After reading the introduction to Amos and Spurgeon’s thoughts on Amos, my thoughts were that in the Old Testament it was the LORD says, in the New Testament it is Jesus said. God instructed his people to listen to His Son (Mark 9:7). Like Father like Son as the saying goes. Jesus said, “The Son can do nothing by Himself he can do only what he sees the Father doing. And He speaks the things that the Father has taught Him. As sons and daughters we are to do what Jesus did through the power of the Holy Spirit for the Father instructed His people to listen, and to follow Jesus, in doing what is pleasing to Him. Jesus as God’s Son is faithful over God’s house and His people is His house (Hebrews 3:6).
However, like expressed in Amos some of the Lord’s people have gotten out of the way of fellowship and communion with the Father. He wanted the people to come nearer to Him. The people of God are to walk in communion with Him recognizing that they are a diverse group of people (Spurgeon, CSB). A group of people walking together in a union of concern, enjoyment, and love for each other. One might imply that this generation of people have gone astray from their pure and sincere devotion to Christ, as it is written in Revelation 2:4 some have forsaken the love they had. This ought not to be now for Christ is living in His believers. Therefore, they as the people of God can remain hopeful and confident to the end by the revealing of their faith as real, that keeps them from being blown away (going astray) by the winds of persecution, temptation, or false teaching. The teachings of Jesus and His example of leadership is what we are to follow as explained in the first paragraph. God is saying listen to my Son, He does what I taught Him, and what He has seen me do.
The book of Amos is telling God’s people to be prepared to meet your God, and repent be reconciled (5:14-15), it was the final call to repentance where the people were to seek good and not evil so that they may live and hate evil and love good, putting justice firmly in place in the gate… The commentary in my kindle NIV Bible explains verse 15 as not just being an encouragement to be good, but it is a command for reforming the legal and social system in getting rid of corruption, false accusations, and bribery. My thought is how can this reform happen? The LORD says, by listening to my Son, He does what I taught Him, and what He has seen Me do.
The Lord Is my light and salvation, whom shall, I fear.
Walk in the liGht and have fellowship with God.
Fear God and keep His commandments.
The Lord will be your everlasTing light.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (John 8:12, NIV). Ecclesiastes 11:7 tells us that the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun. How pleasant it is to behold the Son. He is the light that shines upon the hills. Have you felt the warmth of His sweetness?
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said “they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him.” If I could go back in time, I would express to Mary that the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead now dwells in His believers and because of His Spirit, His followers have life, can walk in the Fathers statutes, have unconditional love, and serve God and others without self-interest.
I would tell Mary knowing Jesus is an experience of the fullness of joy and oneness, for He prayed for His disciples that all that the Father has given Him be protected by the power of His name so that they may be one as He and the Father are one. Jesus asked the Father to protect them from the evil one and sanctify them by the truth of His word. Jesus also prayed to the Father for all believers that they would unite as one just as He and the Father are one. Jesus said He has given His believers the glory that the Father has given Him, declaring “I in them and you and me so that they may be brought to complete unity then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” I would tell Mary Jesus has made himself known in order that the love God has for Him is in His believers and He is in them. He also said that the Spirit of truth will guide them into all truth, not speaking on His own but speaking what He hears, and He will tell them what is yet to come.
I would tell Mary that Jesus’ gospel message and the kingdom’s imminent coming is being proclaimed all over the world, many are being saved and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. And visual technology is how the gospel message along with knowledge that is increasing is being communicated. Reflecting back in scripture God told Daniel that knowledge would increase in Daniel 12:4, which it is also through visual and virtual technology which would amaze her.
Finally, I would tell Mary His followers worship and celebrate Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection every year and her finding His empty tomb. In addition, His followers continually thank Him for His saving grace and redeeming love; rejoicing, thanking God in all circumstances, and praying constantly, for it is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. And the name of Jesus is exalted as He sits at the right hand of the Father and reigns in His kingdom. His followers are waiting patiently for His return. There would be plenty more I could tell Mary or even give her a Bible, for I would not be able to write everything in this short story and some things are better left alone, she would not be able to anything about them only God can and those He has called and equipped to fulfill His purpose. End of story giving God all the glory and the risen Son, Jesus Christ our Savior. Love from the Father.
Keep it real pastor, hit the nails in the right spots.
Keep it real pastor, allow me to sweat and bleed.
Keep it real pastor, so I can suffer.
Keep it real pastor, so I too share the heartache and pain.
Keep it real pastor, for the truth will prevail.
Keep it real pastor sure it will hurt me.
Keep it real pastor so I can endure.
Keep it real pastor until I persevere.
Keep it real pastor soon my joy and peace will come.
Keep it real pastor until Jesus and I am one.
Reading: 1 Peter 4:1-3
Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lust of men but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lewdness lust drunkenness revelries drinking parties and abdominal idolatries.
As a teenager (now 71) this was one of my favorite songs. I remembered it on the first or second day of our tour in Israel as I walked through a garden.
I Come To The Garden Alone
I Come To The Garden Alone
While The Dew Is Still On The Roses,
And The Voice I Hear Falling On My Ear
The Son Of God Discloses.
And He Walks With Me, And He Talks With Me,
And He Tells Me I Am His Own;
And The Joy We Share As We Tarry There,
None Other Has Ever Known.
He Speaks, And The Sound Of His Voice
Is So Sweet The Birds Hush Their Singing,
And The Melody That He Gave To Me
Within My Heart Is Ringing
The song was written by C. Austin Miles (1868-1946) a Pennsylvanian who was an educated pharmacist turned gospel song publisher and writer who one morning reflected on Christ’s resurrection after reading John 20:1-18. Mr. Miles had a vision on March of 1912, he said he drew his Bible towards him and it opened to his favorite chapter of John 20:1-18, he goes on to say that the meeting of Jesus and Mary Magdalene had lost none of its power to charm as he read it that day, he seemed to be part of the scene and became a silent witness to that dramatic moment in Mary’s life when she knelt before her Lord and cried, Rabboni!
The article explains that Mr. Miles goes on to say that his hands were resting in the Bible while he stared at his light blue wall. And as the light faded, he seemed to be standing at the entrance of a garden looking down a gently winding path shaded by olive branches. Mr. Miles the author of the song, describes the arrival of Mary, Peter, and John as they gathered at the tomb followed by the appearance of Jesus. This article written about Mr. Miles goes on to say that he awakened in full light gripping the Bible with tense muscles and nerves vibrating under the inspiration of the vision where he began to write quickly the words which formed into a poem.
According to this article Mr. Miles wrote his narrative after reading John 20:1-18, the article explained that he seemed to be a part of the scene. And that he felt he was walking with the risen Christ in the garden. when I sing this song I also feel as I am walking with Jesus.
For further reading you can find this article by the title ‘ History of Hymns: I Come to the Garden Alone’-Discipleship
Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.
A few days ago, as I was driving from Florida to South Carolina (a six hour drive), a strange experience happened. In the middle of my phone directions, Revelation chapter 10 started playing from my audio Bible. I was a bit surprised because I did not touch the audible app (that I knew off). I wanted to stop it from playing because I never drove on this particular highway before and wanted to pay attention to the road. However, I couldn’t stop it because I was driving with both my hands and did not want to get off the road. So I decided to let it play till the end where eventually it would stop playing. So I listened. I caught a few scriptures that I wanted to remember to place in my journal. However, when the audio stopped after Revelation 22, I heard the orator say “ The genealogy of Jesus Christ” in Matthew chapter 1. At this point all I could say was this is something God wants me to know.
After settling down at home I remembered hearing the “Song of Moses the Lamb” but I did not hear what chapter in Revelation it was in, so I did a little research on google, then BibleGateway. As I reflected on the above experience, my thought was “What would we do without the power of God’s Spirit who uses all things, including technology to connect, reveal, and teach believers the Word of God and make things known. To some this experience may sound hard to believe and to some it’s not for they know that God is sovereign and can do all things (Isaiah 45:7-9). Therefore, I am sharing my experience and one of the passages from Revelation.
In Revelation 15:1-4 John said:
“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Hannah was one of two wives of Elkanah,whocould not have any children whereas, his other wife Peninnah had children, this made Hannah very unhappy and tearful. Although her husband treated her with loving affection by giving her double portions of his sacrifices and shared one portion of the sacrifices with the other wife, his sons, and daughters. Elkanah understood that God had closed her womb.
But on this particular day Hannah would not eat and kept crying and her husband was questioning her why was her heart sad and why was she acting that way. He felt that she should be happy because she had him, who was worth more than ten sons. Hannah was deeply distressed and went to the Lord in prayer and made her request. Philippians 4:6-7, instructs the believer to not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let his or her requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard his or her heart and minds in Christ Jesus.
This is what Hannah did she prayed and wept bitterly making her request known to God in addition to making this vow “Oh Lord of host if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant but give me, your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life and no razor shall touch his head” (that’s another story).
According to this story of Hannah, Eli the priest was sitting on a seat beside the doorposts of the temple, and had observed Hannah, at first, he thought she was drunk. She explained that she had a troubled spirit. And we know that there are times that we have a troubled spirit. The priest after hearing her petition told her to go in peace and the God of Israel grants your petition that you have made to him. She said let your servant find favor in your eyes and when she left the priest, she was no longer sad. And as the story goes Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son, who she named Samuel who became a great judge and prophet.
Reflection:
Today we have the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ to take our prayers to and he tells us not to let our hearts be troubled. You believe in God believe also in me (John 14:1). In John 15:14-17 (NIV) Jesus said, I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit, that will last and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
Wind Gust 