Amos 5 ~ Seek Jesus and Live

Amos 5

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

“Seek me and live;

He who made the Pleiades and Orion,

    and turns deep darkness into the morning

    and darkens the day into night,

who calls for the waters of the sea

    and pours them out on the surface of the earth,

the Lord is his name;

9 who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,

    so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

13 Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time,

    for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good, and not evil,

    that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,

    as you have said.

15 Hate evil, and love good,

    and establish justice in the gate;

it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,

    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

17 and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,

    for I will pass through your midst,”

says the Lord.

    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Lent is a time when we will listen to God. His Word to us. And we will hold the truth He gives us close to us. Not let God's Word slip away.

What I hear in a difficult time is to find gratitude. To seek in difficult times to see what God is doing. To pray for others. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy reports Russian troops are shooting at a Nuclear Reactor. This is a difficult time.

To focus on the vines in winter, is to see something looking barren.

Amos 5 

Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:

2 “Fallen, no more to rise,

    is the virgin Israel;

forsaken on her land,

    with none to raise her up.”

3 For thus says the Lord God:

“The city that went out a thousand

    shall have a hundred left,

and that which went out a hundred

    shall have ten left

    to the house of Israel.”

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

“Seek me and live;

5     but do not seek Bethel,

and do not enter into Gilgal

    or cross over to Beersheba;

for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,

    and Bethel shall come to nothing.”

6 Seek the Lord and live,

    lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,

    and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,

7 O you who turn justice to wormwood[a]

    and cast down righteousness to the earth!

8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion,

    and turns deep darkness into the morning

    and darkens the day into night,

who calls for the waters of the sea

    and pours them out on the surface of the earth,

the Lord is his name;

9 who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,

    so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

10 They hate him who reproves in the gate,

    and they abhor him who speaks the truth.

11 Therefore because you trample on[b] the poor

    and you exact taxes of grain from him,

you have built houses of hewn stone,

    but you shall not dwell in them;

you have planted pleasant vineyards,

    but you shall not drink their wine.

12 For I know how many are your transgressions

    and how great are your sins—

you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,

    and turn aside the needy in the gate.

13 Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time,

    for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good, and not evil,

    that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,

    as you have said.

15 Hate evil, and love good,

    and establish justice in the gate;

it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,

    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord:

“In all the squares there shall be wailing,

    and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’

They shall call the farmers to mourning

    and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,

17 and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,

    for I will pass through your midst,”

says the Lord.

Let Justice Roll Down

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!

    Why would you have the day of the Lord?

It is darkness, and not light,

19     as if a man fled from a lion,

    and a bear met him,

or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,

    and a serpent bit him.

20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,

    and gloom with no brightness in it?

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts,

    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,

    I will not accept them;

and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,

    I will not look upon them.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;

    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, 27 and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

Amos 5, above, first, is a partial chapter. God the Almighty upholds all the Universe with His Words.  And in His might and mercy removes sin away from His Beloved, as far as the East is from the West.

Jesus takes the wrath away.

You would think frozen grapes would be a sign of

horror to the Vineyard. Instead, ice wine is very prized.

And the beautiful appearance of Autumn in 

the Vineyard with the colors

would be dramatic and good.

Instead, the show is Winter

without a freeze, the fruit is not useable.

And the hard work of a cold winter,

leads to beautiful fruitfulness. 

 God places Lent just as the earth begins to leave the cold winter, like the cold of a tomb, the Sunlight returns and the Lord's Good Creation begins to bloom and grow.

And this is the time, in spring, when the vineyards are examined to see what is growing. What happened during the time of freezing. What survived.

 What is vigorous. What fungus, what pests, what drought, what rain is going to happen. The Vineyard owners could be always in a state of concern.

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

“Seek me and live;

He who made the Pleiades and Orion,

    and turns deep darkness into the morning

 

   and darkens the day into night,

who calls for the waters of the sea

    and pours them out on the surface of the earth,

the Lord is his name;

9 who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,

    so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

13 Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time,

    for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good, and not evil,

    that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,

    as you have said.

15 Hate evil, and love good,

    and establish justice in the gate;

it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,

    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

17 and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,

    for I will pass through your midst,”

says the Lord.

    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Lent is for finding our Fruitfulness with Jesus

John 15:1 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."

Abba, Father,

Dwell in us, please.

Dwell in those we love, Jesus.

Help us to seek You first.

And in Your Love and Grace we will finish well.

In Your Good Plan.

Your Will;

Lent is placed as the Light is returning.

When new thoughts are being planned.

With Jesus, we are able to do this:

Face the hardship of the Season.

Understand what is broken.

Ask Forgiveness

Seek the Strength of the Lord.

Face New Changes with

Hope and Joy.

Overcome Fears.

Give more.

Draw together

Gratitude for what Jesus has given

Thankful Heart for God's Provision.

We can add in to our Lives.

We can give Mercy.

We will.

Please Bless our Nation 

with Jesus.

Help our world to peace.

The earth is the Lord's and the

Fullness thereof!

In Jesus Christ

God has 

Blessed us.

Amen.

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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Psalm 131 ~ Hope in the Lord

We are living in a time of change. Really. Usually if you look for Ash Wednesday, you are going to find grasshoppers and the chirp of crickets.

Typically, ignored, as if Ash Wednesday is something from another dimension. This year, Facebook and the news are filled with Ash Wednesday.

God is thrilled to find so many people wanting to participate in Ash Wednesday. Can't you picture the Almighty being as pleased as the day the Prodigal Son returned!

People who are distressed, have a hard time being talked to about ashes and dying. I hope if this is the first time, or the first time in a long time, to attend Ash Wednesday, you didn't feel left out and heart sore.

Probably those in the most distress wanted this: 

Psalm 131

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.

2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord

    from this time forth and forevermore.

The next thing a distressed person does, is their mind wanders away from what surrounds them,

and have guilt to ignore the message of God in a time we want God's favor. 

Jesus is the one Who said, He would not break a bruised reed. Jesus is the Manifest Word of God saying, Heaven is like a gracious tree, where all the birds of the forest may sit and be invited into the branches.

Jesus had to invite some. He said, "Let the children come unto me." Some stayed back.  Some were pushed down. Jesus wanted them for Himself.  Jesus wasn't picking for the baseball game, Jesus was taking souls with Him to Live forever.

Jesus Christ said, come unto Me, you who are weary, burdened, and I will give you rest. Home. The place the Father and the Prodigal Son run to meet one another.

If you are bothered by the ashes, think about this:

Isaiah 61:3 

To grant to those who mourn in Zion—

 to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, 

the oil of gladness instead of mourning, 

the garment of praise 

instead of a faint spirit; 

that they may be called oaks of righteousness, 

the planting of the Lord

that 

He may be glorified.

Abraham and Sarah lived

in the Oaks of Mamre, in Hebron, Israel.

The tree has seedlings now, but the tree itself is long past ashes.

Abraham and Sarah live on.

The goodness of God has made a place for them.

Yet all their words and lives are alive, in the Word of God.

Jesus Christ.

The point of the ashes is profound. The season of rest before the glory of spring. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. Being nurtured to bloom. To be fruitful in God. To be encouraged, even when worried to death and gone like Lazarus. Nurtured and made strong enough to believe.

The Good News. Believed by Daniel in 500 B.C. where we can find the Second Exodus in beautiful cuneiform found in the British Museum, word for word. 500 B.C.,  Believed by Ezekiel, taken in the second round up by Nebuchadnezzar II.  Even as his wife died from the thousand-mile journey. Suddenly called by Nebuchadnezzar to be High Priest. And in his profound sorrow, to see the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. To understand the most profound and unforgettable sights and believe and know and live the Kingdom Message to the Glory of God. 

The reason for the ashes. The Glory of God.

Ezekiel in the Thirty-Seventh Chapter

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 

 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 

 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 

5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, 

and you shall live, 

and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Even on Ash Wednesday, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

In the years, seasons, we are profoundly moved toward Ash Wednesday, Jesus is Lord. 

In the years, seasons, we want to go home and not think about ashes, Jesus is Lord.

In the years, seasons, we understand and become part of the rites, Jesus is Lord.

Ash Wednesday glorifies God, We find the aspect of God's Nature, to reach out and hold to our heart,  we are filled and find the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God helps us fulfill God's plan for our lives.

And in His Presence, we are Comforted.  And in this Love, our souls give God the glory.

Filled with the Wonder of God.

Abba, Father,

We do not know all You know.

We do not have the omnipotence for a complete prayer.

We can't surround every person

or every issue

to bring the healing we know Jesus does.

You are the Light of Heaven.

Jesus, You are the Light of Nations.

Jesus Christ,

Only Son of the Most High God,

You are the Light of mankind.

We have a heart for the difficulties

facing

our own lives,

the lives of those we love,

This Nation,

and Ukraine 

and the plight of the Russians.

And in the hearts of mankind

You have delighted in,

we ask Jesus Christ

to be our Blessing,

Teacher,

Healer,

Lord of us all.

God of Love.

God of Encouragement.

We Thank You

for the Blessings

You give us daily.

And ask for You

to dwell in us

and provide

Grace and Mercy

for our trespasses.

Dwell in us

and we will see Jesus

Your Help to seek Your first

and we will finish well

In Jesus Christ

To heal us,

the Heal our Loved Ones,

to Heal the Nation,

To Bless Ukraine and Russians

with Peace.

Love.

Joy.

Jesus.

Amen in Your Son,

the Highest Name of Jesus,

Amen.

 

God reminds us

Blessing us with prayers for more Heaven on earth,

His Good Will be done.

To You, our Father, be the Glory

Our God is an Awesome God! Amen

and Alleluia

in Jesus Christ and His Glory!

Matthew 13:31,32

Jesus put before them another parable: “The Kingdom of Heaven 

is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.

 Although it is the smallest of all seeds, 

yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, 

so that the birds of the air come 

and 

nest in its branches.”

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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Prayer around the world

Abba, Father,

You know.

Reports indicate the stalled 40 mile

Russian convoy is the conscripted Russian army.

We pray these soldiers will continue to stop

and will continue to give up and hand themselves into

Ukrainian authorities.

Putin has declared he has won, but the ruble has crashed.

We pray oil will not make gasoline costs continue to rise.

On August 23, 1989, about 2 million people from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania formed a human chain that united all 3 countries to show the world their desire to escape the Soviet Union and the communism that brought only suffering and poverty. This power stretched 600 km.

Prayer for Zelensky and the government.

Horrible Z painted vehicles.

End the war, end Russian oil sales. Crazy.

We pray for worldwide Peace.

And please pray for my upcoming eye operation

rescheduled to mid-March.

I have not felt well on Saturday and today,

please pray for my good health.

Thanks!

Psalm 33:15

 He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. 

The Maker of hearts also knows how to remake hearts.

Open hearts, change hearts.

We pray in the Highest Name of Jesus,

Amen.

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

 

Lamentations 3:22- 26 ~ His mercies never come to an end

 

Psalm 74:16 

The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.

Psalm 139:12 

Even the darkness is not dark to You, 

but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You

Lamentations 3:22- 26

  

  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

    His mercies never come to an end;

 they are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

    “therefore I will hope in him.”

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

    to the soul who seeks him.

26 It is good that one should wait quietly

    for the salvation of the Lord.

When we look at The Lord's Prayer, He could have said destitute and sinning, instead Jesus said, "trespasses." God could have said, "new mercies every day."

Jesus knew the Disciples, He knew they'd think as they journeyed along, 'Did God actually mean His mercies are new every day and is this, an instead, like Peter saying a day to God is thousands of years?"

Jesus is the same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, but people are grass or flowers in the field. Only the Word of God remains. God says morning because He is saying today is the day. Exactly like Hebrews tells us, if God tells us Today, then Hop to this.

Luke 1 gives us the verses recording the inner thoughts from Mary about the upheaval of her life. Something believers experience when they begin the eternal Life journey with Jesus. So many questions. Mary says something important about seasons of upheaval and seasons of Hope. Mary says, "The proud are scattered in the imaginations of their heart."

Today, we live to find the blessings in today. Why is this of tremendous importance? 

Psalm 19:2–3 

 Day to day pours out speech,

 and night to night reveals knowledge. 

 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.

We have to live today. 

This is where we are learning our dog paths of thought and of ideas. Not so lofty that we are not living today. We find gratitude and we learn to find Joy in God as Strength. We examine life for the mercy.

When we are weakened with despair, we look for excuses that become reasons to despair. 

The rock-hard evidence of no grace or mercy in life. We become scattered from Joy. Our memories can be bleak if we fall into the abyss of despair. The light grows dim on hope for us in our yesterdays, today and tomorrows.

The point is we look to what is good, honorable, pure and we become stronger people. Garbage in, garbage out. We need a tall ship every day and our stare on Jesus. Sail in the wind of the Holy Spirit. All we need, is a tall ship, a good voyage and the Light of Jesus to sail by. Today.

The Holy Spirit is wind in Acts 2. Angels are written to be wind and messenger. Wind is about believing in change is good. Believing change will uplift us. Wind was the ministry of Jesus sailing to His ministry day.

To make the paths for tomorrow. To establish a pattern of well-being, creating understanding the events of today didn't overwhelm or overcome us. We remember how we overcame with searching for the Goodness of God.

Psalm 19:2–3 

 Day to day pours out speech,

 and night to night reveals knowledge. 

 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.

A solid example. Maybe yesterday you had a letter with bad news. Or you had a car accident or something bad. Really, by the end of the day, your thoughts and words settled in. You processed all the words of the day, you relaxed and were peaceful and by the time you slept, you'd found contentment.

We found strength and contentment, knowing God was comforting us with thoughts of those we love and treasure.  

If you don't acknowledge the mercies, the remembrance of the day is the burden alone. You have forgotten you got over the letter or accident in an hour and the rest of the day was fine. You had a good phone call, meal with those you love. Your hobby finished right. Your feet loved the new slippers. You were grateful for your bed and covers. To be near the ones you love, to have quiet to pray for those far away.

Keeping our mercies near us, help us realize a life well lived.

The anger of mankind, does not bring forth the Righteousness of God.

Multitasking is almost a myth, we need to go from A to B. Incidentally, all the Hosts in the Vatican are AB blood. And this was long before mankind knew different types of blood.  We have to go from A to B with deliberation and God.

Find the mercies every day.

Abba, Father,

We do not know all You know.

We do not have the omnipotence for a complete prayer.

We can't surround every person

or every issue

to bring the healing we know Jesus does.

You are the Light of Heaven.

Jesus, You are the Light of Nations.

Jesus Christ,

Only Son of the Most High God,

You are the Light of mankind.

We have a heart for the difficulties

facing

our own lives,

the lives of those we love,

This Nation,

and Ukraine 

and the plight of the Russians.

And in the hearts of mankind

You have delighted in,

we ask Jesus Christ

to be our Blessing,

Teacher,

Healer,

Lord of us all.

God of Love.

God of Encouragement.

We Thank You

for the Blessings

You give us daily.

And ask for You

to dwell in us

and provide

Grace and Mercy

for our trespasses.

To heal us,

the Heal our Loved Ones,

to Heal the Nation,

To Bless Ukraine and Russians

with Peace.

Love.

Joy.

Jesus.

Amen in Your Son,

the Highest Name of Jesus,

Amen.

 

God reminds us

Blessing us with prayers for more Heaven on earth,

His Good Will be done.

To You, our Father, be the Glory

Our God is an Awesome God! Amen

and Alleluia

in Jesus Christ and His Glory!

Matthew 13:31,32

Jesus put before them another parable: “The Kingdom of Heaven 

is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.

 Although it is the smallest of all seeds, 

yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, 

so that the birds of the air come 

and 

nest in its branches.”

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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