Unseen Road Ahead, Use the Light of Christ to Proceed

 Greetings in the Lord~

For the past couple of weeks I've been led to read from the book of Amos.  First of all, that prophet is interesting to me, as he was just a regular dude working in the fields when God called him to speak to the northern tribes of Israel.  Who knows why God called Amos, this regular dude, maybe because someone in an official Jewish/religious capacity would have been turned away from the get go, as the northern tribes at that time were idol worshipers for the most part.  It's also interesting how many prophetic voices we have speaking in this day and age that are also just "regular people," called by God to speak out in their sphere of influence or on social media, or what have you.  It's almost like God is intentionally using these regular folks because there is a large portion of the United States that does not or would not listen to anyone who came to them in an official religious capacity, just like in Amos' day.  And these regular folks are being threatened, attacked, mocked, and cursed just like Amos was in his day as well.  Funny how things don't change.

Anyway, the message in Amos 2 and Amos 8 are the prophetic word for today.  Basically, Amos 2 is God's indictment against both Judah (southern tribes) and Samaria (northern tribes) of Israel.  Judah refuses to obey God's instructions and ways even though they claim to still worship God Almighty.  They are being led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors, which more than likely, was the seduction and lure of worldliness, power and wealth, and disregarding God's word to do so.  

Unlike their southern brothers, the Israelites of Samaria and the northern tribes were not serving God, but rather, had set up idols and adopted the false gods of the surrounding nations.  So God's indictment against them was that they were breaking even conventional, secular laws and norms of morality.  They were completely heathen at heart and lied, lusted after, cheated, and stole whatever they could from whoever they could because they wanted to.  They also persecuted those who adhered to God's word and those called to speak God's words, such as preachers, teachers, and prophets.  Such is the divide and spiritual condition of the United States today.  

Oh, yes, there is a remnant that is still faithful to God and law abiding, and adheres to patriotic and conservative values, but today's word is mainly focusing on those that are not living in ways that are pleasing to the Lord and are creating their own rules, their own values of self-righteousness and are persecuting the upright and oppressing the poor and powerless because they can.  In a nutshell, Amos 2 and 8 both tell us plainly: acts of God's judgment are coming to discipline the wicked and return backsliders in the nation back to Himself.

I've already given these types of prophetic words this year, especially as it pertains to political leaders and different industry elites, but I will also include today those who keep persecuting God's speakers and prophetic voices unawares.  It is no secret that every week in addition to the outright censorship, mocking, "canceling" and whatever other form of oppression being used to try and silence God's voices in this hour, that witchcraft and dark arts are also being employed by the wicked against God's people.  There are many powerful decision-makers and supporters that have sold their souls to get where they are at and use dark means to "get ahead" or attack their enemies, but woe is them.  For the day comes when all that they put their trust and hope in will be swept away.  Undeserved curses always return to the senders (and those that financed the curses) and those that seek the lives of the upright will fall into their own traps; their violence returns upon their own heads.  So we will be entering a season where the turmoil at hand will have a discipline effect upon those who have been living against God's ways and rejecting God's words.  

Additionally, Amos 8:11-13 tells us something interesting: "The time is surely coming," says the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine on the land -- not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord.  People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.  Beautiful girls and strong young men will grow faint in that day, thirsting for the Lord's word."  

Yes, the Lord's words that cause people to groan and scowl and lash out and ignore them now will soon be taken from their ears and they will starve for them.  You see, the worst judgment to come upon people is to be separated from the Presence and Voice of God.  You can rebel and reject God for only so long before God won't speak any more words for you to ignore....then you will thirst for His living water!  That is a very dry and desperate place to be, indeed.  

Soon will come events in this nation that will cause this unique hunger and thirst, but how much better to have this living water within you, to repent now and eat His Bread daily.  You will never hunger or thirst, no matter the circumstances around you.  Yes, this is much better.  So today, I pray that people will seek the Lord while He may be found, and that believers in Christ will turn their eyes to Him before they are scared and uncertain about current and future events.  

Just as I drove up to Pikes Peak yesterday, the road near the top had no guardrails and a sheer drop-off; at each curve it was so steep that the road looked like it ended in the sky only to have a hairpin curve appear at the last second that wound back along the mountain side!   Up we went -- 14,100 feet to the summit.  My hands were shaking when we got there!  That is how it feels on the day of the Lord, when nations go through life-changing days we've never seen before --trust and obey and  you will make it safely to the summit.  Greater days are yet ahead but who can see the way?  Only those who have His word as a lamp.

~Be blessed and be a blessing.