Amos 3  Because of the unique relationship that God had established with Israel, and their utter rebellion against His commands, the judgement was inevitable and Amos declares this with a progressive series of questions...  examples of cause and effect...

Two men who walk together ( effect) must have met by agreement. ( cause)
A lion roars in the forest ( effect).. because he found his prey. ( cause)
A young lion growls in its den ( effect) because it has captured its dinner. ( cause)
A bird falls into a trap ( effect)  because it has been baited for that purpose. (cause )
A trap springs shut ( effect) because something has set it off. (cause)
A trumpet sounds an alarm in the city, ( cause) causing the people to tremble. (effect)

A calamity comes upon the nation ( effect).. because the Lord had done it.. (cause)
The Lord speaks... and the prophet must prophesy.
God reveals His intentions through His servants and He will do what He says.

"A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?"

Again, Amos proclaims the sins of Israel and the just punishment that the Lord is declaring against them.  He invites the enemies of Israel, the Philistines and the Egyptians.. to gather and watch.. witnesses to crimes committed by God's own people...

".. see the great tumults within her and the oppressions in her midst... they do not even know how to do right... these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels."

Samaria, the capital of Israel, was filled with panic and terror.  The rule of law had disintegrated. Violence and oppression was rampant. The rich hoarded their wealth and exploited the poor. They plundered and looted their own countrymen. Terror ruled.  They profited from oppressing the poor.

Now God has spoken and His judgements would be certain.  An enemy would invade, overrun, plunder and destroy the fortresses of the rich, who sat in their lofty positions.  Utter destruction would be like a lion that snatched a sheep and left only an ear or piece of bone.  They would be snatched out of their beds of ease, clinging to their blankets.  Their altar at Bethel would be destroyed.. "the horns of the altar".. the place where a fugitive could grab on and claim asylum.. would be "cut off".  There was no hope of escaping God's just punishment.

This truth stands for the day of judgement yet to come.  God has spoken and He will do what He says He will do.  Like the Israelites , some of us may think that a loving God will surely save us.. no matter what.. but that is false hope.  Unless we repent and put our trust in the One and Only Savior, Who died to pay for our transgressions.. we are still sinners.. still under judgement.. and will still pay the ultimate punishment - death. (Oh how thankful we are for Jesus Christ our Savior!)

In our natural, fleshly bodies, we "do not even know how to do right"..  We see in our country today the battle against the rule of law that is leading to tumult and devastation..  The rich grow richer and the poor are oppressed.  Violence is rampant.  We are in the same place as Israel was when God declared His coming punishment.

O Lord God, help us!  Bring repentance and revival to our land.  May we turn from sin and death.  May we turn to Christ and be redeemed, forgiven, and resurrected into new life.. holy, blameless and yielded to You, our God and King.  You are our God and we will serve You alone.  There is no other name that we will call upon, but the Wonderful name of Jesus, who is all in all.  In this name we bow before You and ask these things. Amen.

Amos 2  Moab is also judged for her rebellion against the Lord.. with one of those transgressions being that they dug up the graves of Edom's kings and burned their bones to powder.  It was an act of great offense to desecrate a grave like this.   God's punishment upon them, like the other Gentile nations, was the destruction of their citadels and the slaying of their leaders.  This was accomplished by the Assyrians.

Amos now turns to the trespasses of Israel and Judah.  The judgements against the foreign nations was one thing.. but now, it gets personal.

Judah - rejected the Law of the Lord.  They did not keep His statutes.  They lived lies.  They were idolators.

Israel's sins are spelled out in even more detail:
They sold their brethren for money.
They sold the poor for the price of a pair of sandals.
They stomped on the helpless.
They practiced immorality.
They profaned the Lord's name.
They illegally kept the pledges of others... oppressing them and even threatening their lives.
They took the wine that they falsely extracted as fines.. and toasted idols.

God reminds Israel of His provisions for her..
He brought them out of Egypt.
He moved out the Amorites and others from the land.
He led them in the wilderness.
He gave them prophets and Nazirites.

In spite of all that God had done to establish Israel.. they rebelled again Him over and over.
Judgement was coming... and no one would escape.
The fastest runner cannot outrun the Lord.
The strongest warrior cannot escape God's sword.
The bravest of them would be just as naked before God as all the rest.

We have nothing that has not come from the hand of God. When we fail to remember this and we choose not to honor Him.. we profane His holy name. We are rebellious.  The wrath of God is just. The punishment for our transgressions is thorough.

Father in heaven,  forgive us this day our transgressions.. our every act of rebellion, pride, and arrogance. Forgive us for failing to recognize Your image in every one of Your creations.. for failing to give respect where it is due.. for failing to show compassion when we can. For acting in any way that falls short of Your will.. that is un-Christlike.
Lead us Lord, in paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake.
Deliver us from the evil one.
May all glory and honor and praise be to You alone, Lord.
Thank You for bringing us into the Kingdom of the Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.  For redeeming us, cleansing us, and for giving us new life in Him. Fill us with Your Spirit that we may exhibit Your glory to all those we meet.
We pray in the Wonderful name, the name of Jesus . Amen.

Amos 1 - God chose Amos, a shepherd from a remote area, to be His voice.  In this first chapter Amos has been given a vision of judgement against the nations surrounding Israel and Judah.
Damascus, Gaza, Ashdod, Ekron, Tyre, Edom, Temon, and Ammon.... have all transgressed - revolted and rebelled against God.   Their transgressions are numbered:

Verses 3-5  -Damascus - they threshed Gilead. - its final and culminating sin that finally went beyond God's patience ; They were barbaric.  They tortured and mutilated the people of Gilead. This total disregard for human life would bring total and irrevocable judgement on them.

Their punishment would be fire that would consume the walls and fortresses of the city.
The breaking down of the gate.
The destruction of their king. The end of Hazael's dynasty.
The exile of the Arameans back to Kir, their place of origin.
" A complete reversal of Aram's proud history... obliterating all they had achieved" ( Bible Knowledge Commentary)
All of this was carried out by the Assyrians in 732 BC.

verses 6-8  Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron were cities of the Philistines.  Their greatest and culminating sin that brought them under the severe judgement of God was that they would take whole communities into captivity and sell them in the trade markets in Edom.

Their punishment would be fire that would consume their walls and citadels.
The removal of their king.
The destruction of their people.
God's power was unleashed upon the Philistines by the Assyrians.

Verses 9-10 Tyre - also sold people into slavery.. but it was even worse than the Philistines, because they broke their "covenant of brotherhood" to do so.  At least some of those slaves were Israelites.

They also would receive punishment, fire would destroy their wall and their citadels.
Tyre was attacked by the troops of Alexander the Great in 332 BC. Many were killed, some by crucifixion.. and many sold into slavery themselves.

Verses 11-12 Edom... the descendants of Esau... " pursued his brother with the sword".  They had no compassion. They raged with anger "continually".

God would punish Edom with the armies of Assyria.  Its main strongholds in Teman and Bozrah were destroyed.  By the 5th century it was a wasteland.  Then the land was occupied by the Arabian tribe, Nabateans.

Verses 13-15 Ammon - Their most horrid sin was the practice of terrorizing their enemies by cruelly targeting pregnant women and slicing open their wombs, killing them and their unborn babies.  Preying on those most defenseless.. in order to gain more land.

God also used the Assyrians to punish Ammon.  Rabbah, the capital was set on fire.  God sent a violent wind to pour out His judgement on them. The king was taken into exile.

The things that anger the Lord are clear - bloodshed, oppression, betrayal, slave trading.. unrestrained anger, cruelty.   Our world is still full of this rebelliousness and sinfulness against Him and against each other.  His wrath will not be ignored.. and His patience will come to an end.  There is a time of judgement that will come against every nation that rebels against the Sovereign God.  And that includes the USA.

Father in Heaven,  may we come to repentance .. as a nation, for the transgressions that we have committed against You.  Please help us to stop the bloodshed and the tyranny, the anger and bitterness,  and the heartless destruction on those most helpless.  Our nation is again facing an election that is so divisive and will lead us in two possible directions.  You know the future and we put our hope in You, Lord.  Lead us into truth and righteousness.  May our leaders be able to find ways for peace and goodness to return.  Above all, Lord God, may Christ reign!  Let Your Kingdom come and You will be done.. in His Name. Amen.

Joel 1-3  This book of prophecy starts with a picture of absolute desolation. Everything is destroyed.  There is no more grain, no more vines, no more hope.  Verse 8 tells the people to "wail like a virgin girded with sackcloth".   A bride who waits for her groom, who will never come.. sorrow upon sorrow.

Every crop has failed.  Everything is dried up and dead. The storehouses are empty. There is nothing for the cattle to graze on and even the brooks of water have dried up.  And on top of all of that a fire starts and consumes everything before them and behind them.  This is the day of the Lord.. " The day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome. And who can endure it?" (2:11b)

The day of the Lord ... the day of God's judgement upon all the earth and upon every individual ever born... is coming.  All will stand before the Maker and Sovereign Lord.. and give account.  There are no excuses.. no cover-ups.. no place to hide.. when we stand before the Throne of God.

" Yet even now, 'declares the Lord', Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting and weeping and mourning; and rend you heart and not your garments . Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, and relenting of evil." 

Come back... God calls us. "Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people.."  He calls the elders, the children, the babies, the bridegrooms and brides, the priests and the ministers... He calls us all to come to Him.. to weep.. to repent.. to come back.

And if we do.. He will forgive. He will restore.  He will "make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten."  He will bless. He will deal "wondrously" with us.  He will deliver.  And He will pour out His Spirit "on all mankind".

God will bless Jerusalem.  He will dwell in Zion.  He will be known as the God of Israel.  He will judge the nations.

Father, You are Lord of heaven and earth. The God of all creation.   You will judge every person.. justly and perfectly.  Yet, praise Your name,  You have revealed Yourself to us as  the God.. who is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness.   You hear us when we cry out to You and You have pity on us.  You forgive our sins.  You restore our souls.  You give us Your Spirit...  How can we say thank You enough?   We yield our lives, we surrender our wills,  and we praise and love You with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength.  Thank You! In  the name of our savior  Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

I Corinthians 16  This closing portion of Paul's letter gives various instructions.. some having to do with relationships and some simple statements of the things are important :

" Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 

Actions... that prove the character of each man or woman in the church.
Be Alert - ready for the Lord's return.. looking for Him!
Stand firm - hold fast, persevere... abide in Him by faith.
Be courageous, mature, strong in the Lord.
And above all things - love.

Paul talks about respecting worthy leaders, being subject to them and helping them as they do the work of ministry.  These actions also reveal a heart yielded to the Lord Jesus.

Paul began this letter appealing to the church to be united.. united in Christ, their Head.
He reminded them ( and us) that the only focus they need is Jesus Christ.. crucified and resurrected!
He appealed to his readers to grow up - in the Truth and Righteousness of Christ.
He taught them about what is best - living for Christ with humility and loving one another.
And, he reminded them of the great hope that  they ( and we)  have in Christ - that we will be resurrected just like Jesus - imperishable, immortal.. eternally with our Lord.

We can be steadfast, immovable, and abounding in the work of the Lord - because of all that God has done.. for us... in us... and through us!  Praise His holy Name!

Thank you Father for Your power and glory and strength - given to us for the good of the church, the body of Christ.  May we walk in a manner worthy of Your calling.  May we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our God and of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  We praise You and worship You, for You alone are God and there is no other!  Amen.

I Corinthians 15 - continued... Reassuring and exhorting the church in Corinth - that Jesus was indeed resurrected from the dead and now lives- Paul goes on to teach that Jesus is the "first fruits of those who are asleep. "  Because of Adam's sin death entered the world, but because of Christ's death and resurrection - "all shall be made alive." 

There is a time that is coming when Christ will return,  He will "deliver up the kingdom to the God and Father".  He will "abolish all rule and all authority and power."  He will "reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet."   And.. " The last enemy that will be abolished is death."

The rest of the chapter contains Paul's teaching on the mystery of the resurrection..

In the end.. when all things have been subjected to Jesus, then He will deliver it all up to the Father and submit Himself also, that "God may be all in all." Because there is a resurrection .. we can rejoice in this truth.

The truth is:

This natural body will die.. but it is like a seed that is planted.
A seed does not look like the crop it produces.. it is quite different.
When we are resurrected, we will be imperishable. v42
Our dead earthly bodies will be "sown in dishonor", but our resurrected body will  be "raised in glory". v43
Our weakness in these bodies will be gone, our resurrected body will be "raised in power". 
We have a natural body.. like Adam had.
We will have a "spiritual body" - like Jesus!
No longer earthly.. we will be "heavenly"!
We will "bear the image of the heavenly". v49

No longer perishable.. but imperishable.
No longer mortal.. but immortal.
No longer subject to death.. but victorious in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of these truths, Paul says, " be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

Father in heaven,  we put on the belt of truth and take up the Word of God.  We rejoice and give thanks for the hope You have given us in Jesus Christ our Savior.  As our bodies grow older and begin to be weak and we recognize all too well that we are mortal and perishable.. we thank You all the more for the coming day when we will be resurrected to imperishable, immortal, spiritual bodies, that bear the image of heaven!  Wow.  That is such an awesome truth.. we thank You and praise You!
Keep us steadfast and immovable in Christ our Rock.  We pray in His name. Amen.

I Corinthians 15  Paul uses the word "vain" 5 times in this chapter:

v2 "...unless you believed in vain"
v10 " His grace toward me did not prove vain."
v14 " and If Christ has not been raised then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain." 
v58  "... knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 

Vain - empty.. without worth.  Without faith in the whole gospel of Jesus Christ.. including the truth that He was raised from the dead...there is no worth in a christian religious life..

Paul made known "the gospel" to these "brethren".  He preached and they received it.  They needed to stand firm and "hold fast" to the Word.  "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." 

The issue that Paul is dealing with is that some were arguing the there is no such thing as the "resurrection of the dead".   Paul teaches that a gospel without the resurrection is no gospel at all!  It is vain - worthless - empty.  Our faith would be worthless - for if Christ was not resurrected our sins would not be forgiven.  If Christ was not raised from the dead..there is no use in preaching about Him.  If Christ did not rise from the grave then we have no hope.

But, Paul continues, the Truth is.. Christ was raised from the dead.  And because He did.. we "all shall be made alive" with Him!  Because He rose from the dead we have hope.. and it is a glorious hope that will be accomplished in all its fulness when He comes again.

Father in heaven,  we do not want to believe anything less than the whole gospel of Jesus Christ.  We put our faith in the truth of Your Word and want to live fully in obedience, by your grace.  Fill us Sprit of Truth with deeper faith and divine understanding.. that we might be "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.. " We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.