OUR FATHER WHO BRINGS JUDGEMENT FOR ATTROCITIES

The book of Amos chapter 1 verse 13 says this;

This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent.

Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders,

This verse, captured by the prophet Amos,  describes the atrocity that the people of Ammon committed in order to the extend their borders. Specifically, Ammon targeted pregnant women and cut them open as part of their merciless campaigns for territorial domination.

In response to this conduct, the Lord declared through prophet Amos that He would burn up the city walls and destroy their fortresses while they themselves were under attack and while violent storms brought havoc to them.

Further to that, the leaders of Ammon were going to be exiled as part of the judgement against them for their actions. As verses 14 and 15 say;

I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together," says the Lord.

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OUR FATHER WHO IS THE JUDGE OVER THE AFFAIRS OF MEN

The book of Amos chapter 1 verse 10 says this;

I will send fire on the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses.”

The prophet Amos, revealing the judgements that were to come to  Israel and Judah and the surrounding regions, singled out the city of Tyre for a judgement of fire that would consume their fortresses to render them defenseless.

Tyre had undertaken to capture entire communities of the people of Edom and sell them as slaves even though they had a treaty of brotherhood between them.

Their disregard of a treaty and the wholesale destruction of communities and the enslavement of people invited  judgement of destruction upon them.

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OUR FATHER WHO CHOOSES HIS PEOPLE

The book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 4 says this;

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 

In this verse, Paul the Apostle, calls the believers in Christ "brothers and sisters" in an expression of familial closeness and love.

He then declares that they were chosen by God and in the next verse ( verse 5 ), Paul lists the reasons that he knows this;

because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 

In other words, these are markers of the circumstances that occur when God chooses a people;

1. The gospel arrives with power
2. The gospel arrives with the Holy Spirit
3. The gospel is carried with deep conviction

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO BRINGS JUDGMENT TO THE HOUSE OF DARKNESS

Amos chapter 1 verse 7 says this;

I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses.

This verse is a prophetic word from Amos the prophet fortelling the coming judgement upon the settlement of Gaza.

The people of Gaza had undertaken to raid towns and having captured the entire population of the inhabitants, they sold these captured people to neighbouring kingdoms.

For this aggrigeous conduct, their judgement was the destruction of their fortress walls by fire to leave them vulnerable to being raided themselves.

The judgment of God is just.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO GIVES FAVOUR TO THE HUMBLE

The book of Ruth chapter 2 verse 10 says this;

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

Ruth, in her encounter with Boaz, was puzzled by his favour toward her but she conducted herself humbly before him.

She, not knowing that the story of her compassion for her mother-in-law had preceded her, asked Boaz why he was singling her out from among the other gleaners and further to that, why he would concern himself with her when she was a foreigner in the land.

Ruth's humility and sincerity gained her great favour in the eyes of the leaders of the land and she was integrated into the fabric of the Messianic lineage when she became the wife of Boaz who was the father of Obed who was the father of Jessie who was the father of King David.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO TEACHES US A MOST EXCELLENT WAY

The book of Philemon chapter 1 verse 4 - 5 says this;

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.

This passage, written by Paul the Apostle (while he was in prison) to three believers named Philemon, Apphia and Archippus, describes why Paul was always grateful to God for these brothers and sisters  in Christ as he prayed for them.

He had been hearing of Philemon's love for all the holy believers and his faith in the Lord  Jesus.

For Paul, now an old man, having one of the people to whom he taught the gospel now demonstrating unwavering faith and showing love to others, was very encouraging to him.

Philemon was following what Paul called, in the book of 1 Corinthians, a most excellent way.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO SAVES US FROM OPPRESSION

The book of Isaiah chapter 14 verse 3 says this;

 On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 

This verse fortells of a time when the Lord will bring to an end to the regime of darkness over His people.

The kingdom of darkness, exploititavely ruling the kingdoms of the earth,  will be imposing harsh and unrelenting labour over  the people of the earth.

They will be oppressing the people with suffering and turmoil and it is when people are in this state, the Lord will bring to bear His power and authority to break the kingdom of darkness as Isaiah chapter 14 verse 5 says;

The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression.

Let us always give thanks to the Lord for His promise to intervene on  the behalf of the people of the earth to lift the burden of oppression off of His people.

Amen.

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