TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
Amos 7:1-9:15
Revelation 3:7-22
Psalm 131:1-3
Proverbs 29:23
Amos 7:3 — Notice how powerful prayer is? God’s judgment by grasshoppers was stopped. Judgment by fire was stopped in Amos 7:6. This is similar to Abraham in Genesis 18:16-33. Prayer changes things. If you have been praying for God’s mercy on America, we’ve seen it in His continued protection. But let’s make use of this window of opportunity!
Amos 7:10 — Sadly today we have false doctrine spread by our political establishment. Baptismal regeneration was taught at President George H.W. Bush’s funeral. This is no different from today. J. Vernon McGee does a masterful job visualizing this story happening today. Below is merely an excerpt; I encourage you to read his whole description of this situation.
Amos preached the Word of God. Many people were moved, and some turned to God; but he disturbed the liberal element. Organized religion in Bethel, the worship of Baal and of the golden calf, got together. They had the ecumenical movement going there, so they had the same program. If you don’t believe anything, my friend, there is nothing to keep you apart. If I don’t believe anything and you don’t believe anything, we can get together. That is the ecumenical movement, and it was going great guns even in that day …
They had a mass meeting of all the religions in Bethel — it was really the first meeting of the World Council of Churches — and the motto of this first meeting was, “Away with Amos, away with Amos.” And the inevitable happened at this meeting: they appointed a committee chairman, Amaziah, to go and confront Amos. Amaziah was a priest who had gone into idolatry. (Does all of this sound modern to you? It’s the same old story; we think it’s modern, but this sort of thing has been happening ever since man got out of the Garden of Eden.) Amaziah was the hired hand of religion. He was polished, he was educated, he was proud, he was scholarly, he was pious, and he was a classic example of a pseudo-saint.
https://www.ttb.org/resources/study-guides/amos-study-guide
Amos 7:12 — Amos is dismissed and told to flee (reminds me of Psalm 11:1) to Judah where he can earn a living preaching to a receptive audience. But Amos cannot go because the LORD has said the people of Israel are His people (Amos 7:15). Notice that phrase “prophesy unto my people Israel.” God loves His wayward people. We are commanded to preach to His people!
Amos 8:5 — Notice the two things that distress the Almighty. They observed the Sabbath (4th Commandment) physically, but not with their heart. They violated the 8th Commandment through the false balance. Notice how often this is condemned in Scripture (Leviticus 19:35-36, Deuteronomy 25:13-16, Proverbs 11:1, Proverbs 16:11, Proverbs 20:10, Proverbs 20:23, Ezekiel 45:10-12, Hosea 12:7, Micah 6:10-11).
Amos 8:11 — US Senator Zell Miller (D-Georgia) quoted this verse in 2004 on the floor of the US Senate (watch on C-SPAN) and talked about the famine of the Word of the LORD in America today.
Amos 9:3 — Why does God talk about the top of Carmel? Because it is high above Israel and has an incredible view. Near the statute of Elijah commemorating his defeat of the prophets of Baal, is the peak of the mountain. Yours truly took this panorama photo from the top of Carmel.
Amos 9:10 — The sad truth is that sinners will die. Eternal death is awaiting, yet if we repent and turn to Jesus we can enjoy incredible promises! According to Amos 9:13, there will not be time enough to gather in the overabundant harvest that is coming! God’s judgment will come to an end (Amos 9:15).
Revelation 3:8 — We don’t have to have a lot of strength, we just need to keep His Word and go forward!
Revelation 3:10 — John Ankerberg talks with both John Walvoord and Jimmy DeYoung about this verse, a verse that seems to support the case for a “secret rapture.” The phrase is pejorative according to GotQuestions.org.
Revelation 3:17 — The Laodiceans are similar to the Israelites. They are unaware of their spiritual condition – “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” The answer is again repentance (Revelation 3:19).
Revelation 3:20 — Jesus wants to dine with you!
Psalm 131:1 — Remember James 4:6?
Proverbs 29:23 — And yet another warning on pride!
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