Bringing Unpleasant Truth

Scripture – Amos 7:10-13: ¹⁰Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. ¹¹For this is what Amos is saying: “‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’” ¹²Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. ¹³Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) This is where faithfulness to God’s call always leads us. We will find ourselves in direct conflict with the culture in which we live – even the church culture. The charge against Amos is, “the land cannot bear all his words.” It has nothing to do with whether his words are true or false. Our world does not want to hear unpleasant truth. So the official “priest” of the land told Amos, “Get out…..don’t prophesy anymore.” This is a snapshot of the great confrontation we face every day. How will I respond today?

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) It’s been observed by people more astute than me that the church in North America has been swallowed up by the culture around it. We have always been called to stand against that culture – to be light in the face of darkness – to be truth in the face of deception. I will tell the truth today. And I will be aware of the times I’m tempted to avoid the truth.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, that’s a tall order. I can’t do it without you. “Show me your ways, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me; for you are God, my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (Psalm 25)

An Invitation – If you’re interested in a face to face discussion about what we’ve been discovering in the Mini-Journal, a small group will be meeting this Sunday morning, 9:45 – 10:30am, at the Southgate Fun and Fitness Center (on Northline near I-75). Look for them around one of the tables in the Café area.