The GOD of “I Will” and “He That” (Destruction and Restoration) Amos 9

I am finishing up the Amos 9 part of my Lent journey. Yeah!!! Beloved, we all know who the “I AM” is in the Holy Bible, the “I AM” of the Beginning and of the End. While journeying through Amos 9 with the Spirit of God, lightning bugs, mosquitos and Lord knows what else was flying around outside at 2 in the morning on my back porch, I was reminded that He is not only “I AM.” He is also the God of “I Will” and “He that”. There are several themes in the bible that tell us about His ability to destroy and/or restore. In the book of Amos, we see what the Lord’s plan is for those inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom of Israel that mistreated the poor and those that lived a life (God-given life, might I add) of selfishness.

Questions…Are you or have you been an eyewitness to the mistreatment of the poor and to the selfish lifestyle of others? Are you or have you been a criminal when it comes to the mistreatment of the poor and have lived or living a selfish lifestyle? Dig deep within your heart for THE truthful answer. If you don’t, may I remind you that “He that” already know the answer will be the “I will” to destroy and/or restore you. (TYHS) It has been said many times before and shown throughout the Holy Bible that God, Our Father and Creator promises are all about His Glory and our salvation. Say what? (TYHS) As for me, it wholly manifested itself while on my journey with Amos, the “burdenbearer” prophet.

According to Amos 1:1, Amos prophesied/forecasted to Israel what the Lord showed him 2 years before the earthquake. I must ask another question here. If you were given 2 years to get your life in order for the Lord, our God, would you do it? Majority of the time we are given warnings and most ignore those warnings until the fly hits the fan. I repeat from the Amos 1-4 blog (https://talkativeangel.wordpress.com/2014/06/14/nakedness-be-aware-of-your-sins-amos-1-4/) “If you are not aware of your sin(s), how can you correct them? I found that an answer lies within the Book of Amos. (TYHS!!!) I Love You.”

Ok, so here we are with Amos and his 5^th vision of the Lord standing by the altar and speaking. He confirmed through Amos and confirms through His many signs today, that no matter where you try to run and hide, you cannot hide from or escape from His final decision to destroy and/or restore. If you are anywhere in the vicinity of His atmosphere, you will not escape it, especially those wasting time and money building spaceships to travel to and live in space. It’s not prudent. Now, that’s syrup for your pancakes. Get your milk, to help you swallow that down while reading a brief Godtific aka scientific study about God’s atmosphere.

Troposphere- the 1st and lowest level and is half of the Earth’s atmosphere( this is where God put us to live)

Stratosphere – the 2nd level ( this is where flight takes place along with the flying inhabitants of the skies)

Mesosphere- the 3rd level (this is where space meteors and rocks burn…oooh Hot!!! Cold!!!) It is also the layer that scientists know the least about.

Thermosphere- the 4th level (this is outer space, where you are NOT meant to live due to low air density and the high activity of the Sun) God allows the space industry to orbit this atmosphere.

Exosphere- the 5th level (this is the thinnest layer where things (atoms and molecules) escape into space. It is high above the 1st level. Only God will and can allow you to live here.

 

Wow! Now I hope and pray that you can discern who is in charge of the atmosphere. He is the “I AM” God of “I will” and “He that.” Hallelujah Jesus!

Back to my time with the Spirit in Amos 9… Let us all be reminded as Israel was of the Lord’s power in the following themed verses which began in Amos 1:

1. “…I will slay the last of them with the sword…”
2. “…thence will I bring them down”
3. “…I will search and take them…thence will I command the serpent”
4. “…thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.”
5. “…he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn…”
6. “…is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea…”
7. Praise Remembrance Break– Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
8. “…I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob…”
9. “…I will command, and I will sift…”
10. “…will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build…”
11. “…the Lord that doeth this…”
12. “…I will bring again the captivity…”
13. “And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.”

My 2 cents…When the Spirit of God sends a messenger or message your way…”shut the trap and hear me please” as my grandson Elijah would say, you can not continue to run and hide from the Lord’s destruction and restoration plans.

This quote concludes my journey with The GOD of “I Will” and “He That” in the Book of Amos.  I can’t wait to see what next years Lent journey has in store for me.  

“God never made a promise that was too good to be true.”- D. L. Moody

 

Photo- Courtesy of Nat Geo

Nakedness- Be Aware of Your Sin(s) Amos 1-4

Please read Amos 1-4 or perhaps a commentary. Word Up! It is best to read it for self to grasp what the Holy Spirit wants you to see. Remember, these are my thoughts in spending time with the Holy Spirit of God. I would also encourage you to read Hebrews 3.

This is my first encounter with studying (not just reading) the Book of Amos. My study began on 3/14/14 with prayer to have mercy on me and show me the message I needed to heed. Of course, the repeated theme of “for three sins, even for four” was sort of annoying to read at first. First thing I noticed is that the Lord was not slack in showing the nakedness of the people of Israel.  Can you imagine being pulled aside by someone and them reminding you all the wrong you have done?  My thought- It is a rather convicting book. It shows just how Sovereign the Lord is and it taught me about the benefits of rebuke, correction, and being fully aware of my sins…something a lot of Christians, both shepherds and sheep, shy away from when dealing with self and others. Most importantly, it taught me more about Hope. Hebrew 3:6– But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

If you are not aware of your sin(s), how can you correct them? I found that an answer lies within the Book of Amos. (TYHS!!!) I Love You.

Key Points Received

Amos 1-2

We will all be judged by God. Each and every one of us will be stripped naked. Amos 2:16-And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord.  It is clear in these chapters that God reminds the people of Israel and us that He is always watching us. He has the sole right to remind us and judge us of our sins against Him.

I prayed on this day that the Lord would show me the nakedness of those at the workplace, church, people, and myself in the coming days. I continued in daily prayer for Him to remove me from the workplace. I prayed that He would break me down to pieces and raise me up in His Glory. Hallelujah! There isn’t anything like being made fully aware of His Sovereignty and being convicted by God. And I’ll leave it at that. Something we should remember “for three sins, even for four.” Be aware folks!

Amos 3

We Christians, who share in the heavenly calling, are a chosen people just as the Israelites were. We are just as guilty of our sins against God. There were seven questions the Lord asked Israel, that I found intriguing for us to ponder today.   Amos 3:3-6(KJV)

• Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
• Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey?
• Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
• Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him?
• Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
• Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid?
• Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

Amos 4

We have a tendency to forget what the Lord has done for us. Too many times we are skydiving off into our own desires thinking we’re on top of the world and wishing for more for ourselves, our businesses, churches, and families. We suffer from a disorder called I did this when we feel we are responsible for our success. Just like the Israelites, we rarely think about being favored and blessed by God. We people, you and I forget where to return sometimes; where our Hope is rooted and from whence all things come. (Psalm 121)

The Lord reminded Israel of their past sins and Who their HOPE comes from. Hear this beloved!-(vs 11-13) I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name.

Through Amos in these first 4 chapters, God was making them aware of their sins, against Him. They were reminded of their history with God, going back and forth. They had been back and forth “from the pit to the palace” and from the palace to the pit. However, beloved darlings, if you remember nothing else about the book of Amos, please remember this. Be aware of your sin(s) and Know that there is HOPE in God. The day is upon us when there will be no back and forth between the pit and the palace. We will become lifetime inhabitants of The Palace aka The Kingdom of God.  

Be aware of your sins and be very careful how you treat others. Don’t let others keep throwing up your past. They are not God ordained judges.Your nakedness will be revealed at some point and time by God, so “prepare to meet thy God…”

Ezekiel 16:36-37– Thus saith the Lord God; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them; Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

Quotes

 

“Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add but when there is no longer anything to take away, when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness”- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“I have seen three emperors in their nakedness, and the sight was not inspiring.” – Otto von Bismarck

“Identity would seem to be the garment with which one covers the nakedness of the self, in which case, it is best that the garment be loose, a little like the robes of the desert, through which one’s nakedness can always be felt, and, sometimes, discerned.” – James Arthur Baldwin

“Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting. Not in entire forgetfulness, and not in utter nakedness, but trailing clouds of glory do we come.” – William Wordsworth

If You Knew-My Thoughts On Learning From Others In The Bible

Good Great Saturday Morning/Afternoon to you beloved.  I’ve been in deep study and thought again with the OT(Old Testament), which was one of my resolutions for this New Year, to complete a book for my grandkids about what grandma thinks and believes about God, as my papaw did for I without him knowing it. I inherited a lot of his books and writings after his death.  I hope to share with you a series about people of the OT and lessons I learned from their behavioral actions. I hope you enjoy it, and as I always say, you may not agree,and that is fine. I just ask that you keep in mind that these are my thoughts revealed to me by none other than the Holy Spirit, Himself, for my understanding of the Lord. Thank you Jesus!

If You Knew

If you knew the exact time you were going to die, what would you change in your life during that additional period(s) guaranteed to you? This is something I was thinking about concerning wasted time that we have all experienced and thoughts of how to somewhat correct past behaviors, thoughts, and actions thereof. I have learned these past three weeks and know from my experience that “silence is golden” when you put yourself in the Lord’s presence and see yourself through His eyes. Just sit quietly to self and He will reveal. There are some things you may not like or can’t believe about self.  Unveiling is a powerful thing!

So anywho! I was reading in the OT again searching for something really deep about being given a 2^nd chance to live life differently up to a certain day of guaranteed death told to you.  Here is where the remembrance of King Hezekiah kicked in.  After reading about him again, I also pondered, why was it that Adam was not given another chance to live perfectly again? That’s another blog and thought I suppose.

First I’ll share what I took from my Comprehensive Analysis of the Bible by Montgomery F. Essig, 1922 Edition about Hezekiah. Lord, I wish this edition was online so I could have just copied and pasted. Here we go!

Hezekiah – a form of a Hebrew word meaning “strength of Jehovah.”  Hezekiah was the twelfth king of Judah and one of the best of Judah’s kingly line, although he was the son of the idolater Ahaz.  He was born about 726 B.C., ascended the throne when about twenty-five years old, and reigned twenty-nine years.  One of the first acts of his reign was to do away with the idol-worship that had grown under his father and restore the true faith. He then turned his attention to win back the cities captured by the Philistines.  His success in these military operations led him to refuse tribute to Assyria, which nation had already destroyed the kingdom of Israel and led away the ten tribes captive.  This act brought to his doors an Assyrian army, and Hezekiah was forced to make terms by despoiling the Temple of gold to give to the Assyrians, who promptly broke faith, and were just as promptly punished by God, who in a night destroyed 180,000 of them by plague.  Hezekiah fell ill, and, after earnest prayer, was told by the prophet Isaiah that God would spare his life for fifteen years.  The remainder of his reign appears to have been peaceful and prosperous. References 2 Kings 16;18;19;20.

I shall add a bit more here about Hezekiah.  His mother, Abijah, was the daughter of King Zechariah. You do know that King David was Hezekiah’s grandfather, right?  And that because of Ahaz’s reign of not doing right in the eyes of the Lord, Israel was once again exiled because of Sin to Assyria?  In 2 Kings 17:18-19 the bible tells us that –So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel has introduced. 

His wife’s name was Hephzibah of which Manasseh was seeded.  It occurred to me that during the reign of kings throughout the families, that one generation would do good; then the next generation would do bad in the eyes of the Lord, and so on and so on. In other words, it seemed generations took turns between doing good and bad in the eyes of the Lord. I see that happening in my family and many others of which I am aware of their family history. There appears to be some type of skip a generational curse existing thingy. (Read the books of Judges – 2 Chronicles for specifics)

In 2 Kings 18:5-8, it tells us that- Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses.  And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.  From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

Did you know that it was Hezekiah who broke “into pieces” the bronze snake Moses made that was used to cure the Israelites from snake bites back in Moses’ day? Here’s the story about Moses’ snake.

Numbers 21:4-9 (NIV) The Bronze Snake

 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”  Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.  The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

So now back to Hezekiah….please open your bible or do a net search and read 2 Kings 20. It is a powerful chapter and a lesson in there to be learned for all. I am to close this out some time soon.

If the Lord sent a messenger, or told you Himself, “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”…. I ask again….If you knew….what would you change in your life? At that given moment Hezekiah only had a moment’s notice.  To most, if given that message, there would be nothing they could think of to do, but to lie there and die, call an ambulance, or try to write out a quick will via a phone call to a lawyer.  😛   But ah ha! here lies the strongest link in a weakest moment encountered….Watch out! Here it comes! When Hezekiah was told this, he did WHAT?  He prayed to the Lord, and this my loves, is how the 15 years was added to his life. Ask Him in faith and ye shall receive according to His will, huh? I think he was about 54 or close to it when he died.

Hezekiah really did prove to those of us, me included, in reading this; that the verses above (2 Kings 18:5-8) were kept until his death. Not only that, whatever the Lord said to Hezekiah, he accepted, whether good or bad. It made me think again about the simplicity of trusting in the Lord. We don’t have a quarter of the incidents happen in our lives that Hez had and most can’t find it in ourselves to put and keep that trust in to him until our death. We surely don’t want bad news from the Lord and we would not be as accepting of it as Hezekiah was. It is hard for us to come to grips with accepting our fate. Right? What I find even more amazing is that the bible tells us there was never another king like Hezekiah, neither before him nor after him. Thank you Holy Spirit! Brain power kick……There was never one like Jesus before Him or after Him either, nor to come.

What lesson(s) did you learn from reading about Hezekiah?

More on Hezekiah can be found in the Books of 2 Chronicles 29-32 and Isaiah 36-39. Another thing I found powerful in reading about Hezekiah is that he “thought” that……. “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”  Is that a thought of yours? If you were seconds away from your death, would you be able to utter those words?

2 Kings 20:7-11 (NIV)

Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered.  Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?”  Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”  “It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”  Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

My prayer and wish for you and self….Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,and he will make your paths straight.

I LOVE YOU

LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS

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• The God Of Hezekiah (savedbygraceblogdotcom.wordpress.com)
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