“Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God.” He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name.

Amos 1-4 

“Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God.” He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is his name. Amos 4:12-13

  

Day 170 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) transitions to a study of Amos, who - according to my commentary* -is a "lowly shepherd" called by God "to prophesy against several nations, but principally against Israel".  Amos "does not attack idolatry as such (as does his contemporary, Hosea). He concentrates instead on rebuking both Israel and Judah for the meaninglessness of their worship, whatever its form. He calls for consistency in one’s religious exercises and daily ethical conduct, and cries out against a people who honor deity with their many sacrifices yet refuse justice and mercy to the oppressed and needy".

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

In chapters 1-2 Amos calls out the sins of Syria, Philistia, Phoencia, Edom, Ammon, Moab, as well as both Judah and Israel.  However, Amos delivers from the Lord a pointed message of judgement specifically against Israel:

"[Israel] sell[s] the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines. Amos 2:6-8

Amos continues into chapter 3 and 4 with God's plans for Israel's punishment and ends with a call to prepare.

Believers must not just talk the talk but we must walk the walk - hypocrisy severely undermines the church.  This article references some of the challenges confronting the church in the face of the current pandemic and in the context of an existing trend among young people to see Christians as "unchristian".

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has helped me grow in my faith and with my spiritual disciplines.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I know there is more work to do and I have hypocrisy in my life.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Acts 5

With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. v2

Acts 4:32-5:11 gives us two examples - one positive (Barnabas) and one negative (Ananias and Sapphira) - of how we are to approach our faith in terms of walking the walk.  Barnabas gave cheerfully and humbly while Ananias and Sapphira gave to gain status and recognition for themselves - John Piper posts about their hypocrisy here and warns believers about phony Christians:

"The reason [Ananias and Sapphira] drop dead is to give a stunning warning to the whole church that phony Christians will all end up this way, sooner or later." 

We must be as James writes doers of the Word..

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  James 1:22

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and treats us with amazing grace - I am grateful for such grace and more - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace and blessings.  I worry, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

Matthew 22

 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. v12

I did not fully understand the parable told here (The Parable of the Wedding Banquet) in v1-14.  I understand how many people spurn the gospel message yet the MacArthur commentary helps by pointing out how although the man without the wedding clothes accepted the invitation to the banquet he did not fully submit to the king's wishes by accepting a free offer to adorn wedding clothes - an indictment according to MacArthur on how many people externally behave as a follower of Jesus might but internally lack the heart condition and commitment to truly follow Jesus.  This is similar to recent posts on hypocrisy.

Jesus wants 100% of our life - not part of our lives and not part of the time (i.e. Sunday).  We must acknowledge our need for a savior and Jesus is that Savior and we are to love Him and others, and in the process deny our selves and live for Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who died for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love as I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him."

Matthew 21

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." v31-32

We are told to be do-ers of the Word - see James 1:22.  The Pharisees and Sadducees were exposed as hypocrites and Jesus warns us to avoid the "yeast" of such hypocrites and to avoid becoming modern-day Pharisees. 


Be in action.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are ALWAYS at work and ALWAYS at work for me...You died for me and continue to be with me...always.  Thank You Jesus - I am not worth such love and sacrifice.  I often fail to be in action...failing to "do" the Word.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven....Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 7

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven....Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. v21, 24

As Jesus proclaims in 7:15-23, there are both false prophets and false disciples.  The broader point I see is the superficial nature of our faith.  Verse 24 reinforces this point by stating that faith is built upon a strong foundation of practicing spiritual disciplines, such as Bible study, prayer time, fellowship with other believers, service, corporate worship, etc.  We must not have paper thin faith.

This is demonstrated further in the Parable of the Sower which stresses the need for "good soil".

I know the dangers of building a house on sand - I've done it myself.  

Jesus, please help me build my faith on a strong foundation.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has given me faith, and helped strengthen my faith.  You have transformed my heart and life and I experience life to the full - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 6

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. v6.

Yesterday, Pastor Marty gave a great sermon on chapter 6 - helping us focus on how we can avoid placing other Gods above Jesus - the one true God who is before all things and in control (Colossians 1:16-17).  

Key for me is to avoid a fake or inauthentic faith - one that has an outward appearance of faith but is weak or non-existent as a matter of the heart.  Just as God looked at David's heart vs his external appearance (1 Samuel 16:7), we should focus on our heart condition and not do what God is admonishing here in Hosea 6 - don't offer sacrifice or anything else to God as a superficial gesture.

God wants our full attention and life.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an amazing God You are that love me - even with all of my flaws and sins - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God as I often place other gods above You.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie.

2 Samuel 23

But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie. v6-7

David's last words include warnings to us about sin.  As believers we should not be so arrogant that we willingly sin or we refuse to develop our personal relationship with Jesus.

In Revelation, John warns us to be ready to be held accountable for what we have done - good and bad.

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done." Revelation 22:12 

Earlier in Revelation, God warns us about "lukewarm" or "cultural" faith.

To the angel of the church in Sardis write:These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Revelation 3:1-3

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Revelation 3:14-17

 We are to grow in our personal relationship with Jesus.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has worked miracles in my life and blessed me just as You promised You would.  Thank You Jesus. I am not worth such efforts.  I worry.  I am often harsh with my words and actions.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.