Category Archives: Belief

Advice, Beauty, Belief, Bible, Creation, Exalting, Glory, Inspirational

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

AMOS 8:2

“And He said, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ And I said, ‘A basket of summer fruit.’ Then the LORD said to me, ‘The end has come for My people Israel. I will not spare them any longer.’”

There are many advantages to getting older. Senior coffee and discounts, senior matinees at the theater, etc. But one disadvantage is your eyesight. Almost everyone has some loss of vision as they age. That plus two stem cell transplants (chemotherapy) have really changed my eyesight. Thank God for glasses, lol.

God wasn’t giving Amos an eye exam. He wasn’t asking him to read the letters and numbers on a chart. The Lord was giving him a message to share with Israel. He wanted to make sure Amos saw clearly what He was telling him. He wanted his hearing of the message to be reinforced by a vision.

APPLICATION

God often shows us things that we just don’t see. Take for instance, a sunrise. How many of them have you seen in your lifetime? But how often do you stop and thank God for seeing another day? God’s message to us is love. He shows us that love in so many ways, but we often fail to see it.

Let me challenge you to do something. Start taking note of “God sightings.” Those are times when you are made aware of God in something or when there is no other explanation for something. Write those down and put them in a box or jar. At the end of the year, read them. You will be amazed.

I see God in my wife, my children, my grandchildren and even in my “grandpups.” God’s creativity in forming each uniquely amazes me. Take a break and people watch. Look at all the faces God has made. It’s really unbelievable. Yet, God never stops creating. I thank God for that today. Yes, God, I see.

I praise You for eyes that can see. Help me see as You do.

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Belief, Bible, Calling, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Eternity, Gospel, Modeling, Prophesy, Scripture, Testimony, Witnessing

DON’T DO THAT HERE

AMOS 7:13

“But do not prophesy at Bethel any longer, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence.”

Some people can get on your last nerve. Am I right? They have a way of annoying you and don’t even realize it. Some of the things they do aren’t bad. They are just irritating. For instance, someone who hums a lot can push you to your limit. The humming isn’t bad. It just never stops. You want to tell them to go hum someplace else.

Amaziah continues speaking to Amos in verse 13. That’s basically what he says. He tells Amos if he is gong to prophesy, do it someplace else. The king can’t be bothered. What Amos was saying might upset the king, and Amaziah didn’t want to see that. Hmmm, I wonder why.

APPLICATION

We should be so annoying. Let me explain. I don’t really want us to annoy people, but I do want us to continue to talk about Jesus. I want people to see me coming and know they are going to hear something about Jesus. I pray I say it in a way that encourages them and does not drive them away.

Being consistent in our witness is challenging. My circle of influence seems to be around “church folks.” I don’t get much exposure to non-believers. I have to purposely seek out that group. But that is something I need to be more consistent in doing.

My prayer for us today is that we all get busy. I pray we all can be as “annoying” as Amos was to Amaziah. I pray everything we say is true and points to Jesus. I pray the Lord leads people into our lives who need to hear this message of forgiveness and grace. Amen?

Lord, help us reach others with Your Word. Put those in our path today who need this lifegiving word from You.

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Accountability, Advice, Advocate, Belief, Bible, Confession, Destruction, Foundation, God's Will, Judgment

DEMO TIME

AMOS 7:8

“And the LORD said to me, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the Lord said, ‘Behold I am about to put a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel. I will not spare them any longer.’”

When a wall is found to be out of plumb, there is only one thing to do if you can’t get it into plumb. You have to tear it down. Sometimes you can pull it back into plumb. That will take some pulleys or belts. You won’t be able to pull it back and set it straight by yourself. You may have to resign yourself that you have to tear it down and start over.

God is telling Amos in today’s verse that Israel is so out of plumb that He is going to have to tear them down in order to build them back up. It won’t be pleasant. There would be pain involved. People may question it. But God knows it has to be done.

APPLICATION

How far out of plumb are you? If God held a plumb line up against you, what would He find? That’s why it is so important to come to Him daily (for me, minute by minute) and confess our sins. By doing that, we are essentially “replumbing” our spiritual lives. We need that constant rebuild.

But when we have gone too far, God has to resort to a more severe method. He may just have to tear you down to build you up. None of us want that, do we? We want it to be a pleasant experience.

I only want to be plumb. I want to meet God’s standards for my building, not the world’s. I could be collapsing, and the world would say I am fine. Wow! Don’t trust the world’s architects and contractors. Trust the One who knows how to use the plumb line.

Thank You, Lord, for holding Your plumb line against me. Reshape me in Your image.

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Accountability, Belief, Bible, Cleansing, Destruction, Eternity, Fire, Judgment

A CONSUMING FIRE

AMOS 7:4

“So the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, the Lord GOD was calling to contend with them by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farmland.”

I have mentioned I grew up in a rural community. That meant I was surrounded by farmland. Every once in a while, a farmer would burn off his field. It was a controlled burn, but it still was hot and moved fast. I have watched farmers do this and have even helped on occasion. The fire destroyed everything in its path.

Fire is a symbol of God’s judgment. Amos had just stilled God’s hand in verse 3 (God relented). But here, we see God once again sending forth His judgment on the land. And just like that fire that farmer set, His fire will destroy whatever is in its path. His judgment is sure.

APPLICATION

Don’t think for a second that you can escape the fires of God’s judgment. He won’t excuse us. We have been warned. Many live their lives with no fear of eternity. Just because they don’t believe doesn’t make it untrue. God is real! His Word is true! God will have the last word.

And when God’s judgment comes, it will be too late to say, “Hold on God. I was going to get around to accepting Your Son.” Nope, that won’t work. If you are a believer, praise Him for your salvation. If you haven’t made that decision to follow Jesus, do it today.

I do not fear God’s judgment because I know I am secure. I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and am headed to heaven. But there are many I know that aren’t secure. They haven’t made that decision. Others I know aren’t walking with the Lord. They are living to please the flesh and not the Spirit. Will you join me today in living for His Son? Will you trust Him to secure your eternity?

O God, my Savior, I praise You for the security I have in You. I pray others will come and experience the freedom they can have in You.

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Abiding, Accountability, Belief, Bible, Deception, Holy Spirit, Idols, Scripture

WRONG PACKING

AMOS 5:26

“You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.”

Occasionally, I will make a trip somewhere that requires me to carefully pack my luggage. For instance, when I travel overseas, I have a packing list I go by. I can only have so much in a suitcase due to weight restrictions. I don’t want to pack needless items or the wrong things. That list I created sure helps with that.

The Israelites needed a packing list. They had packed away idols and shrines of other gods. One of them was Molech to whom they actually sacrificed their own children. We find in all those wilderness years, they struggled with idolatry. This didn’t stop when they finally arrived in the Promised Land. Wrong gods. They should have never been packed.

APPLICATION

What are you packing? Do you have some idols or wrong gods? Not me, Carl. I would never do that. Are you sure? You see, we often don’t even recognize that we are worshipping something else. But whatever is taking the most attention is what we have deemed as most important.

Some of us worship our jobs. Others bow down to the god of entertainment. Some even worship their families. There is room for only one God. He demands allegiance. He won’t tolerate other gods taking His place. He will call us on that.

I am so thankful that my God is a jealous God. I am thankful He reminds me when I get too enamored with other things. Those other things aren’t necessarily bad things. They just aren’t THE thing that is important. I am still learning to lay things down. I guess I will be learning that until I go to heaven. We can all learn, can’t we?

Father, I am so thankful for Your Spirit in me that points me to You. I bow down to You and acknowledge You as the only true God.

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Asking, Belief, Bible, Calling, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, God's Will, Scripture

SEEK ME

AMOS 5:4

“For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: ‘Seek Me so that you may live.’”

One of the passages I have memorized is Psalm 119:9-11. Verse 10 says, “I seek you with all my heart, do not let me stray from your commandments.” Why do I mention that verse? Because the same Hebrew word is used there for “seek” as is used in our verse in Amos today. It has no secret meaning. It simply means to seek or to investigate.

The Israelites had stopped seeking God. Here in today’s verse, the Lord is imploring them to seek Him so they may live. This may sound like a simple, short verse in Amos, but look at it. Living depends on seeking. Our lives are meaningless until we find Him.

APPLICATION

We tend to seek the wrong things – money, fame, independence – to name just a few. When we are young, we seek to be free from the bondage of our parents. When we get older, we seek youth through all kinds of healthcare products. Seeking worldly things leads us nowhere.

But when we seek the Lord, He is there. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” What are you seeking today? Is it temporal or eternal? Stop wasting your time on temporal. Seek Him.

So, the question begs to be asked. How do you seek Him? It’s pretty simple. Go to Him in prayer. Read His Word. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He’s not hiding. He is just waiting for you to get ready to handle Him when He comes. When you surrender and seek, He is there.

I seek You with all my heart. Do not let me stray from Your commandments.

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Belief, Bible, Confidence, Devil, Encouragement, Heaven, Hell, Holiness, Judgment, Praise, Rapture

HOOKS

AMOS 4:2

“The Lord GOD has sworn by His holiness, ‘For behold, the days are coming upon you when they will take you away with meat hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks.’”

I love to fish. I don’t get to do it as often as I like, but I love it. If you have ever gone fishing, you know you need hooks to catch the fish. Those hooks can be on an artificial bait or used with live bait. But you have to have hooks. And when you catch a fish, you jerk it and bring it to the boat or shore. It’s kind of a violent act, if you think about it.

In the same way, Israel was going to be snatched away. The imagery of the meat hook and the fish hook was one every Israelite could relate to. Because of their rebuke of God’s holiness, their judgment had arrived, and they would be snatched away by other nations – violently and aggressively snatched away.

APPLICATION

We face the same, if we are not children of God. At death, we will be snatched away by the evil one to an eternity of torment. But praise be to God, as children of God, we are protected. We will be snatched away, but into the loving arms of our Lord. If we are alive when He returns, God’s Word says we will be snatched away to meet Him in the air.

Unlike the snatching away that happened to the Israelites, our snatching away won’t involve sharp hooks. Sharp hooks are painful. I know from experience. I’ve had more than one hook stuck in my finger or hand. Our snatching away won’t be painful. It will be peaceful and gentle.

I am so ready to be snatched away. I look forward to our Lord’s return. But my heart aches for those who don’t have this confidence in our Lord. Their snatching will be painful. Will you join me in trying to reach as many as we can for Christ before His return? Let’s help them avoid those hooks.

Thank You Jesus for the promise of Your return and the snatching away I will experience in You.

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Advocate, Battles, Belief, Bible, Caregiver, Destruction, Devil, Rescue, Satan, Scripture

PIECES

AMOS 3:12

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, so will the sons of Israel living in Samaria be snatched away— with the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch!’”

I have a missionary friend in Columbia who had a close encounter with an anaconda. They were walking near the river with their dog when the anaconda struck. It grabbed their dog and went back into the river. Without thinking, my friend jumped in, grabbed the snake by the tail and drug it out. Then his wife pulled their dog from its mouth as my friend killed it with a machete. Wow! They got more than pieces back.

But shepherds would often jump in to rescue a sheep or lamb that had been grabbed by a lion or wolf. In this case, they only retrieved pieces as the wild animal tore it apart. Amos is comparing Israel to that. They will be snatched away, piece by piece, little by little. Only a remnant will escape.

APPLICATION

Is your life in pieces? Sometimes we feel we are being torn into pieces. The world is harsh. The devil loves to tear us down, to tear us into pieces. If you are a child of God, the devil has no right to you. You belong to God. When we sin and fall into Satan’s grasp, be sure the Lord can rescue you.

How soon He rescues you is really up to you. As believers we should be running from sin. But occasionally we fall right into a trap laid by Satan. Call out instantly. Call out loudly, knowing your Savior is listening and will respond. He can restore your “pieces.” He wants all of you.

I am so thankful for a Shepherd who is watching over me. He guards me as I graze and guides me along His path. I want to stay close to Him to avoid those dangerous places that can cause me to fall. I need Him and am not ashamed to say so. He is my Lord. He is my Shepherd.

Thank You Lord for leading me. Thank You Lord for protecting me.

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Accountability, Belief, Bible, Calling, Confession, Consequences, Disciplemaking, Forgiveness, God's Will, Punishment, Repentance, Scripture

PUNISHMENT IS SURE

AMOS 2:5

“‘So I will send fire upon Judah, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.’”

When I was in the eighth grade, many moons ago, my homeroom teacher, who was also my junior varsity football coach, would call me and another student, who was also one of his players, up to the front of the room. He would give us both one swat with his paddle and say, “You’re both going to do something today to deserve this. Consider your punishment rendered.” I’m not sure that could be done today, lol.

Judah’s punishment was sure. The Lord uses the same language He used for Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon and Moab. Just because Judah was His daughter, they did not escape His wrath. Why? Why didn’t God show them so preferential treatment? Why didn’t He let them off with a lighter punishment? Because He is just, and His judgments are justified.

APPLICATION

The same applies for us. Some people think that just because they have asked Christ to be their Savior, they can do anything they want and escape the consequences. Sure, those sins are forgiven, but all sins have consequences, either here or later. Of course, if we are Christians, we should be running from sin, not going towards it.

So, I know when I sin, I must go the Father as quickly as I can and confess that sin to Him. I don’t always do that, and I can feel the barrier building up in my prayer life. Have you felt like your prayers were hitting the ceiling? Perhaps your sins are bouncing them back. Try confessing them to Him right now. If you aren’t aware of them, ask Him to reveal them to you. He will. I promise you will feel that weight come off your shoulders.

My buddy and I certainly did things everyday to deserve those spankings. Why wouldn’t we? Our coach told us they were paid for in advance. That’s not how it works with God. I wish I could go back and correct that coach, but that was almost fifty years ago. I didn’t know the Lord then. I pray he came to a saving knowledge of Jesus himself.

Lord, I praise You for discipling me. It may be painful know, but it will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace.

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Accountability, Belief, Bible, Calling, Courage, Direction, Encouragement

MY END

AMOS 2:2

“‘So I will send fire upon Moab and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth; and Moab will die amid the panic of battle, amid war cries and the sound of a trumpet.’”

We are reminded of the prophecy of Balaam in today’s verse. Remember Balaam? He was the prophet with the talking donkey He said, regarding Moab, “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.” (Numbers 24:17)

The Lord is saying through Amos that the nation of Moab would be destroyed through battle. There would be no peaceful demise. It would be violent. This would reflect what they had done to Israel. Violence invites violence. The Lord was not about to forget their atrocities.

APPLICATION

Our decisions have consequences. When we live as if we are free from the consequences of our actions, we are inviting a harsh end. We may see others living lives devoid of God and think we can get away with it also. But we don’t know the mind of God. We don’t know when He will rain down judgment. It may not happen in this lifetime.

Let me urge you to live each day as if it is your last. How do you want to face the Lord of the universe? Do you want to face Him in a fearful state or one of joy? I recently read an article that listed a couple of dozen last words of atheists. None of them were pleasant. In fact, several of them had words that expressed feelings of torment. They didn’t face God well.

As for me, I can’t wait to see my Lord. Have I done everything perfect down here? No, but it is not about what I have done. It’s all about what He has done in and though me. I am confident in my homegoing because I know His Son, Jesus. Do you? I pray you do or that you will come to know Him today.

I praise You, O Lord, because I know where I am going when I leave this world. Thank You for that assurance.

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