Do we grieve when we see the ruins? As I turn on the news, I feel a sense of grief that grips my heart. I see destruction and terror. Yet, I see and know the Truth. That Truth is, there are two kingdoms, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness.
Amos is speaking the woes to the complacent. “Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mt. Samaria. (Amos 6: 1) He is speaking of their carnal ease and the security they feel in that. His continual theme of Israel’s great and deep sin, he notes that judgment would come to them through a conquering nation.
I remembered the Blessings and the Woes in the New Testament that Jesus spoke about. He was blessing those who were His followers, and speaking woes to those who were kingdom of darkness followers.
He clearly separates the light from the darkness, all the way back to creation. “For He rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” (Colossians 1: 13-14) Both feet must be planted in one kingdom.
Yes, we may feel that grief when we see the devastation, but we as believers are not to grieve like “The rest of men who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4: 13) Even in the worst of situations, in Jesus, there is always hope! He is our anchor of hope.
- We grieve cause the Spirit of God grieves.
- We grieve cause we know the hope and the restoration we have in Jesus, that is available for all men. We grieve if one does not receive Him. (Shared from Amos 6, Paraphrased & Modified)
King Ahab, king of Israel, is grieving over the words of the prophet Micaiah had spoken over him. He and King Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, were seeking counsel whether to join forces against Ramoth Gilead, a city under Syria. Micaiah was instructed by the king’s messenger to, “Let your word agree with theirs (other false prophets) and speak favorably. But Micaiah said, As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.” (1 Kings 22: 13-14)
- It is dangerous to be the mouthpiece of God and not say what He says.
- True prophets cannot be influenced to speak only what men want to hear. They speak only what God tells them to say.
- Prophets who speak to tickle the fancy of the hearers are self-serving, not God-serving.
This prophet speaks of Ahab’s death, he says, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, “These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.” (1 Kings 22: 17) Ahab heard, once again, a prophecy of doom, against him.
He disguises himself and goes into battle. A random bow hits the king between the sections of his armor. All-day long the battle raged and the wounded king was propped up in his chariot facing the Armeans, as his blood ran onto the floor of the chariot.
A war chariot normally carried two men–a fighter and a driver, sometimes three, with maybe an officer. As the sun was setting and evening came, the king died.
Our God grieves over sin, for He knows the punishment for sin is death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6: 23)
- Repeated unrepented sin ushers you into the kingdom of darkness whose master is Satan.
- Continually repented sin ushers you into the kingdom of light, eternal light, eternal life through Jesus. His kingdom has no end. There’s only one way to enter by the blood of Christ. When crucified, His blood ran down upon the floor of the earth. (Shared from 1 Kings 22, Paraphrased & Modified)
Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit by being a stumbling block. Be careful that we don’t exercise our freedom and become a stumbling block for someone.
The Corinthian church was writing to Paul about another matter, the matter of eating food that was sacrificed to animals. Meat left over from a sacrifice might be eaten by the priests, or sold in the public meat market.
Some Christians felt if they ate such meat, they would be participating in pagan worship, compromising their testimony for Christ. Some of the Christians did not feel this way.
They wanted Paul to make a ruling, or give a definite yes or no answer, but he doesn’t. His final answer is this, “If what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.” (1 Corinthians 8: 13)
There are some things that we cannot compromise, the truth of God’s word. Yet, there are matters that cause more divisions than unity. Discern what the difference is.
Making someone feel guilty, does not make them grieve, but it grieves our God. “Mercy triumphs over judgement!” (James 2: 13) Let go and let God!
The Holy Spirit in us will grieve over the things that grieve our God.
- Disunity grieves our God.
- Pride and arrogance grieves our God.
Learn to be a bridge, not a stumbling block. The blocks we’ve been given are for building the Kingdom of God. (Shared from 1 Corinthians 8, Paraphrased & Modified)
UNBROKEN LOVE SERIES
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