Over and over, God said in Amos 1: I am not putting up with her sin anymore. Amos 3:8 - "The Lion has roared—who isn't frightened?" God has spoken---what prophet can keep quiet? Amos 4:2 - "This is serious---I, God, have sworn by My Holiness." You are cruel to the down-and-out; meant to the poor. "Indolent and pampered, you demand of your husbands, 'Bring us a tall, cool drink!' " Amos 4 says that you bring your tithes, and offerings, and sacrifices as a kind of religious show. "You know, don't you, that I'm the One who emptied your pantries and cleaned out your cupboards, Who left you hungry and standing in bread lines? But you never got hungry for me. You continued to ignore me." Yes, and I'm the One who stopped the rains three months short of harvest. But you never got thirsty for me. You ignored me... I hit your crops with disease. I revisited you with the old Egyptian plagues...but you didn't notice me. I left you devastated. But you never looked my way. You continued to ignore me. All this I have done to you. Time's up! Prepare to meet your God! Amos 5:6 - So seek God and live! You don't want to end up with nothing to show for your life. Hate evil and love good, then work it out in the public square. Maybe God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, will notice your remnant and be gracious. Weep loudly, 'Not me! Not us. Not now! At God's coming we face hard reality, not fantasy— Amos 5: 21-24 "I can't stand your religious meetings. I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it.
The Lion has roared.
Do you hear Him?
Are you hungry for Him?
Are you thirsty for Him?
The Lion has roared and I have heard Him! Praise His holy name.
ReplyDelete"Listen! "Out of all the families on earth,I picked you. Therefore, because of your special calling, I'm holding you responsible for all your sins." We have many benefits being children of the Almighty God, and with that comes a higher accountability. More Grace...but it cost our Lord too much not to cover every sin. Help us to look deeply in our eyes and expose sin, Lord, that we may grow in Grace and Christ's likeness.
ReplyDelete"all show, no substance." I've been going through the motions lately, but when I read His Word, I must face the real me, the one who needs a good spring cleaning to be heart-ready, to be a woman of substance.
"When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want?" I'm one of those who only can make "a joyful noise" but I love to hear women's voices lifted up to God. We started BSF last week and sang two good old hymns, "Holy, Holy, Holy" and "Immortal, Invisible." I think our churches often get hung up on making music a production and sometimes miss the point. Are we singing to our glory or to Him? This verse in Amos just gave me pause to ask of myself again-am I singing to my God or just enjoying entertainment?
You should have gotten an email by now about the retreat. If you have not, email me and I will get it to you. awgeffert@gmail.com