KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Sunday, September 18, 2016
Chapters: Amos 1-3
Message: God’s Mission For Faithful Christians
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Amos contains nine chapters, the author of the book is Amos and it was written to all the children of Israel. The timeline is approximately 776-763 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 Him. “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.
With so many Christians being persecuted and even killed for standing by their faith in Christ it can be hard to profess our faith, but as born again Christians we are on a mission to reach the lost, no matter what town or nation God sends us to. Amos, a native of Tekoa, lived in Judah, originally he was a shepherd and dresser of sycamore trees, he was called by God to prophecy in the Northern Kingdom about two years prior to their fall. First, God sends him to warn the surrounding nations of their coming judgment, one by one, nation upon nation is called out by God, and the reason why they were being judged.
“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: But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border: But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.” – Amos 1:11-15.
“because he did pursue his brother with the sword,” Edom (Esau), brother to Israel (Jacob), while he and Israel reconciled they were always at war because Jacob followed God and Esau followed the world. Perhaps more of a threat to Christians is not the enemy, but the ones who live with a chip on their shoulders over Christians. You know who they are, they fight Christians against everything they do, even if it has nothing to do with God, especially if it has something to do with the public. A Christian having a moment of silence in a public school over the loss of a teacher was ridiculed for allowing it, he never asked them to pray, but it was still fought over because he was a Christian. Until Jesus comes we can expect the constant fighting with our brothers, but in the end they are the ones who have to answer to Him.
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” – Luke 6:27,32-35.
“Love your enemies,”How hard is it to love your enemies? If we are trying to do it in our own flesh, very hard and impossible, but with Christ, He enables us to do so. This is not the type of love that you have toward your loves ones, this is the type of love as having good will toward them. The truth is, while we are showing good will toward all, we may be reaching someone who desperately needs Jesus. Among the enemy are the lost, the backslidden, and the ones deceived by false religion, just because they say they know Jesus that does not mean they are saved. Judgment is coming to all, not just the unbelievers. Judah and Israel were not off the hook, they too would be judged, and their reason foretold.
“Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked: But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem. Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:” – Amos 2:4-7.
“because they have despised the law of the LORD,” Just because we know Christ and are saved that does not mean we will not face judgment, we are no better than the lost if we live a sinful life pretending we are not. All sin gets exposed well before God brings us home. “because they sold the righteous for silver,”Let me tell you, and if you did not notice this by now, we are in a me, myself, and I generation, and people will sell you out in a heartbeat to satisfy their lusts, including some Christians. The same warning applies, for our transgressions we will be judged because we are all guilty of despising the law of God. Our only safety net, Jesus Christ, and while we do not have hell and the lake of fire to look forward to, we do have suffering to look forward to if we do not get in that safety net.
“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” – II Thessalonians 5:2-4.
God sends Amos to Bethel to deliver the prophecy of judgment there, the site of one of Israel’s two false worship centers and one of several homes of Jeroboam II. This time God addresses all of Israel.
“Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.” – Amos 3:1-3,9-11.
“For they know not to do right,” This is what happens when corrupt “Christians” start feel good churches, they think they are living their lives for Christ, but they have no idea that what they are doing is wrong. They too will face judgment, all their altars, comforts, and pleasures will be destroyed. We cannot pretend to worship God and live under the laws of false religion. We must give Him our all, and we must follow His Law, not some book created by man that claims it is. Anyone can take some verses out of Scripture and say they know God, only those who read and study it can walk together with Christ, agree, and truly know God.
“Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” – II Timothy 2:14-16.
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for loving us so much to warn us repeatedly of Your judgment so that all can have a chance to repent, and thank You for showing us the right path of life. Lord, keep us faithful and growing as we await the return of Your Son. Give us Your power and strength to reach whoever You place before us with the Gospel, and let us be the godly example You need us to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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