Wednesday, April 4, 2018

COMMUNICATING GOD’S TRUTH

Today’s 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 week 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 79-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 the blog, where I found that fantastic picture of a lion roaring out his message. 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

 

21 thoughts on “Wednesday, April 4, 2018

  1. Amen to today’s message and prayer. Miss you, Pastor David! May God bless each and every saint, today. Praying for your daughter to call you, Sah. May the forgiveness Jesus granted us come into her heart.

    Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. Matthew 6:12 GNT

    Alisa Turner – My Prayer For You (Official Lyric Video)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj_0pvIGkks

    • TY Beverlee Kay, please keep praying the Holy Spirit will lead my daughter to call me
      also pray for the Lord to show me what He wants me to do…….I needs funds to do upgrades, help family, pay debts, then what? I ask the Lord to show me what He wants me to do, to provide a place for me to go if I sell..in Jesus Name amen

  2. Wonderful Message today!

    Thank you Beverlee for that beautiful song, and for always posting such
    uplifting messages.
    God Bless you for your insight!

    SAH.. am also praying for your daughter’s heart and for you both to reunite.

    • TY Nan! It means so very much to me that others are praying for my daughter to call, it brings me to tears! TY TY TY in Jesus Name amen amen amen

  3. The internet is one more of God’s many blessings I believe to help bring wisdom and knowledge to our fingertips and then to our use.

  4. Yes, good message and prayer from David and fellow bloggers. Encouraging song Beverlee. Thank you. Thankful for the internet that we can see this blog and also able to communicate with family and friends including missionaries in faraway places. Prayers for your daughter Sah. God is using the lowly farmer Amos who has a good knowledge of God’s Word.

    • TY Ger for praying for my daughter and our relationship!

      I do agree with regard to the internet, it does bring much information to our fingertips, I pray the Lord will keep safe all those who abuse the internet, Lord we ask that You would shut down the sites that are troublesome, Lord we ask that You would keep safe all those who are watching very bad programs on the internet, Lord we pray that You would enter in and keep safe all the bloggers and their families,
      may we always ask You dear Lord to go before us to clear away the debris, we thank you Lord in Jesus Name amen

  5. In agreement with all the comments above.
    May our Lord Jesus respond to every prayer request, in His Holy Name
    I pray, Amen! He knows what is best for everyone.

  6. Oh Lord God, please make our yearnings to be useful to You real. Please help all our families do right and good things. We thank You, Lord God, for Your goodness. Please send out more workers throughout this world, armed and filled, overflowing with Your grace and truth. Raise up the dead in our society. Forgive us for our sins and bring new life – Your life – to this world. We need You, Father. Please bring our backslidden friends and nations back to You, Lord God. We ask in Jesus’s all-powerful name, amen

    • Amen Rob! May God forgive us individually and as nations for our disobedience to His Word and His will. May He bring a great multitude of souls into the Kingdom.

      Praying for the needs mentioned in this blog . Ps 20:6

  7. Amen Rob, agreeing in prayer with you!

    David’s words and prayer so insightful and helpful; I like the photo or real life and family fun!!

    Like the Jewish people; we too sin; but when we confess our sins; God is faithful to forgive us. I wonder how often we hurt him when we are willful and disobedient?

  8. Our God is compassionate to His people when they confess their sins, He is faithful to forgive them. Praise His Holy Name!

    • AMEN IRENE AMEN, I can’t imagine the world without God and all that He has done for us….amen amen amen thank you Lord God, thank you in Jesus Name we thank you amen amen amen

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