Lesson 77 - SHALOM INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH

Lesson 77

ST. PAUL SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP

"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1)
(With Frank Eiklor, Eileen Young and Walter and Cecilia Contreras)

WINNERS AND LOSERS
THE BOOKS OF HOSEA, JOEL AND AMOS

INTRODUCTION

God's grace does not allow the continued practice of sin, regardless of what today's watered-down teachings in many churches accept as "Christianity." It is the grace of God that offers fallen man His mercy. It is the precious blood of the sinless Messiah that covers and blots out sin. And it is, again, the grace of God made real by the Holy Spirit that makes us new creatures who hate sin and love righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:8-10).

We close this series the way we opened it: God warning the Church to learn from the examples given throughout the Old Testament, because "all those things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition and learning...Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:11, 12.)

This is the shortest of our studies in the Old Testament, but the final examples given by the Minor Prophets are not minor at all-but major. May this full series enrich many of your quiet times with the Lord, as you and I "Buy the truth (practice it!), and sell it not (through neglect or disobedience)..." (Proverbs 23:23).

HOSEA
1:2	Example of obedience to a painful commission (a faithful man joined to an unfaithful woman. To illustrate God’s grief and faithfulness in seeking His rebellious children).
4	Example of a nation’s descent into sin (USA?) and the shameful price that must be paid.
13:1, 4-14	Example of the stupidity of self importance (see vv 6 and 9).


JOEL
2:12-14	Example of possible lessening of God’s deserved judgment if true repentance is given.
3:1-8, 19	Example of God’s long memory against a world that seeks the destruction of His Jewish people.

AMOS
1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13	Example of Syria, Gaza, and Jordan paying the price for hating Israel.
3:2, 3	Example of "to whom much is given, much shall be required.”
4:8-13	Example of Israel’s failure to take God’s warnings to repent of their sins (a warning for America and the Church today).

FALSE SPIRITUALITY - AMOS
5	Example of God’s hatred of false spirituality.
7:10-17	Example of Satan’s inability to silence God’s messenger.
8:4-7, 11	Example of the rottenness of false religion.
9:13-15	Example of God’s faithfulness to keep His promises (the Jews returning to land of Israel and no powers in earth or hell able to destroy them).

Related Articles · More Articles

Lesson 260 - THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST: SIGNS OF THE TIMES (PART 4)

Jesus said many would come in His name and deceive the hearts of the simple, sinful and proud. Eastern mysticism and meditation is a big thing in the gullible West. And one day a “world leader” will appear on the scene with the persuasion of a god and the heart of a devil. Jesus warns His children to know the Scriptures, live in obedience to the Father’s will, and stay alert to the signs of the times.

Lesson 259 - THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST: SIGNS OF THE TIMES (PART 3)

They laugh no more. Now God’s description of how He will destroy the old earth and create a new one makes perfect sense. The splitting of the atom turned many skeptics into believers. After all, look what man himself is capable of doing with the atom and hydrogen bombs. Now the fear is that nuclear weapons are being placed in the hands of madmen who wish to annihilate their enemies.

Lesson 258 - THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST: SIGNS OF THE TIMES (PART 2)

God has blessed man with incredible genius. We stand in awe as we watch men and women in a room full of computers and high-tech instruments guiding and landing spacecraft on distant planets. At that moment, we appear invincible. But then a mammoth tornado comes—or a terrifying hurricane—or rains that flood whole regions and never listen to our shouts to “Stop!”—or the shake that removes from under our feet any confidence or pride we carry, and leaves us numb with hardly enough breath to even utter the paralyzing word “EARTHQUAKE!”. And man is helpless in the face of it all!