"for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."— Galatians 3:26-29 (ESV)"Do not be conformed to this...  Read More

"Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: 'Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.' 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.' For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: 'Seek me a...  Read More

"Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel! For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind... the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!"— Amos 4:12-13 (ESV)"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."— Ephesians ...  Read More

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."— Romans 5:8 (ESV)"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures."— 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV) Reflect: Amos 4 shows us that we, like I...  Read More

"I gave you empty stomachs in every city, and lack of bread in every town; yet you did not return to me, declares the LORD. I also withheld the rain from you... yet you did not return to me, declares the LORD. I struck you with blight and mildew... yet you did not return to me, declares the LORD. I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt... yet you did not return to me, declares the ...  Read More

"Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!" declares the Lord GOD.— Amos 4:4-5 (ESV) Reflect: Israel never stopped attending worship — they simply stoppe...  Read More

"Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, 'Bring, that we may drink!' The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. And you shall go out through the breaches, every one straight ahead;...  Read More

“‘Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob,’ declares the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, ‘that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions, I will punish the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. I will strike the winter house along with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall come to an end,’ declare...  Read More

“Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, ‘Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst.’ ‘They do not know how to do right,’ declares the LORD, ‘those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.’ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘An adversary shall surround the ...  Read More

“For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?”— Amos 3:7-8 (ESV) Notice the mercy hidden in these verses. Before God acts, He warns. The word “secret” pictures the inner circle of trusted friends, the place where private plans are shared. God does not ambush His people...  Read More

“Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a ci...  Read More

“Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: ‘You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.’”— Amos 3:1-2 (ESV) We often assume that being chosen by God means being shielded from His correction. Today’s text says the opposite. The word “kn...  Read More