Understanding How God Speaks…

As an early Believer, I spent a lot of time in the Old Testament. I’m criticized for this, but the reason being is that I wanted to understand how God spoke through His prophets.

I understood that if God doesn’t change, then the way He spoke in the past, is still very applicable today.

Real prophets are speaking today. When real prophets speak we must understand that they are speaking under the authority of God—as His spokesperson.

Amos’ words are a perfect example of this. In this passage, things were not going well with God’s family, so God calls a meeting and has Amos speak words of correction:

“Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: ‘You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.’ Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing? Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it? Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all? If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it? Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?”—Amos 3:1-8

Can I spell out what Amos was saying in simple terms?

The Hebrew children had forgotten who they were, not remembering that they were being held to a higher standard because He had trusted them with the truth and knowledge of His covenant commitment. His pledge and promises are bound to His name with all blessings!

You see, sometimes we forget. The reason why the Church at large feels estranged from God is because they honestly don’t know who He is. Here is a huge key to finding Him… “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” We must choose the discipline of our heavenly Father, over our soulish desires. We must walk with Him in unity.

He is a loving Father. He desires to be with us, but if we will not allow Him to remove the habits and patterns in our lives that perpetuate sin, then He cannot dwell with us.

Every time we chose to go against God’s ways, it defies His principles. Therefore we are literally choosing to curse ourselves.

While Amos’ words sound harsh, the correction from the Lord is really very gentle. It is necessary tough love.

This is why the restoring the Jewish roots of the Christian faith is so important, because the Councils of Elvira and Nicea stole the Church’s connection with the Father heart of God.

The Body of Christ needs a revelation that we have been grafted into the family of God, and we need to behave like His children.

Are you hearing this?…

“But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”—Luke 12:48

Can I translate this for you? The bigger the call… the bigger the responsibility… the more the correction.

We must make peace with the correction. Father God is love, He knows best. I am not the author or finisher of my faith… Jesus is.

A New Testament Understanding…

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.’”—Mathew 25:14-29

See the one who buried his talent answered his Lord with a lie, because he didn’t understand the statutes and judgments of his master.

He had no stewardship of time and money… and we are in the same season right now.

Always operate with balanced scales…

“Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.”—Proverbs 11:1

If people interact with you, it should be a blessing.

“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.’”—Deuteronomy 8:18

In this season, God is restoring covenant blessings to fathers so that their children will follow their father’s God. Failed fathers have failed children that go and make their own way.

It is never too late to leave a purpose and destiny for your children. No matter how old we are… the choice to start today will make a major impact on the future generations to come.

It is my privilege to be chosen by God…

God will lead and provide for His chosen people. What is the price of being a chosen people? We must rely on His provision and not our own.

“And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”—Malachi 4:6

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