Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Amos 2 - Prophets and Prophecy a Gift; Listen!

"'I brought you up out of Egypt
    and led you forty years in the wilderness
    to give you the land of the Amorites.

I also raised up prophets from among your children
    and Nazirites from among your youths.
Is this not true, people of Israel?'
declares the Lord.
'But you made the Nazirites drink wine

    and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.'" (Amos 2:10-12 NIV)

God has saved His people time and time again; yet, they (we) continue to do what we ought not do. We will not listen. We will not listen to those whom He sends to warn us or lead us in the way that He would have us go. Like little children, we go wandering off in our own directions, not taking any direction from our Father; not listening to the word of admonishment or advice that He would give us.

Just as in the days of Amos, the words of the prophet today go mostly unheeded. Sometimes, we attempt to justify our lack of hearing by denying that God would send a prophet in these latter days. However, St. Paul wrote:

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues." (1 Cor 12:7-10 NIV)

These gifts, including prophecy, are gifts from God for the common good. Shall we suppose that God the Father is now not desiring our common good, our common growth in the Body of Christ? I think not! By the power of the Holy Spirit, all of God's children receive gifts for the growth and edification of the Body of Christ, which is the Church.

May God open our ears that we might hear not just the mighty deeds that He has done for us; but, that we might hear and understand the Way in which He would have us go.

God's Peace - Pr. J

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