God Calls For Justice

Scripture-Amos 6:1-8; 8:4-12; Zephaniah 3:9-20

Amos 6

¹Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

²Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

³Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

⁴That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

⁵That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

⁶That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

⁷Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

⁸The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

Amos 8:4-12

King James Version (KJV)

⁴Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

⁵Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

⁶That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

⁷The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

⁸Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

⁹And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:

¹⁰And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

¹¹Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

¹²And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Zephaniah 3:9-20

King James Version (KJV)

⁹For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

¹¹In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

¹²I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

¹³The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

¹⁴Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

¹⁵The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

¹⁶In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

¹⁷The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

¹⁸I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

¹⁹Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

²⁰At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.

Although each Christian’s walk with God is personal, what is shows to the world really tells how close to God that person is.  A Christian has to be a Christian every day in, and out, of church.  They can’t praise God on Sunday, sitting on a pew, singing hymns, and the rest of the week, act like the world, just to fit in, not to offend anyone.  A Christian’s actions tells the world how deeply devoted they are to God.  What does your actions show the world?  Do you act the same at the grocery store to people, as you do at church?  Do you treat your family at home as nice as you treat your church family?  Everything we do comes from the heart.  The heart gives life to us, and if God is not in our hearts, fully, he’s not in us at all.

Have we become complacent in our walk with God?  When we got save, we were all fired up, ready to go out, and talk to anyone we met about what Jesus did for us when he saved us.  We looked for work to do for the Lord, we pitched in when needed, helped talked to fellow Christians, when they were burdened about something.  Do we do that now?  Do we ask God, “Who you want me to do?” or say, “Show me where you want to to go.”  Has the “honeymoon” period worn off?  Do you have your nice comfy groove imprinted on the church pew, where even God can no longer get you to move?  Remember God blesses us with all the comforts we have, it’s not something we deserve, and it can be taken away in an instant.  Just like the last hurricane took  away our electricity for days, which caused us to be uncomfortable, lose food, etc., we need to realise we could’ve lost a lot more.  Over 100 people lost their lives, much more lost their homes or had damages to their homes.  When are we going to start appreciating God’s blessings in our lives? 

Don’t you hate it when you hear of a big company selling out to another, and leaving many people without jobs?  That has been happening more, and more, often over the years.  Everyone is after the almighty dollar, not caring who they trample on in their race to own it all.  the ones who have, want more, they are never happy with what they have.  I see nothing wrong with bettering yourself, making a comfortable living to supports you, and your family, but too many times, the people striving for betterment, forget their goal, and want it all.  They don’t care who they step on, on the way to the top, or who they use to get there.  Thank God he has a solution, and has from the beginning of time.  In Mark 9:35, Jesus said, “If and man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, ans servant of all.”  So, you see, I don’t mind being last, here on earth, because I know when I get to Heaven, everything will equal out as God has always said.

Always remember, no matter what people may do to you, how they may treat you, talk bad about you, God sees and hears all.  He wraps his loving arms around His children, comforting them when they need it, giving them strength, when they feel they have no more to go on.  God will defend His people, and defeat their enemies, as long as we keep looking to Him, and trusting in His unchanging hands.  Those that torment God’s people will be punished!  Can you imaging how wonderful it’ll be for all us Christians when God finally takes Satan,a nd casts him forever in Hell, hot to torment His people anymore!  I know there will be on of the loudest shouts of praise in Heaven when that day comes.  But, until then, let’s just press on, keeping our eyes on God, trusting in His loving mercy to see us through all our trials and tribulations.

Call to Repentance

Scripture-Joel 1:13-20; 2:12-27

Joel 1:13-20

King James Version (KJV)

¹³Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

¹⁴Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,

¹⁵Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

¹⁶Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?

¹⁷The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.

¹⁸How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

¹⁹O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

²⁰The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Joel 2:12-27

King James Version (KJV)

¹²Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

¹³And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

¹⁴Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

¹⁶Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

¹⁷Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

¹⁸Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

¹⁹Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

²⁰But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

²¹Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

²²Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

²³Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

²⁴And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

²⁵And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

²⁶And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

²⁷And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

Too many people  today are afraid to  offend people who are sinning and will not witness to them.  They are afraid they will mock or reject them, but so was Christ, and he continued to preach His Father’s Word.  Are we any better than Christ?

Just like Joel called a gathering of everyone to the temple because of their evil ways, we need to call and invite people we know to church, talk to them about being saved, show them the way to salvation.  Joel, in verse 15 said, “For the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.”  We are living in that time now.  We are close to the day the Lord will come to take his people home, and after that there will be a gathering in all the churches like you have never seen before!  People will be searching for the truth in the midst of chaos.  They will finally realize they put off their salvation too late, and missed the rapture.  There will even be people who thought they were ready, finding out how wrong they were in their beliefs, and what they told others.  How are you going to answer someone when they come up to you, after the day of the Lord, when they ask why you were left behind, why yo didn’t show them the right way?

Now is the time to accept Jesus.  2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Behold, now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation.”   God’s grace and mercy is still with each, and everyone, of us.  He will not turn you away if you have a willing heart of repentance.  He will welcome you just like the father welcomed home his prodigal son, because that’s what we are, we are his prodigal children.  We are not worthy of his love and forgiveness, but he give it anyway.  We are not worthy of the gift of Jesus coming to earth in human form, suffering such pain and agony, for a world fo sin, but He sent His only begotten Son anyway, because He loved us so much!  All he asks of us is to serve and worship Him.  What a small price we have to pay.  What a large price He paid for us!

Everyone has hardship.  Most times we bring them on ourselves, especially when we turn our back on God.  When we do that, we are basically telling God we know better how to run our lives, that he does.  And, God graciously steps aside, and lets us do just that!  Everything runs smoothly for a while, then starts falling apart.  After a while we fall flat on our faces!  Getting up, we know we have to look up, but instead of asking for forgiveness from God for our pridefulness, we puff out our chest, and with a mad expression, ask God why he let us fall like that.  It may take a little while for some people, a lot longer for others, to realize we are to blame for out fall, because God is where we left Him.  He didn’t leave us, we left Him, when we thought we could make it without his guidance in out lives.  God was standing where we left Him, patiently waiting for us to come back to Him, ask for forgiveness, and humbly accept his help and guidance in our lives.

Sinners are a lot like children who haven’t learned to tie their shoes.  They are always tripping and falling over the shoe strings until they get them tied again.  God is right there, asking them to come to Him, let Him tie the shoe strings so they won’t have to fall and get hurt.  The can depend on Him for protection.  Are you ready for God to tie your shoe strings and help you walk through life?  Have you already trusted Him to keep you safe from all of life’s perils?  He’s there waiting patiently for you.

Political Cartoon-Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Luke 13-14 (King James Version)

Luke 13

¹There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

²And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

³I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

⁴Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

⁵I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

⁶He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

⁷Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

⁸And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

⁹And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

¹⁰And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

¹¹And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

¹²And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

¹³And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

¹⁴And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

¹⁵The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

¹⁶And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

¹⁷And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

¹⁸Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?

¹⁹It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

²⁰And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?

²¹It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

²²And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

²³Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

²⁴Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

²⁵When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

²⁶Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

²⁷But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

²⁸There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

²⁹And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

³⁰And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

³¹The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.

³²And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

³³Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

³⁴O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

³⁵Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Luke 14

¹And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

²And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.

³And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

⁴And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;

⁵And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?

⁶And they could not answer him again to these things.

⁷And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them.

⁸When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;

⁹And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

¹⁰But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

¹¹For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

¹²Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.

¹³But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

¹⁴And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

¹⁵And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

¹⁶Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

¹⁷And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

¹⁸And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

¹⁹And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

²⁰And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

²¹So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

²²And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

²³And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

²⁴For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

²⁵And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

²⁶If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

²⁷And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

²⁹Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

³⁰Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

³¹Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

³²Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

³³So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

³⁴Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

³⁵It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Primary School in Western Australia Bans Lord’s Prayer By Eryn Sun

After a government school in Australia received complaints from parents, it banned students from reciting of the Lord’s Prayer during school assemblies, ending a 25-year tradition at the Western Australian school.

Citing the Western Australia Education Act, which states that schools must not promote one particular religious practice, denomination or sect over another, parents called for an end to the decades-long practice at Edgewater Primary School, according to The Sydney Morning Herald (TSMH).

In response, the school’s principal, Julie Tombs, sent out a survey to parents asking for their views on the tradition, but only 36 percent responded to the questions.

On Monday, Tombs sent out a letter to parents, explaining that the prayer would no longer be recited before assemblies.

“We acknowledge that of the parents who did respond to the survey, many wanted to retain the Lord’s Prayer and it is right that we continue to recite it at culturally appropriate times such as Christmas and Easter, as part of our education program,” Tombs wrote. “However, at this school we have students from a range of backgrounds and it is important to consider all views and not promote one set of religious beliefs and practices over another.”

However, the school creed, which contained a reference to God, would still be recited, the letter said.

 

“My own view is that Western Australia is basically a Christian-based community and I think it’s desirable to have the Lord’s Prayer,” Premier Colin Barnett told TSMH reporters Tuesday.

“But that decision rests at the school level. Certainly schools can, and I would encourage them to have the Lord’s Prayer. I don’t think it offends anyone; it just simply reflects the values and backbone of our society,” he said.

“[It’s part of Australia’s] culture, our history; and it’s reflected in our institutions and laws,” Barnett added.

Anglican Dean of Perth John Shepherd expressed the same views as Barnett. “I think there is a place [for the Lord’s Prayer], just as there is a place for exposing children to the full knowledge of other faiths,” Shepherd said.

Although religious demographics in Western Australia have changed in the recent years, Shepherd said he thinks the prayer embodies “values to which we all ascribe.”

“I do acknowledge that it’s not simple,” he told TSMH. “I [just] think it is a valuable addition to the educative process.”

In Western Australia government schools, religious education is a recommended part of a rounded education, according to the School Education Act of 1999.

The act allows for up to one hour a week of special religious education, provided by churches and other religious groups. That hour can include the teaching of prayers, songs, and other material based on religious, spiritual or moral values.

Subject to the regulations, the principal of a government school may allow time for special religious education of students, but the total number of hours in a school year must not exceed 40. Religious groups are not allowed to recruit to their particular group.

A parent opposed to the special religious instruction can withdraw their child from the particular class with a written request to the principal asking for an exemption.

All faiths are widely respected and welcomed in Western Australia. The most commonly practiced are Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. Roman Catholics make up about 23 percent of the population, while Anglicans make up 28 percent.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/primary-school-in-western-australia-bans-lords-prayer-56049/

Love+for+the+World

Love+for+the+World.

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