Sin in the City (of God)!

Welcome!


 

Today: Sin in the City (of God)!


Passage: Amos 4 (NIV 84 & AMP)


Hear this word, you cows [women] of Bashan who are in the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their husbands, Bring and let us drink! 2 The Lord God has sworn by His holiness that behold, the days shall come upon you when they shall take you away with hooks and the last of you with fishhooks.  (Amos 4, AMP)- emphasis added


The women would ask their husbands to get them drinks; they oppress the poor and crush the needy. Sin was abounding….

God invested so much in His people/children. As a father, He had compassion on them. But when they chose to act indifferently and made their own “gods”, it hurt  God so much, and triggered God into action!


 6 “I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord. 7 “I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up.
8 People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord. (Amos 4, NIV 1984)-emphasis added


God tries to get our attention in various ways: the earlier we understand it, the better. We should know the difference between the discipline of the Lord and the attack of satan. Both may look alike, but are worlds apart

When Apostle Paul had a “thorn in the flesh”, he prayed to God; God told him that it was God-allowed, so that Paul may not boast in his spiritual gifts


7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

(2 Cor 12, NIV 84)


At the same time, there were situations from which God delivered them


9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. (2 Cor 1, NIV 84)-emphasis added


When God sent warnings and punishments to Israelas written in the book of Amos, God was justified. He serves the notice before doing it. Sin was so much!


Amos, a man with two jobs (a shepherd and a fruit picker) was picked up by God for a “strange” job for which he was never trained!

He prohesied toIsraelin the North about the coming captivity

There are many in the newIsrael(church) today, who cry about the many sins within. The hand of God can come hard. God is looking for intercessors!

It is time to cry like Nehemiah, repenting of our sins and that of others!

God bless your day!

BG


Prayer: Father God, you are a God who truly loves us; you love the sinner but hates the sin. Help me to have the kind of heart that is yours, so that I can discern the sin within your city-the church, and act right. In Jesus’ name, Amen


When we wait upon God, we get power; when God waits upon us, we may get punishment!