How would Almighty God
deal with an adulterous nation? The answer is quite astounding as we read in
the book of Ezekiel, in Chapter 16, for there we learn that people to whom the
nation Israel turned would be attacked by those to whom the people turned.
Check it out. And
check out the book of the prophet Amos because over these past weeks I have
been reading and studying this profound and relevant word from Almighty God.
There has been a
painful lament and following this lament and this tearful dirge, the song which
is like that sung at a wake, and which speaks of death, Amos pleads with the
people to whom he has been sent, to turn to God, to their God, to the God who
would give them life.
Virgin Israel is
referred to and the meaning is that Israel had remained unconquered.
The nation of Israel
can have life, or a life sentence - 70 years imprisoned in Babylon, in exile.
We know they ended up on Babylon, modern day Iraq
Jesus came to give us
life. Jesus Christ came to set us free from sin. We can serve a life sentence
of sin or we can enjoy forgiveness and freedom and love and joy.
This is why we are
always pleading with people to come to God through Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, taking every opportunity, and even seeking to make opportunities to speak
and to witness and to testify and to point people to Jesus Who is the way, the
truth, and the life.
The situation was bad
at Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba, and Amos warns the people, and spells things
out so clearly.
Were they saying, we
will be all right in Bethel, and we will be all right as long as we go to
Gilgal and Beersheba?
This is not so
strange. People would say to me, about John who had died and whose funeral
service I was invited to conduct - "O John - he used to come to your
Christmas Eve Service" - as if that nod in the direction of God was
sufficient.
The centres of worship
had become corrupt.
Seek the Lord, or
else! Now that is strong, and is almost repulsive. Yes, that is what Amos the
prophet of God prophesied and preached and spoke.
Some would not want to
hear this sort of thing, then nor today, but it just happened to be true, and
just happens to be true.
It will be like a fire
without a fire brigade.
It can feel like that
in our so-called sophisticated society today.
A fire of immorality
in the Western World - a fire of famine in Africa - a fire of the disease AIDS
sweeping through many nations, and it appears that we cannot quench it.
There is not enough
water. O there is, but people do not want to drink.
Whoever believes in Me
as the Scripture as said, streams of living water will flow from within him. If
a man is thirsty let him come to me and drink. These are the word of Jesus and
it is Jesus who provides the powerful refreshing renewing power of the Holy
Spirit to deal with these fires that can rage in people's lives.
One day sinful wicked
men brought an adulterous woman to Jesus Christ. When Jesus challenged the men
they all began to slink away. The dear woman was left, and Jesus told her to go
and leave her life of sin. In John Chapter 8 there is an amazing lesson we each
can learn. Do read it and enjoy its truth!
Sandy Shaw is Pastor
of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy,
and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively
over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa,
Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and
most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars,
in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts
regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on
various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D.
degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and
exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.
0 comments:
Post a Comment