding on how to heal the cause so your dear one can be free from constant pain. But in the meanwhile we ask you continue to sustain her in Your love and compression praying you will ease the sense of pain she is feeling to make things more bearable for her until your final healing is completed. In Jesus Name we ask this Amen

      • Dear Heavenly Father: You know the excruciating pain that Beverlee is experiencing and we ask for your Healing Power to remove this pain in Jesus Name. As brothers and sisters united in Christ, we bring Beverlee before your Throne this morning and ask that You would guide the physicians to find the root cause of her problem and to find a solution to this great pain. But ultimately, You, O Lord are the Great Physician and we ask for a complete and total healing in her body. We thank You for the healing in advance and give You all the Praise, Glory and Honour!!! Hallelujah and AMEN!!!

    • Lord Jesus, you know that I am a believer in miracles – having experienced your grace, love, and mercy numerous times… In an instant you put a finger back together when it was just hanging by the skin… a word of healing was received by me when watching the 700 club some 30 years ago and my nasal passages were opened immediately… instant healing from a program that was recorded the week previous… awesome… You literally pushed me up a rock crevice when my hands, knees, and toes were all slipping… Praise your Holy name!

      Lord Jesus I pray for one of your miraculous healings to take place in our sister Beverlee… Take away her unbearable pain as though it never was… Make it so! In Jesus name for your honour and glory… AMEN!

    • Gracious and loving Father, healer of all our pain, I bring our beloved Beverlee before you now, in the name of our precious Saviour Jesus, touch her body where the pain is excruciating and release her from that pain. May she feel your healing hands release her and replace it with your warmth and gentle touch. Amen

    • Heavenly Father, I put to you my sister in Christ and thank you in advance for bringing resolution and healing in the name of The One and Only YOUR BEGOTTEN SON JESUS CHRIST., AMEN.

      All my love to you Beverlee .
      xoxoxo
      Carole.

  7. Amen to all the prayers for Doreen and Beverlee today. Give them confidence and trust that you are going to do the very best for them in their bodies. In Jesus Name, Amen! The book of Amos speaks to our society today and how Jesus can use each one of us according to our love and desire for Him to use us. Great testimony David about your health. Beautiful spring day and the snow is melting slowly so far.

  8. Thank you, dear fellow saints–Donna, Ruby, David, Ger. Your loving words of comfort and prayer lift my heart and I believe in the miracle of healing that will manifest, in Jesus Holy Name.

  9. Lord God, you have all the power of healing, and You are Greacefull, we ask that You touch Beverlee with Your healing power, YOU are the GOD of miracles and confort touch her with Your Grace and love relieve her from the
    pain.In JESUS NAME we pray Amen.
    P S Thank you for the link beverlee and GOD bless you amen.

    • Lord God I pray for Kelly’s friend Shannon. We do not know what she needs but YOU do and we trust in your provision for her. Amen

    • Dear Kelly ,
      I pray for Shannon and put all his needs and troubles in the hands of the Lord who will accomplish what seems impossible to us.
      Thank you Lord , thank you Jesus , Amen.

    • Lord God, our Heavenly Father and Righteous King, we call to you in prayer for Kelly’s friend, Shannon. You know her needs, Lord, and we lay them before You. Bless her with Your loving mercy that she may come to lean on You, and be strengthened by Your loving grace. In Jesus precious name we pray, amen, amen, and amen.

  10. Yes, let’s explore the sins of the nations that stand out in today’s reading. Amos 1 and 2 read, repetitively, like a children’s book, only the sins and consequences are different.

    Is Damascus ‘sin, stealing the grain of Gilead with their iron tools?

    Lifting up all bloggers who are in chronic pain, going through trials, recovering and in grief. Heal us, protect us and sustain us ALMighty GOD! In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen

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