Bad Apples

“Amos sees at once that God's purposes were now ripe with regard to his people Israel, and that the nation itself had become ripe in its sin, so ripe that it must be destroyed. It teaches to us in these modern times, that there is a ripeness of men as well as of summer fruit; there is a ripening in holiness till we are gathered by the hand of Jesus for heaven, and a ripening in sin till we are swept away with the rough hand of death, and are cast away into the rottenness of destruction.” C.H. Spurgeon (“A Basket of Summer Fruit” – 1860)

If Spurgeon thought things were bad in his ‘modern times’ imagine what he might say today! Amos calls into account the nation of Israel (N. Kingdom) and tells them that ‘time is up!’ and God will wait no more. From the first Jeroboam to the current Jeroboam, Amos is warning the people of the land to be prepared for the harvest of their sin. Assyria is coming and they have waited too long – a caution to us all! Sunday I will explain the fruit, the spoiling and the remedy. I also have a really encouraging chart about the Fruit of the Spirit – don’t miss it! See you Sunday.

Pastor Mike