What we See-What we Convey

Thoughts from Amos (The Message Paraphrase)-the "what we see" part:
Chapter 5:

"Justice is a lost cause. Evil is epidemic.  Decent people throw up their hands.  Protest and rebuke are useless, a waste of breath.  Seek good and not evil-and live!  You talk about God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, being your best friend.  Well, live like it, and maybe it will happen.  Hate evil and love good, then work it out in the public square."

"...I can't stand your religious meetings.  I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.  I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals.  I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making.  I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.  When was the last time you sang to me?  Do you know what I want?  I want justice-oceans of it.  I want fairness-rivers of it.  That's what I want.  That's all I want." 

Chapter 6:

"Woe to those who live in luxury and expect everyone else to serve them!  Woe to those who live only for today, indifferent to the fate of others!  Woe to the playboys, the playgirls, who think life is a party held just for them!  Woe to those addicted to feeling good-life without pain!  Those obsessed with looking good-life without wrinkles!  They could not care less about their country going to ruin." 

Is it just me or does this sound an awful lot like what we see around us today?  Amos may have brought the message (rather reluctantly) but he was obedient-he said what had to be said.  But he also ended on a hopeful note.  There would be shaking and sifting but a faithful remnant would remain.  And that remnant would rebuild because God would bless them.  

I'm still reading in the Book of Acts and today I read about Paul and Barnabas in Antioch (chapter 13). They were invited to speak twice.  The second time some of the Jews became jealous because of the crowds and they contradicted what Paul was saying.  Long story short, this is the point where Paul told the Jews that they had rejected the message so now they would be going to preach to the Gentiles siting Isaiah 49:6 as the justification for doing so.  It goes on to say that when they Gentiles heard this "they were glad and praised the word of the Lord..."  The message that was conveyed?  There was hope for them too!  They could accept that Jesus was the Savior and they too could be saved.  They could be included as well!  I got thinking about this:  what would it feel like to be an outsider, wanting to be a part of this but being told that you couldn't be included because you didn't have the right qualifications.  What would it feel like to have someone come along and suddenly say "oh that's nonsense, you can be included too!"  Is the church today willing to convey that message-hope.  Or will we stand by and look at what we see and say "this is simply how it is."  What message are we willing to convey?  How far are we willing to go?

If Amos, even in the midst of delivering a very painful message, could still hold out a message of hope, shouldn't we be doing the same?  The message is not pleasant-we all need to repent.  But there is hope!  Jesus is Savior and he is available to all who are willing to believe.  No qualifications necessary other then a believing heart and a willingness to repent our old ways and follow a new way.  That message should be first and foremost today!  Our world needs it desperately!

You Continue to Ignore Me-Thoughts on Amos, Choices and Trust

In Amos, chapter 4 The Message paraphrase uses almost word for word the same sentence four times:

"you continue to ignore me".  

This chapter mentions famine, drought, disease, fire and earthquake-major catastrophes happening to the people.  In each instance, instead of turning to God, they chose to do their own thing.

Each of us make choices every day in one form or another.  Some choices are easy.  Others are a little more difficult.  The little nudges by the Spirit asking us to do things that we are not comfortable doing, they can be the hardest choices.   For me, they tend to be the choices I wrestle with the most.  It's not that I want to willingly ignore God.  It's tough to choose to get whacked!  I have a lack of understanding as to "why" and trust comes in to play.  Choosing to trust, can be a tough item for me personally!

At the end of the Gospel of John, Jesus asks Simon  three times "do you love me?" The Disciple Bible study notes say that Jesus did not call him Peter because "...he was no longer a rock.  He had reverted to predisciple behavior, so Jesus used his predisciple name to reclaim him."  Simon had a choice to make.  He already believed that Jesus was the Messiah.  He loved Jesus, no question.  His struggle was not with Jesus, his struggle was with himself!  Not only did he have to choose to follow but he also had to trust that God would give him the ability to carry out what was being asked of him.  He had a choice to make and we know that he chose to follow.  History tells us that he died a martyr.  How different would history be if he had chosen to ignore God?

I'm not perfect and I know it!  Sometimes I get it right, and sometimes I blow it!  The problem is not God, the problem is me!  I pray that God gives me the strength to make the right choices and not ignore what He is asking me to do.  It's not always easy but I have faith and hope in His power, not my own!  The holiness journey is about trusting God to lead the way.  And trust is something that I struggle with mightily at times!

Wesley understood this and in his sermon The End of Christ's Coming he put it this way:

"We know, weakness of understanding, and a thousand infirmities, will remain, while this corruptible body remains; but sin need not remain: This is that work of the devil, eminently so called, which the Son of God was manifested to destroy in this present life. He is able, he is willing, to destroy it now, in all that believe in him. Only be not straitened in your own bowels! Do not distrust his power, or his love! Put his promise to the proof! He hath spoken: And is he not ready likewise to perform Only "come boldly to the throne of grace," trusting in his mercy; and you shall find, "He saveth to the uttermost all those that come to God through him!"

Wise words of wisdom to apply to the choices we make every day!

Those Who Only Live for Today

I read the book of the Prophet Amos a couple weeks ago.  For whatever reason I haven't been able to shake the word pictures or the points made in this tiny little book.  I see clearly that some of what he describes is playing out today in our oh so modern world. 

Now in times past, Prophets did two things.  They brought a word of warning.  Their message was simple-repent or turn back otherwise, you're heading down a slippery slope.  They also brought a word of hope.  Usually they were ignored.  Sometimes they had to run for the lives.  And once in awhile someone actually listened to them like Jonah when he went to Nineveh.  The point being, there was always a word of warning before catastrophe struck and the listener could choose to heed the warning or go on their merry way living only for today.

Let me just say that I'm not predicting gloom and doom.  I take these modern day end time "prophets" with a grain of salt because A) the Bible clearly states that only God knows when the end will be and B) their message brings about fear rather than hope.  And lets face it, the end for any human can come at any time without warning.  Car accidents can't be predicted.  Earthquakes can not be predicted.  Our short span on this little rock in the universe is fraught with danger every day, so you might just as well do the very best you can and not worry about what is to come!

Does that sound contradictory to my blog title?  On the surface, maybe.  You have to delve a little deeper though to get the full gist of what Amos was saying.  The people he was talking about were only concerned with themselves.  They were driven by a "what's in it for me, what do I get out of this" mentality.  So what if you have to sell me every last thing you own and live on the street, too bad, so sad, oh well.  They based their worth on what they had accumulated.  They took keeping up with the Jones to the extreme!  And if there was a little bribery involved; a wink and a secret handshake well, that was just the way of the world cause it's dog eat dog out there.  Oh and let's not forget their public worship-look at me, look how pious I am!  Look at how generous I am-take a picture of my hugging a poor child that I just handed a toy to!  Isn't it wonderful that I am all that and a bag of chips!  They were living for today with a self absorbed ambition and obsession without regard to how it impacted those around them.  Sound familiar? 

Yes, I see that going on today.  But I also see a great awakening which gives me hope!  There's an old hymn called Simple Gifts that says :

"tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free, tis a gift to come round where you ought to be, and when you find the gift in the place just right, it will be in the valley of love and delight.  When true simplicity is gained, to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed, to turn, turn will be our delight and by turning turning we come round right."

It's a silent, quiet, growing movement.  I see it with our young people who want to volunteer in order to help others.  I see it with the "slow food revolution" where people buy locally, grow their own garden produce, cook at home, share meals with friends and family.  I see it in communities that offer music in the park or family movie nights.  I see it with companies that sign on with the "Doing Virtuous Business" project.  I even see it in churches that open up their building to community groups to use and come up with creative ways to help out in the community.  Being self absorbed is not the cool thing to do any more!  It might make interesting and tragic reality television but that's about the extent of it!  Being of service to others is the wave of the future. 

There is a "turning" that is beginning to happen because people realize that there is far more to life than just "things".  There is a longing to be a part of something bigger than ourselves!  When we simplify our lives, when we stop striving for things that we don't really need we experience  freedom and creativity because we're not weighed down by stuff!  We gain the gift of time and the capacity to give.  We are freed to do things that really matter the most to us.   Balance is slowly but surely being restored.

I have great hope because I see that there are individual who understand that living for today means so much more than how we have defined it over the last few years!  Thank you God for carefully timed warnings that bring us "where we ought to be!"