Hey guys.
It's been awhile.
If you follow my main blog, you'll know that I've been very busy lately. And I confessed that I have really lowly prioritised this time with God I enjoy sharing with you guys.
But after writing that blog yesterday, I hope that I may have successfully put up the priority of this blog.
So here goes.
Today's reading is from Amos 2.
So from verses 1-5, the first two paragraphs is basically a continuation of God's declaration of judgement from last time.
But what's new in this chapter is the fact that God also announces His wrath on His own people.
From this we can already pick up that God doesn't show favouritism. He doesn't let Israel's sins pass just cause they're His people. He punishes all for their sins fairly. His love for all is the same.
As I continued reading this book today, I continued to marvel at how different the stance is comparing to many of the books in the Bible. It reminded me that not only that God can punish us because He's God, but that we actually deserve every bad thing that comes our way.
If God was what we call a "fair God", then all He would be doing for eternity would be punishing mankind for our endless amounts of sin.
But God chooses to love us despite our sins.
It's His choice.
Remember that.
Never take His love for granted.
Verses 6-16, is quite a long passage of God declaring His wrath on Israel. It's longer than all the other nations at that.
It really reminded me, as a Christian, shouldn't we know better than to disgust God with our sins? Haven't we had more spiritual encounters & haven't we experienced His grace alot more than non-Christians? Shouldn't that give us a stronger stance against sin?
It really should.
But alot of the times that's not true for me. I'm just as bad as other people alot of the time, just like Israel was compared to the surrounding nations.
This should remind us that we must be different.
We should know better than other people.
Let's make a difference starting today.
This passage also made me realise something.
With Israel turning from God like that, if God just continued love them in a way that He continues to bless them, I'm sure there would be no way they would turn back. It was too late, they had already taken God out of the picture.
God's wrath was necessary.
It shook them awake from their sinfulness.
God has all the right reasons to punish.
To conclude,
I hope that we may continue to remember all the grace God has showered upon our lives so that when we're tempted to turn away from God, we may be able to fix our eyes on His goodness & flee from sin.
Godbless~
The God we may have forgotten about
Hey guys.
I'm going to take a little break from Genesis for the next few posts & have a look into the book of Amos as I'll be studying it in small groups very soon.
I actually think I've never read it before, so this will be very interesting.
Just a little background.
Amos is initially a shepherd.
Shepherds weren't considered to be very high in society back then, if I'm correct. But still, God chose Amos to intercede to people for Him.
It really reminds me that no matter how small we may be, how unpopular, of even how pack of skill, God can most definitely use us.
So today's reading is from Amos 1.
The first little intro in verses 1-2 was not something I expected at all.
God was obviously angry.
It was quite a horrific entrance if you ask me.
It reminded me that just as God can give, He can so easily take away.
When we think about God, we normally think His love, His goodness. We may even only know God by that, such that we may take it for granted & think, "no matter how much I sin God will always still forgive & love me."
But here we're reminded that even though God IS good, He isn't limited in what He can do. He can most definitely take away what we see as good.
One of the repeated phrases I picked up was "For three sins, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath"
As I thought about it, a question came to mind. Why did the number go up from three to four? Not down from three to two? Wasn't God trying to emphasise how sinful the nations were such that any little amount of sin was intolerable at this point?
But here we can learn that sin cannot be avoided, punishment for sin is inevitable. God most certainly does not overlook any sin.
As I read the passage, I noted down the particular sins that God was punishing people for, so we can learn from what the people did wrong.
In verse 3, "because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth". It was completely brutal, a very violent act which God doesn't tolerate.
Verse 6 & 9, "she took whole communities and sold them to Edom". They were mistreating other people, taking away all rights just for self benefit.
Verse 9, "disregarding a treaty if brotherhood," a promise was broken here & nothing was done about it.
Verse 11, "Because he pursued his brother with a sword..." There was no mercy, no compassion, or forgiveness. As a result there was rage.
And finally in verse 13, "because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders". He was overcome with the desire to have power, and as a result, disgusting things were done.
Now lets have a look into the types of ways God punished the people.
He destroyed homes & fortresses with fire. Fire gives me the idea of purifying, of refining something. It's also completely burning something to ashes or getting rid of sin.
He also cut off the rulers & kings, the high & powerful people. God showed them who's really great. He destroyed the people's physical hope, assurance, ruler, & guide. He left them blind & powerless in a sense.
He also sent people into exile. I see exile as a place of reflection, a place where one is laid bare & without anything except themselves & God Himself.
He also gave out death though. He completely put an end to the things. It shows how fragile & weak we really are compared to Him.
And last of all, He made the worse possible things happen at the worse possible times. (Verse 14).
I feel it was a way of God to show the people who's the real God & the utter control He has over everything.
One word stood out to me after reading this passage.
FEAR.
So often, we only picture God as the God who loves us & cares for us, we so often forget His wrath & the devastating He can cause as a result of sin, no matter how little it may seem.
I hope that this passage may snap is back into reality & the whole truth about who God is. It should fill us with fear of Him, but also joy & reassurance as eve though He can carry out wrath, He's still all about loving us at the end of the day.
Godbless~
I'm going to take a little break from Genesis for the next few posts & have a look into the book of Amos as I'll be studying it in small groups very soon.
I actually think I've never read it before, so this will be very interesting.
Just a little background.
Amos is initially a shepherd.
Shepherds weren't considered to be very high in society back then, if I'm correct. But still, God chose Amos to intercede to people for Him.
It really reminds me that no matter how small we may be, how unpopular, of even how pack of skill, God can most definitely use us.
So today's reading is from Amos 1.
The first little intro in verses 1-2 was not something I expected at all.
God was obviously angry.
It was quite a horrific entrance if you ask me.
It reminded me that just as God can give, He can so easily take away.
When we think about God, we normally think His love, His goodness. We may even only know God by that, such that we may take it for granted & think, "no matter how much I sin God will always still forgive & love me."
But here we're reminded that even though God IS good, He isn't limited in what He can do. He can most definitely take away what we see as good.
One of the repeated phrases I picked up was "For three sins, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath"
As I thought about it, a question came to mind. Why did the number go up from three to four? Not down from three to two? Wasn't God trying to emphasise how sinful the nations were such that any little amount of sin was intolerable at this point?
But here we can learn that sin cannot be avoided, punishment for sin is inevitable. God most certainly does not overlook any sin.
As I read the passage, I noted down the particular sins that God was punishing people for, so we can learn from what the people did wrong.
In verse 3, "because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth". It was completely brutal, a very violent act which God doesn't tolerate.
Verse 6 & 9, "she took whole communities and sold them to Edom". They were mistreating other people, taking away all rights just for self benefit.
Verse 9, "disregarding a treaty if brotherhood," a promise was broken here & nothing was done about it.
Verse 11, "Because he pursued his brother with a sword..." There was no mercy, no compassion, or forgiveness. As a result there was rage.
And finally in verse 13, "because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders". He was overcome with the desire to have power, and as a result, disgusting things were done.
Now lets have a look into the types of ways God punished the people.
He destroyed homes & fortresses with fire. Fire gives me the idea of purifying, of refining something. It's also completely burning something to ashes or getting rid of sin.
He also cut off the rulers & kings, the high & powerful people. God showed them who's really great. He destroyed the people's physical hope, assurance, ruler, & guide. He left them blind & powerless in a sense.
He also sent people into exile. I see exile as a place of reflection, a place where one is laid bare & without anything except themselves & God Himself.
He also gave out death though. He completely put an end to the things. It shows how fragile & weak we really are compared to Him.
And last of all, He made the worse possible things happen at the worse possible times. (Verse 14).
I feel it was a way of God to show the people who's the real God & the utter control He has over everything.
One word stood out to me after reading this passage.
FEAR.
So often, we only picture God as the God who loves us & cares for us, we so often forget His wrath & the devastating He can cause as a result of sin, no matter how little it may seem.
I hope that this passage may snap is back into reality & the whole truth about who God is. It should fill us with fear of Him, but also joy & reassurance as eve though He can carry out wrath, He's still all about loving us at the end of the day.
Godbless~
Go be scattered
Hey guys, I had a pretty rough day at school today so I was extremely looking forward to hear what God had to say to me today.
Today's passage is from Genesis 11:1-9
As you may know already, this passage is about the Tower of Babel.
_-_Google_Art_Project_-_edited.jpg)
This is another one of those passages I've read many times, especially in my childhood. I'm actually really surprised with what God spoke to me through this passage today though.
I'm going to get straight to the point today.
The verse that made me question the most was verse 6.
"then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them"
Was God a tad bit scared here that man was starting to have power in great numbers?
So did He have to separate them out of fear of them becoming greater than him?
Haha, of course not!
Man was thinking they could be God.
They thought they could reach God's standard.
But God knew, even if they managed to obtain all that power, they couldn't handle it. They would probably become corrupted with all that power.
Power isn't everything~
Only God can handle true power.
So here was a problem, man had decided they could possibly become God.
So as God always does, He had to find a solution to the problem.
He could have done many things.
He could have killed off those particular people.
He could have just destroyed the tower to show who's god.
He could have even wipe out their memories or intentions.
But He didn't.
He did something that had so much more purpose.
He created what we know as different cultures nowadays. He increased the diversity of us humans. He took another step to make us all more unique.
He 'guided' them to explore & inhabit more of this beautiful place He created.
They were completely in the wrong path.
They were sinning against God.
But God used that situation to fulfill an amazing plan of His.
The main point I would like to bring out is this.
"No matter how far we may have fallen, God can still use us to help fulfill His purpose."
Godbless~
Today's passage is from Genesis 11:1-9
As you may know already, this passage is about the Tower of Babel.
_-_Google_Art_Project_-_edited.jpg)
This is another one of those passages I've read many times, especially in my childhood. I'm actually really surprised with what God spoke to me through this passage today though.
I'm going to get straight to the point today.
The verse that made me question the most was verse 6.
"then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them"
Was God a tad bit scared here that man was starting to have power in great numbers?
So did He have to separate them out of fear of them becoming greater than him?
Haha, of course not!
Man was thinking they could be God.
They thought they could reach God's standard.
But God knew, even if they managed to obtain all that power, they couldn't handle it. They would probably become corrupted with all that power.
Power isn't everything~
Only God can handle true power.
So here was a problem, man had decided they could possibly become God.
So as God always does, He had to find a solution to the problem.
He could have done many things.
He could have killed off those particular people.
He could have just destroyed the tower to show who's god.
He could have even wipe out their memories or intentions.
But He didn't.
He did something that had so much more purpose.
He created what we know as different cultures nowadays. He increased the diversity of us humans. He took another step to make us all more unique.
He 'guided' them to explore & inhabit more of this beautiful place He created.
They were completely in the wrong path.
They were sinning against God.
But God used that situation to fulfill an amazing plan of His.
The main point I would like to bring out is this.
"No matter how far we may have fallen, God can still use us to help fulfill His purpose."
Godbless~
A long list of names
Ahh this is so bad.
Sorry, I've been completely exhausted by school lately. Even though I managed to do the Bible study, I couldn't find the strength to blog it.
Then since I hadn't blogged it yet, I didn't want to do another study so the blogs would just keep accumulating.
I hope my sleep cycle may slowly adjust so I may continue to carry this on.
Please pray for me :)
But anyways.
The passage this time is Genesis 10.
I have to admit that normally every time I come across a genealogy in the Bible, I skim over the names. So as I saw what was coming, I was considering skipping it.
But then I remembered a thought I came across once.
It went something along the lines of,
"Every word of the Bible has a specific purpose for our lives even when we may not think so."
So here we go .
So the first thing I noticed was the title.
It didn't say the genealogy of someone.
But instead it says "The Table of Nations".
I think that sounds pretty cool.
It also sounds pretty important if you ask me.
If you know what's coming next, it's really so significance.
It's going to be the record of the origins of all men today, the descendants of us all.
It's also going to show where all the nations on earth came from.
Pretty epic stuff if you ask me.
So as I read through the ancestors of Ham, the Hamites I noticed the name Canaan & the city Nineveh, Sodom & Gomorrah.
Do you guys remember what happened to Ham in the previous passage?
He was the one brother that decided to shame his father when he saw him naked & drunk.
In turn Noah harshly cursed him. (Gen 9:24-25)
I actually found that pretty harsh when I read it, but now I can see that it was all part of God's plan. Now we can see that Ham's descendants ended up being very wicked people that were punished by God.
Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed completely because it didn't even have one righteous person inside.
That's basically all I picked up this time round.
But I really feel that once again, the disease of sin is shown here, how it is easily spread down each generation. Maybe if Ham didn't sin, the fate of his descendants wouldn't have been exactly the same.
This reminds me to be grateful I wasn't bought up in a 'wicked family'. That I was bought up in a Christian family. I probably would have had a much greater struggle with sin if I was bought up in a sinful place.
In the world nowadays, we see many non-Christians have a brilliant lifestyle, enjoying the pleasures of the world. We really shouldn't envy them or desire what they have. In turn, we should feel pitiful towards them that they have life in the wrong direction. We should have a passion to guide them in the right way.
That's all for this time.
Godbless~
Sorry, I've been completely exhausted by school lately. Even though I managed to do the Bible study, I couldn't find the strength to blog it.
Then since I hadn't blogged it yet, I didn't want to do another study so the blogs would just keep accumulating.
I hope my sleep cycle may slowly adjust so I may continue to carry this on.
Please pray for me :)
But anyways.
The passage this time is Genesis 10.
I have to admit that normally every time I come across a genealogy in the Bible, I skim over the names. So as I saw what was coming, I was considering skipping it.
But then I remembered a thought I came across once.
It went something along the lines of,
"Every word of the Bible has a specific purpose for our lives even when we may not think so."
So here we go .
So the first thing I noticed was the title.
It didn't say the genealogy of someone.
But instead it says "The Table of Nations".
I think that sounds pretty cool.
It also sounds pretty important if you ask me.
If you know what's coming next, it's really so significance.
It's going to be the record of the origins of all men today, the descendants of us all.
It's also going to show where all the nations on earth came from.
Pretty epic stuff if you ask me.
So as I read through the ancestors of Ham, the Hamites I noticed the name Canaan & the city Nineveh, Sodom & Gomorrah.
Do you guys remember what happened to Ham in the previous passage?
He was the one brother that decided to shame his father when he saw him naked & drunk.
In turn Noah harshly cursed him. (Gen 9:24-25)
I actually found that pretty harsh when I read it, but now I can see that it was all part of God's plan. Now we can see that Ham's descendants ended up being very wicked people that were punished by God.
Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed completely because it didn't even have one righteous person inside.
That's basically all I picked up this time round.
But I really feel that once again, the disease of sin is shown here, how it is easily spread down each generation. Maybe if Ham didn't sin, the fate of his descendants wouldn't have been exactly the same.
This reminds me to be grateful I wasn't bought up in a 'wicked family'. That I was bought up in a Christian family. I probably would have had a much greater struggle with sin if I was bought up in a sinful place.
In the world nowadays, we see many non-Christians have a brilliant lifestyle, enjoying the pleasures of the world. We really shouldn't envy them or desire what they have. In turn, we should feel pitiful towards them that they have life in the wrong direction. We should have a passion to guide them in the right way.
That's all for this time.
Godbless~
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