You have not return to me
Amos Chapter 4 & 5
📝In Chapter 4, Amos listed 5 Warnings (4: 6-11):
1️⃣ Famine (v 6)
2️⃣ Drought (v 7-8)
3️⃣ Crop failures (v 9)
4️⃣ Plagues (10)
5️⃣ War (v 11)
All these were the signs of God’s displeasure and the beginning of the Covenant Curses mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 .
🌈 God told Solomon that when he punished the nation with drought, locusts or plague, the king and the people should “Humble themselves; Pray; Seek his face and Turn from their wicked ways. God promised that if they would do this, He would Forgive their sin and Heal their land (2Chron 7:13-14)
📌 But this did not happened during Amos’ time. So the phrase “.. YET YOU HAVE NOT RETURNED TO ME” is repeatedly hammered to the people (4: 6b, 8b, 9b, 10c, 11b).
📝 In Chapter 4:12
God declares that he is going to punish Israel but before that he gives the “final invitation: PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD, O ISRAEL .
💕 Beloved Church, meeting with God will be PLEASANT for some, and for others it will be TERRIFYING:
✅ To the faithful the Lord will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s happiness” (Mt 25:21)
✔️ But to the people who disown Christ and fall away, the Day will be “a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God” (Heb 10:31), and they will be thrown into the darkness, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 25:30)
HOW TO PREPARE OURSELVES TO MEET OUR GOD❓
📝 In Chapter 5, Amos cited three ways to PREPARE OURSELVES TO MEET OUR GOD:
📌 A Call to SPIRITUAL REFORMATION (5:4-13)
📌 A Call to MORAL REFORMATION (5:14-20)
📌 A Call to RELIGIOUS REFORMATION (5:21-27)
📝 Isaiah writes, “The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand” (1:3). LET US RETURN TO HIM WITH CONTRITE HEART .
💞 Beloved Church, when Jesus will come to reward His servants, whether it be noon or night. Can we say “WE ARE READY”❓
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOM THE LORD FINDS WATCHING .
Glory to God 🙌
✍🏽 Mark Boje
Arunachal Pradesh, India 🇮🇳
Lockdown Reflections… 📝
Food from my Guest Room Table 🍽️🍯🥛🍴
Take a Break with Jesus in the Lockdown 🍞☕
Day 197, 270 Days Bible Reading, Wednesday, 27.1.21.
In this Lockdown God is reminding us to seek Him if we want to live a quality life of the abundant and eternal life…Amos 5:4
🍂Amos was reminding the people of God the two primary sins they were committing against God: firstly, abandoning the true worship of Yahweh and secondly, the lack of justice. Amos was encouraging them to seek God and live, Amos 5:4. He warns them to turn away from their sin and give God the worship He deserves. They were so oblivious to the coming judgement because they were so comfortable in their sinful conditions
🍂Even though they were continuing in their obstinate sinful ways, Yahweh gave hope and mercy for the remanant out of His kindness, for those who are willing to repent and be reformed, so that they will live in His goodness, Amos 5:15.
🍂Child of God, Remember this, wherever you are in this lockdown, seek God in repentance, fear Him in reverence and holiness, serve and worship Him wherever you are in this lockdown, and you will live. Wherever you are in your backslidden spiritual state, return to Him by repentance; seek Him in prayer and supplication; acknowledge your sins, and humble yourselves before Him, and appeal to His pardoning grace and mercy and you will live
🍂To live is – to live in His abundant mercy and grace, enjoying a spiritual and physical life,enjoying the favour of God, and His presence in His Word, and live eternally in the world to come. There are huge benefits in returning to God and living in His Ways, and executing justice for those around us like a flowing river, Amos 5:24 in this lockdown….Amen🙏
anniekoshy@God’s Thirstydeer 🦌 Breaking the Chain with You… ⛓️