Paula Wiseman

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An Appointment with Amos: Hate Evil, Love Good, Establish Justice

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Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

(Amos’s words were for the apostate Northern Kingdom.
They are still relevant for us in an ever more apostate culture.)

Hate is not the difficult part.
We don’t even struggle with the idea, “hate evil.”
We have trouble defining evil.

Therefore, we cannot rely on the media,
The arts, philosophy, financial status,
Popularity, politics, our hearts or any other source
To define evil.
God alone defines evil.

We must hate,
Avoid, stamp out,
Reject, scorn, separate from
Anything God says is evil.

Conversely,
We must love good.
Good as God defines it.
Good as it reflects God’s character.

We must love,
Seek out, emulate,
Promote, value, respect
Whatever God says is good.

If we do those things,
It will be easy to establish justice.

Our systems are not just.
Criminals are not punished.
Minorities are oversentenced.
Influence and money bend rules.

Because we love evil and hate the good.

Small Beginnings

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Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” Zechariah 4:10 NLT

This verse is pulled from a vision Zechariah was given about the Temple rebuilding project. Israel was back in the land after captivity in Babylon and rebuilding the Temple was essential not only to re-establishing the worship of Jehovah, but also their identity as a people.

The task seemed impossible. Opposition was fierce. The older folks knew it would never hold a candle to Solomon’s Temple. There were plenty of reasons to abandon the undertaking. But there was one extremely important reason to keep going.

Obedience to God.

As we consider the work that lies before us, the kingdom work God has called us to do, it’s easy for discouragement to set in. We hear a constant soundtrack of negatives. I’m just one person. I don’t know much. I’ve never done anything like this. I’m not sure this is going to work. I’m not seeing a lot of progress. I feel like a failure. I’m not sure it’s worth the effort.

Or maybe we question our call in the first place. I’m just a mom. I’m just a kid. I’ve made too many mistakes. I’m too old. I’m too young. I’ve never done this before.

Don’t despise, don’t be discouraged by these small beginnings. It’s not about the “small.” It’s about the “beginning.” Zechariah said, “The LORD rejoices to see the work begin.”

Read that again. The LORD rejoices.

–When you pour yourself into raising your kids to love and honor God, the LORD rejoices.

–When you commit to investing in that one person in the office nobody likes, the LORD rejoices.

–When you make time for a cup of coffee with that neighbor who never seems to be outside anymore, the LORD rejoices.

–When you pull that Sunday school lesson together to give those little boys something to remember, the LORD rejoices.

Small beginnings? Perhaps. A great work? No question.

The Regions Beyond

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To the regions beyond I must go, I must go
Where the story has never been told;
To the millions that never have heard of His love,
I must tell the sweet story of old.

To the hardest of places He calls me to go,
Never thinking of comfort or ease;
The world may pronounce me a dreamer, a fool,
Enough if the Master I please. (Chorus)

Oh, you that are spending your leisure and pow’rs
In those pleasures so foolish and fond;
Awake from your selfishness, folly and sin,
And go to the regions beyond. (Chorus)

There are other “lost sheep” that the Master must bring,
And to them must the message be told;
He sends me to gather them out of all lands,
And welcome them back to His fold. (Chorus)

Chorus:
To the regions beyond I must go, I must go,
Till the world, all the world,
His salvation shall know.

Albert B. Simpson, 1904
Read John 4:27-38

Last week, we considered a hymn about Jesus finding the lost sheep. In this week’s hymn, our responsibility to be part of that work is celebrated. The world may pronounce us dreamers and fools (or worse — intolerant or bigoted) but we must not be discouraged. America is a great mission field. Your neighborhood is a great mission field. The other Little League families are a great mission field. Lord give us a heart for them and boldness to speak for You!

An Appointment with Amos: Seek Him

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For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, “Seek Me that you may live. “But do not resort to Bethel and do not come to Gilgal, nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to trouble. Amos 5:4-5

Israel was disobedient, idolatrous, apostate.
God could have allowed them to continue
Ultimately facing judgment and wrath.
But He is gracious.

Seek Me, the LORD says.

Do not seek Bethel.
Jacob worshipped there.
Your family and your heritage
Are not the key to finding God.

Do not seek Gilgal.
God parted the Jordan there.
Do not wait for a sign before you seek God.

Do not seek Beersheba.
Even if you travel to the far south
You will not find God changing your location
Or your routine.

Jeremiah says, “You will seek Me
And you will find me
When you search for Me
With all your heart.”

God guarantees a successful search
If we undertake it
And stop settling
For Bethel, Gilgal and Beersheba.

The Great Commandment

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“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” Matthew 22:36-38

This was a tricky question, at least in the mind of the one who asked. The religious leaders labored over which of God’s laws were the important ones and which ones were not quite as weighty. He was looking for a top ten list to add to the opinions of the other pundits and talking heads of the day. Which would Jesus say? Probably not the one about taking God’s name in vain. Jesus was well-known for calling God His Father. That was borderline blasphemy in the eyes of the religious leaders. And probably not the one about the Sabbath. They had already confronted Him for that on multiple occasions.

So what was it going to be? What was the great commandment?

Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5. The entire crowd of devout religious leaders around Jesus recited those verses every morning and every evening. Every morning, “You shall love the LORD your God…” Every evening, “You shall love the LORD your God…”

With their 613 laws, with their concern over which was most important, with their score keeping and rule making, they missed the point.

And if we think love is a fuzzy warm feeling of affection, I suspect we might miss the point as well. If love is a feeling, it would be unfair for God to command it, so love must be something more. And it is. Love is active devotion and service driven by adoration and reverence. In simple two-dimensional terms, it is obedience, but not the robotic stimulus and response kind. Obedience is a desire to bring every part of ourselves into agreement with God’s expressed desires and standards.

It is significant that the command includes the word all repeated three times. Any division or dilution of our love for God is idolatry, pure and simple. It is a very high standard. The first two of the Ten Commandments deal with idolatry, but Jesus chose to wrap them with love. His audience understood rule-keeping. He wanted them to understand relationship.

How do we love God with our heart?

Start with the emotions. Do the expressions of our emotions honor and reflect our devotion to God? What about fear and envy and anger? Are they more prevalent than joy, hope or peace?
Then examine desires and longings. Do we want what drives us to God or what pulls us away? Are our goals self-centered or God-centered? Do we have an undercurrent of dissatisfaction or entitlement?

How do we love God with our soul?

Start with your decisions. Are they made with a consideration for His will? Are your choices Godly? Do they confirm or deny His prominence in your life?
Then consider your innermost self. Do we love God with the part of ourselves that no one else ever sees? Are there things that we attempt to hide, things we don’t trust Him with.

How do we love God with our mind?

Start with your thoughts. What occupies your imagination? What lingers as you try to fall asleep?
Then consider your assumptions. Do those mirror God’s words and character? Are there prejudices and biases wielding influence?

However, simply knowing the great commandment isn’t worth much. The Pharisees and lawyers knew it. Remember, they recited it every day. When we act on it, when we love God with all of our heart and soul and mind … that’s when it becomes great.

There Were Ninety and Nine

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There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold,
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold–
Away on the mountains wild and bare,
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care,
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine
Has wandered away from me.
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep.”

But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed thro’
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry–
Sick and helpless and ready to die;
Sick and helpless and ready to die.

“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way,
That mark out the mountain’s track?”
“They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”
“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”
“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn;
They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

And all thro’ the mountains, thunder-riv’n,
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,
“Rejoice! I have found my sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne,
“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane, 1868
Read Luke 15:1-7

We have all been that lost sheep, and remember the moment when we were rescued and brought into the safety of the fold. The first line is the third stanza are striking.

But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed thro’
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.

We have no idea what Christ went through to save us, nor how He still works to bring others to Him. Let us thank Him again and rejoice in this great salvation!

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