June 21
Amos 1:1-6:14
In the aftermath of 9/11, the Patriot Act was passed. Its purported reasoning was to not allow another terrorist attack on American soil. The main concerns surrounding this Act is that it goes against the fourth amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and essentially allows the government to spy on us and share all information about us, it's citizens. This breakdown of one's privacy was deemed worthwhile for national security. Twenty years later there is pretty much nothing which is not known about you or me to anyone who desires to know about us. They know how we vote, if you are a gun owner, and every nuance about your life considering our cell phones welcome everyone into our lives. Does this bother me? Yes! But consider Jesus' words to the church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:23, "I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works." We read in Jeremiah 17:10, "I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings." One step further we could look at Hebrews 4:12-13, that nothing is hidden from God, even our thoughts and intents. It is easy to focus on the lesser and miss the greater. Our God knows everything about us. This should humble each and every one of us realizing if not for His infinite grace and mercy, none of us should be here, knowing the true nature of our minds, thoughts, and intents.
We read in Amos 4:6-12, a series of unpleasant events which God allowed to happen to the people of Israel, with the intent to see His people return to Him, yet we see the recurring phrase after each event, "Yet you have not returned to Me, says the Lord." In 4:13, we read, "For behold, He who forms mountains, And creates the wind, Who declares to man what his thought is, And makes the morning darkness, Who treads the high places of the earth - The Lord God of hosts is His name." He sees all. He knows all. Yet, His love for us is infinite, and He knows what is best for us. He doesn't want to see any of us enter destruction, His desire is for all of us to enter into relationship. The depths of this is seen in Ezekiel 33:11, "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?" God wants what is best for us, we can hide nothing from Him, so, this should make us more aware than governmental spying. Though the government can use it for bad, God will use everything He sees for good, if we humble ourselves and accept His guidance, rebukes, discipline, as we learn to obey and become recipients of His mercy and grace.
On another note, we read in Amos 5:2, The virgin Israel has fallen; She will rise no more. She lies forsaken on her land; There is no one to raise her up." There are those who will use a verse like this to insinuate that God has cast off Israel forever. But that idea completely goes against the totality of Scripture, throughout the prophets, throughout the New Testament, etc. which speaks of God's plans of restoration for Israel. Though Israel, like many of us has been disobedient, God will once again restore Israel. Scripture must be used to interpret Scripture. Topical messages can be very dangerous, since a verse here and another verse there and the one delivering the message can misapply God's word to fit into the construct of the one presenting. This again speaks of the importance of going through God's word in it's entirety every year, so that the full counsel of God can be sought and discernment is possible. This is the purpose for the One Year Bible Plan. For those who have finished in 2023, we hope you have been blessed. We welcome all those who will join us in 2024. Remember, if you fall behind, don't worry about catching up, just jump back on wherever we are, and continue through God's story.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: