Read: Amos 7:1-9:15; Revelation 3:7-22; Psalm 131:3; Proverbs 29:23
Amos saw in a vision the locusts and the fire coming on God’s people and cried out for mercy. How could little Jacob survive such judgment? As he interceded for his nation, God relented and said it would not happen. Instead, he showed him a plumbline that would be the standard he would set for his people.
Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent the prophesies that Amos had been saying to King Jeroboam. He told him he had to stop Amos from speaking these curses in Bethel as if they were his words and not God’s. When Amos was told to leave and stop prophesying against Israel, he told the king that his wife would become a prostitute in the city, his sons would die defending it and his land would be divided up and he would die in a pagan country. Israel would go into exile.
God showed Amos a basket of ripe fruit because Israel was ripe for judgment. Their sins would bring God’s house down on their heads but he would restore Jacob’s tent and bring back the exiled one day to be planted in their own land and prosper.
The last two churches of Revelation were Philadelphia and Laodicea. Philadelphia means “brotherly love” and it was the missionary church and spanned from 1750-1900. During this time many dictators ruled the world who took authority over the church and every other aspect of people’s lives. They were mostly atheists and used organized religion to control the people. The true church went to homes and the simplicity of the gospel. God raised up great men during this time like Adoniram Judson, David Livingstone, Jonathan Goforth, John and Charles Wesley, Charles Finney, Jonathan Edwards and many other missionaries who spread the gospel across the world. There were two great factors which caused a great move of God during this time. The first was the invention of the printing press where the Bible was put into the hands of the people. The other was the fact that they took the Bible literally - they believed what it said. God gave them an open door and gave this church no rebuke only encouragement and applaud.
The next church was the total opposite: Laodicea. This church is the Apostate Church or the People’s Church. It started in 1900 and ended a few years ago… maybe 2012. At the beginning of this age, God poured out his spirit in a little church in Los Angeles, California. It began the Charismatic movement which swept across the United States. It was a revival of the gifts of the spirit. This was happening to the true church. At the same time anti-christs were springing up like Adolf Hitler who waged a holy war against God’s people the Jews. There has always been a false church and the true church. The false church has programs and activities, but no power. God’s recommendation to them was to repent and buy the true gold of wisdom and godly treasures from God.
Lord, help us not to be distracted by things that don’t matter and stay true to what is eternally worthwhile.
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